[Ord. 88-O-205B, 4/3/1988, § 1]
This Part shall be known as the "Newtown Township Park Rules
and Regulations Ordinance."
[Ord. 88-O-205B, 4/3/1988, § 2]
The purpose of this Part is to protect, preserve, and to provide
for the orderly management of park ground, recreation area, and open
space owned or leased by the Township of Newtown, and designated by
the Board of Supervisors as park ground, recreation area, and/or open
space.
[Ord. 88-O-205B, 4/3/1988, § 3]
PARK SYSTEM — Land owned or leased by Newtown
Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, designated by the Board of Supervisors
as park ground, recreation area and/or open space.
[Ord. 88-O-205B, 4/3/1988, § 4; as amended by Ord.
91-O-9, 6/17/1991; by Ord. 1996-O-7, 5/29/1996, § I; by
Ord. 2012-O-2, 3/14/2012, § 1; and by Ord. 2015-O-3, 1/28/2015]
The following activities shall be prohibited in the park system:
1. Gambling. No person shall gamble or carry out games of chance, as
defined in the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, in the park system.
2. Fires. No person shall:
A. Set or cause to be set on fire any foliage within the park system.
B. Build any fire within the park system except within receptacles approved
and designated by the Board of Supervisors for such purpose.
C. Drop, dump, throw, or otherwise scatter lighted matches, ashes, burning
cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, paper or other flammable material within
the park system.
D. Leave authorized fires unattended at any time or to leave any fire
not fully extinguished before being abandoned within the park system.
3. Alcoholic Beverages or Controlled Substances. No person shall sell,
distribute or consume any alcoholic beverages or controlled substances,
as defined in the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, in the park system.
4. Trespass. No person shall enter or use the park system during the
period of time between one hour after sundown and one hour before
sunrise. Further, the Board of Supervisors shall have the right to
create "No Trespassing" areas, whether temporary or permanent, within
the park system. No person shall;
A. Enter upon lands that have been posted by the Park and Recreation
Director with "No Trespassing" or special wildlife protection signs,
or any sign that would indicate that the area is not open to the general
public, without first obtaining a permit issued by the Park and Recreation
Director.
B. Build, erect, plant or cultivate upon lands within the park system,
or otherwise use lands within the park system or the contents thereon
for any structure, garden, compost heap or other personal usage without
first obtaining written permission from the Park and Recreation Director.
C. Travel upon areas within the park system other than areas designated
and marked as trails or paths, where provided.
D. Enter any building in the park system that is not open to and regularly
used by the general public.
E. Enter upon or disturb any construction or equipment on the park system
property. Authorized personnel are excepted.
F. Drive or cause to be driven any livestock upon or across any lands
within the park system without first obtaining written permission
from the Park and Recreation Director.
5. Littering, Dumping and Pollution of Waters. No person shall:
A. Discard, deposit, dump, litter or allow to blow away any refuse of
any kind within the park system except by placing said refuse in containers
provided for such purpose.
B. Bring into or dispose of any type of trash, refuse, or debris in
or upon the park system lands or waters, whether disposing of it in
receptacles or not, if such debris or material did not result from
usage within the park system.
C. Wash at pumps or drinking fountains or other water sources within
the park system except as designated for such purposes.
D. Discard, deposit, dump, litter, or drain any refuse material of any
nature onto any land or into any water within the park system.
6. Abusive or Obscene Language and Behavior. No person shall:
A. Engage in any violent, abusive, loud or boisterous, vulgar, lewd,
obscene or otherwise disorderly conduct tending to create a breach
of the peace, or to disturb or annoy others while in or upon any property
within the park system.
B. Commit any indecent or immoral act tending to debauch the morals
or manners of the public while in or upon the property within the
park system.
7. Noise. No person shall:
A. Use a loudspeaker, public address system or amplifier within the
park system without first obtaining written permission from the Park
and Recreation Director.
B. Play or cause to play any radio, phonograph, tape recorder, television,
stereo, etc., in a loud or boisterous manner which tends to disturb
or annoy any visitor within the park system.
8. Soliciting. No person shall peddle or solicit business of any nature
whatever or collect any fund for any service or charity, or distribute
handbills or other advertising material, or post unauthorized signs
on any lands, waters, structures or property within the park system
without first obtaining written permission from the Park and Recreation
Director.
9. Damage.
A. Natural features. No person shall cut, mutilate, or remove or destroy
in any manner whatever, any property within the park system. Persons
working as employees or authorized under contract to the Township
are exempt from this in carrying out their duties.
