[Ord. 150, 3/15/1948; as revised by Ord. 416, 4/22/1991]
The Borough of East Lansdowne hereby adopts, for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the construction, alteration, equipment, fire protection and safety of buildings and structures, including administration, building permits, and penalties, the building code known as the "BOCA Basic Building Code, 1987 Edition," save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified or amended, of which three (3) copies have been and are now filed in the office of the Building Inspector, and the same are hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein. From the date on which this Part shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling in the construction of all buildings and structures, and in all other subjects therein contained, within the corporate limits of the Borough.
[Ord. 150, 3/15/1948; as amended by Ord. 162, 9/10/1951; by Ord. 224, 10/10/1960; by Ord. 387, 6/9/1986; by Ord. 393, 3/9/1987; by Ord. 401, 7/11/1988; and as revised by Ord. 416, 4/22/1991]
The building code hereby adopted is amended as follows:
1. 
"Borough of East Lansdowne" shall be inserted wherever the words "Name of Municipality" appear in brackets therein;
Whenever the term "legal officer" or "legal representative" is used in this code, it shall be held to mean the Borough Solicitor.
2. 
Section 100.1. Insert: Borough of East Lansdowne.
3. 
Section 103.4. Insert: May 1, 1991.
4. 
Section 109.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:
109.1. Building Official: There shall be elected annually by the Borough Council at its regular meeting in January, by a majority vote of the members present, one person, properly qualified, to serve as Building Inspector and one person, properly qualified, to serve as Deputy Building Inspector. The Building Inspector shall receive such compensation as is hereinafter provided, their compensation being the same, and each shall hold office until his successor is duly elected and qualified.
5. 
Section 109.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:
109.2. Compensation: The Building Inspector shall collect fees as herein provided and remit to the Borough Treasurer the full amount of such fees. The Building Inspector shall receive as compensation for the cost of each permit issued, a fee in accordance with the fee schedule as set forth annually by resolution of the Borough Council, not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the total of each permit issued. Every permit shall be considered cancelled if active work is not commenced within a period of six (6) months from the date of issue of said permit.
6. 
Section 109.4 is hereby amended to read as follows:
109.4. Deputy: During temporary (2 days or more) absence or disability of the Building Official, the President of Council shall designate an acting building official.
7. 
Section 109.5 shall be amended to read as follows:
109.5. Qualifications of Building Official; Shall be established by resolution of the Borough Council.
8. 
Section 111.0. Revised to add the following:
"No refunds of permit fees shall be made when the permit expires and a new permit fee must be paid to reactivate the expired permit."
9. 
Section 114.3.1 shall be amended to read as follows:
114.3.1. Fee Schedule: The fees charged by the Borough for building-related activities shall be as established by resolution of Borough Council.
10. 
Section 117.4 shall be amended to read as follows:
117.4. Violation Penalties: Any person who shall violate any provision of this code or who shall fail to comply with any requirement thereof or who shall erect, construct, alter, or repair a building or structure in violation of an approved plan or directive of the Building Official, or of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this code shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), plus costs, and in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed thirty (30) days. Every day that a violation of this code continues shall constitute a separate offense.
11. 
Section 118.2. is hereby amended to read as follows:
118.2. Unlawful Continuance: Any person who shall continue any work in or about the structure after having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe conditions, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), and/or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed thirty (30) days.
12. 
Section 123.3 is hereby amended to read as follows:
123.3. Compensation of Board of Survey: The third member of the board shall receive for his services a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00).
13. 
Section 201.0 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Alley: any public way primarily intended to provide vehicular access to the rear of lots fronting upon public streets or avenues.
Building line: a line, established by Part or designated upon an officially adopted lot plan, beyond which a building shall not extend.
14. 
Section 623. Private swimming pools shall not fall under the jurisdiction of this Section.
15. 
Section 1300.3. Shall be revised to state as follows: "Used material will be permitted for residential use only and shall not include structural, load bearing materials and finished product material."
16. 
Section 2906.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:
2906.1. Filing Bond. No person shall erect, install, remove, or rehang any sign for which a permit is required under the provisions of the Basic Code until an approved bond shall have been filed in the sum of one hundred (100) percent of costs, three hundred dollars ($300.00) per accident, and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00) property damage.
17. 
Article 32. Is deleted in its entirety.
18. 
Smoke Detectors. Hardwired smoke detector systems will be required prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy when the ownership of a nonresidential structure changes. Change in use group occupancies other than residential one and two family dwellings of one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet or greater shall be required to be sprinklered.
A. 
All residential dwellings, or change of owner, shall have a minimum single station smoke detector on each level of the dwelling, including the basement.
19. 
Wooden Decks. The following regulations shall apply to the construction of residential wood decks:
A. 
Application. Construction of residential wood decks.
B. 
Foundations. In accordance with Sections 1205.0 and 1701.9, but not less than 10" diameter concrete extending the minimum 8" above finished grade to minimum 3'0" below finished grade.
C. 
Structural Posts. In accordance with Section 1701.2.2.
D. 
Floor Spans. In accordance with Section 1705.2, but no framing members less than 2" by 8" on 16" centers with maximum span of 10'0".
E. 
Beams. In accordance with Section 1705.2, but no beams less than two (2) 2" by 10" with a maximum span of 10'0".
F. 
Decking. Minimum five (5) 4" by 6" on 16" framing centers and two (2) 2" by 6" on 24" framing centers.
G. 
Railings. Required wherever the distance from the deck to finish grade is 3'0" or greater, or the drop is to water. Railing assembly shall support a lateral load of 250 pounds per horizontal foot applied at the handrail; vertical supports shall be minimum 2" by 4" at 3'0" on center with minimum 8" lap and two supports onto deck framing; handrail shall be minimum 2" by 4" continuous with the top of the handrail at minimum 2'6" above the deck.
H. 
Stairs. In accordance with Sections 816.4.1, 816.4.2, with treads conforming to "Decking" requirements above. Stingers shall be minimum 2" by 10"; for closed risers, stringers shall be spaced at maximum 4'0" on center (risers minimum nominal 1" dimension lumber); for open risers, stringers shall be spaced at maximum 16" center treads are five (5) 4" lumber and maximum 2'0" centers if treads are nominal 2" lumber.
[Ord. 150, 3/15/1948; as revised by Ord. 416, 4/22/1991]
In all matters that are regulated by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by regulations of departments or agencies of the Commonwealth promulgated by authority of law, such laws or regulations, as the case may be, shall control where the requirements thereof are the same as or in excess of the provisions of this Part. The code shall control in all cases where the State requirements are not as strict as those contained in this Part.
[Ord. 150, 3/15/1948; as revised by Ord. 416, 4/22/1991]
The invalidity of any section or part of this Part shall not affect the remaining sections.
[Ord. 150, 3/15/1948; as revised by Ord. 416, 4/22/1991]
The provisions of this Part so far as they are the same as those of ordinances and/or codes in force immediately prior to the enactment of this Part, are intended as a continuation of such ordinances and codes and not as new enactments. The provisions of this Part shall not affect any act done or liability incurred, nor shall they affect any suit or prosecution pending or to be instituted to enforce any right or penalty or to punish any offense under the authority of any of the repealed ordinances.