It is hereby declared to be in the best interests of the residents
of the Township to regulate the use of public parks, playgrounds and
recreational areas within the Township.
Except as otherwise provided by this article, the recreational area of the Township known as the "Mine Hill Municipal Beach," located off Green Road on the westerly side of the Township, shall continue to be governed and controlled by Article
I, Beach and Swimming Facilities, of this chapter.
[Amended 2-16-2012 by Ord. No. 04-12]
A. A written permit issued by or under the authority of the Township
Council shall be applied for in the manner and on forms prescribed
by the rules and regulations of the Township Council and secured for
the following uses and activities within any public park, public playground
or public recreational area within the Township:
(2) Group use by more than 25 people.
(3) Special events such as races, concerts, fairs, fund-raising events
and any other uses listed and defined in the rules and regulations
of the Township Council.
B. Fees. Permit fees as set forth in the rules and regulations of the
Township Council shall be paid prior to the issuance of any requested
permit and shall be fixed in amount by the Township Council solely
for the purpose of covering all expenses of the Township resulting
from the proposed use and the regulation and supervision of such use
by the Township.
C. Reasonable terms and conditions may be imposed as a part of the permit
to the extent deemed appropriate by the Township Council in order
to protect the interests, health and welfare of the residents of Mine
Hill.
D. Any violation of the terms and conditions of any such permit or the
rules and regulations of the Township Council or the provisions of
this article shall constitute grounds for the immediate revocation
of any such permit.
[Amended by Ord. No. 315A-83]
A. Hours of operation. All public parks, playgrounds and recreational areas shall be open and use thereof limited to the hours between 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sundown unless otherwise permitted by the terms of a permit issued by the Township pursuant to §
372-4.
B. Games and activities. No person shall bathe, wade or swim, operate
a boat, canoe or raft, fish, engage in athletic events or organized
games, skate, ski, use sleds, operate aviation models, kites, model
boats, model automobiles, throw, cast, catch, kick or strike any type
of ball, frisbee, disc, bag or other object except at designated and
approved locations and times and in the manner prescribed by the rules
and regulations of the Township Council. Swimming, wading, or bathing
is expressly prohibited in any body of water except for the Mine Hill
Municipal Beach when open and with required membership.
[Amended 7-2-2020 by Ord.
No. 12-20]
C. Use of horses. No person shall use, ride or bring a horse or pony
upon or into any public park, playground or recreational area except
on and in trails and areas specifically designated and posted for
such use and during hours specifically designated for such use by
the rules and regulations of the Township Council.
D. Aviation-type uses. No person, except in an emergency, shall land
or cause to descend or alight within or upon any public park, playground
or recreational area any airplane, flying machine, balloon designed
to carry people, parachute or other apparatus pertaining to aviation,
unless a permit for such use in connection with a special event is
applied for and secured in accordance with the provisions of this
article and the rules and regulations of the Township Council.
E. Vehicles.
(1) No person shall drive, park or bring a motor vehicle, including motorcycles
and mopeds, bicycles, sleds, sleighs, carts or any other type of vehicle,
whether intended for on- or off-public-road use, onto any path, walkway,
roadway, parking area or any other part, portion or section of any
public park, playground or recreational area, except where the use
of any particular type of vehicle is specifically allowed, and the
path, roadway or area in question is specifically designated for use
by specified type or types of vehicles and then only during times
specifically designated for such vehicle use.
(2) Unless a permit to do so is applied for and secured, no person shall
leave, park or keep a vehicle of any type overnight in any public
park, playground or recreational area.
(3) The provisions of this subsection do not apply to police and/or emergency
vehicles or Township employees/volunteers on official business.
F. Advertising, sound and light devices. Unless a permit is applied
for and issued granting permission to do so, no person shall post,
point, affix, distribute, hand out, deliver, place, cast or leave
about any handbill, circular, or other advertisement, display any
flag, banner, target, sign or any matter or device for advertising
purposes, or use a searchlight, floodlight or sportlight, or operate
any musical instrument, loudspeaker, public address system or other
sound device for advertising purposes or for the purpose of attracting
attention to any exhibition, show, performance, entertainment, or
display, or for the purpose of conducting a public rally or meeting.
G. Animals.
(1) No person shall cause or permit any animal owned by him, in his custody
or control, except a domesticated household pet when restrained by
a leash not exceeding six feet in length, to enter upon any public
park, playground or recreational area.
(2) The person in immediate control of any leashed household pet brought
upon any park, playground or recreational area shall clean up after
such animal.
H. Fires, burning materials.
(1) No person shall start, light, kindle, build, maintain or use a fire,
whether for cooking or otherwise, except in places provided for such
purposes. Designated areas shall continuously be under the care and
direction of an adult from the time any such permitted fire is kindled
until it is extinguished.
(2) No person shall throw away or discard any lighted match, cigar, cigarette,
paper or other lighted or burning material other than in a container
designated for such purpose.
I. Structures. No person shall erect or cause to be erected any tent,
platform, stand or any other type of structure within a public park,
playground or recreational area without first applying for and obtaining
a permit to do so from the Township Council pursuant to the provision
of this article.
J. Trees, shrubs, flowers and grass. No person shall destroy, cut, break,
burn, deface, mutilate, injure, damage, disturb, sever from the ground,
or remove any building, structure or improvement located in any public
park, playground or recreational area, or any plant, flower, flowerbed,
shrub, plant, tree, or other growing thing located therein.
K. Animals and fish. No person shall within any public park, playground
or recreational area molest, remove, kill, wound, injure, capture,
trap, hunt, shoot, take, chase or throw objects at any animals, fowl,
or fish, their nests, young or eggs. No person shall fish in any public
park, playground or recreational area unless the waters and location
are specifically designated for fishing and then only in accordance
with all applicable laws and regulations of the State of New Jersey
licensing and regulating fishing.
L. Refuse and rubbish. No person shall discard, leave, throw, cast or
drop within any public park, playground or recreational area, or within
or into or upon any pond, lake, river, stream, brook or tributary
located therein, any refuse, rubbish, garbage, polluting matter, or
any other substance or material (liquid or solid) which such person
seeks to dispose of or discard.
M. Alcoholic beverages and drugs. The use, consumption, sale and possession
of any alcoholic beverage or illegal drug within any public park,
playground or recreational area is prohibited, and any person found
violating this prohibition shall immediately be removed.
N. Loud noises and devices. No person shall bring upon or use within
any public park, playground or recreational area any firecracker,
rocket, explosive or any other similar noise-creating or flammable
or explosive device or material, or otherwise create loud and abusive
noises disturbing to other persons.
O. Sale of merchandise or materials. Unless a permit for such purpose
is applied for and secured in accordance with the controlling rules
and regulations of the Township Council, no person shall sell or offer
to sell any object, item, merchandise, material, service or other
things within any public park, playground or recreational area.
P. Firearms; weapons. No person shall bring, carry or possess any gun,
bow and arrow or other firearm or weapon within any public park, playground
or recreational area.
Q. General conduct. In general, no person shall engage in disorderly
conduct or behavior disturbing or otherwise interfering with any other
person's use of any public park, playground or recreational area,
or conduct or behavior which endangers the safety of any other persons
in the park, playground or recreational area.
R. Gasoline-powered boats are prohibited on Sunset Lake.
[Added 5-21-2020 by Ord.
No. 10-20]