B. Man-Made Features. No person shall:
(1)
Destroy, deface, alter, or remove any monument, stone marker,
bench mark, stake, post, trail blaze or designation of any boundary
line or survey line within the park system.
(2)
Cut, break, mark upon or otherwise damage or destroy any building,
bridge, drain, wall, foundation, fence, gate, hedge, sign, or other
installation or structure within the park system.
(3)
Deface, destroy, or remove any placard, notice or sign, whether
permanent or temporary, posted or exhibited within the park system.
10. Firearms (including bows and arrows) Hatchets, Axes, Saws, and Knives
or Weapons. No person shall:
A. Other than an officer of the law, no person shall discharge a firearm,
rifle or other weapon within the park system.
B. Bring into or upon the park system, nor have in his or her possession
any type of hatchet, axe, saw or knife while within the park system.
11. Motorized and Self-Propelled Vehicles. No person shall:
A. Operate any motor vehicle within the park system, except in areas
specifically designated for motor vehicles and except for persons
mowing the grass.
B. Operate any vehicle and stop, stand, or park such vehicle in any
place marked as a passenger or loading zone other than for the purpose
of expeditious loading or unloading and delivery of materials.
C. Operate any vehicle and stop, stand, or park such vehicle upon any
roadway, bike path, trail, or lane or in any parking area within the
park system in such a manner as to form an obstruction to traffic
thereon.
D. Drive upon or park upon any trail, maintenance road or lawn within
the park system unless the area is specifically designated as overflow
parking area.
E. Operate any vehicle and park in any place within the park system
where a "No Parking" sign has been erected.
F. Operate any vehicle and park in such a manner as to block the exit
or removal of another vehicle within the park system.
|
In conjunction with and in addition to this section, the Motor
Vehicles Code of Pennsylvania and the Traffic Ordinance of Newtown
Township shall apply to all areas of the park system.
|
|
Bicycles are permitted within the park system on areas clearly
set aside for this purpose only.
|
12. Shooting, hunting, trapping, and fishing are prohibited in the park
system.
13. Wildlife. No person shall:
A. Pursue, catch, attempt to catch, strike, molest, wound, kill, harm
or injure any bird, animal, reptile, amphibian or any wildlife within
the park system.
B. Destroy, remove, or alter any nest, lair, den, burrow, or habitat
of any wildlife within the park system.
C. Drive or pursue any wildlife from the confines of the park system.
D. Introduce any alien species into the park system.
14. Swimming, Boating, Bathing, and Wading. No person shall swim, boat,
bathe, or wade in any body of water within the park system unless
said area is specifically designated for such purpose.
15. Camping and Picnicking. No person shall camp or picnic except in
such areas as are provided and designated for such purposes within
the park system. In all cases, a permit from the Park and Recreation
Director is required for camping within the park system.
16. Unlawful Obstruction. No person shall peddle or solicit business
of any nature whatever or collect any fund of any service or charity,
or distribute handbills or other advertising material, or post unauthorized
signs on any lands, waters, structures, or property within the park
system without first obtaining written permission from the Park and
Recreation Director and pursuant to the Township Solicitation Ordinances.
17. Fireworks. No person shall fire, discharge or have in his or her
possession any rocket, firecracker, or other fireworks and substances
of an explosive nature within the park system, without first obtaining
a permit from the Board of Supervisors.
18. Domestic Animals and Fowl. No person shall bring any domestic animal
or fowl into park system property unless the property is clearly designated
for such a purpose and then only when the domestic animal or fowl
is tethered on a six foot or shorter leash. Individuals are responsible
for using a "pooper scooper" for all waste left by any animal under
their control/ownership.
19. Permitted Parties. Any gathering or group of people consisting of
20 or more persons must first obtain a permit to use the park system
from the Park and Recreation Director and in so doing, must follow
the following guidelines:
A. Application for a permit shall be made upon the official form of
the Township and shall be accompanied by the required fee except where
a free permit may be issued.
B. Application for a permit shall be made at the Township Municipal
Administration Office and approved by the Park and Recreation Director.
Application and fee must be processed and approved one week in advance
of the scheduled activity.
C. In the event more applications for reservations are received than
space available, such applications shall be considered in the order
received by the Township.
D. Permits may be issued to persons for use of the park system between
the hours of sunset of one day to sunrise of the following day.
E. Application for permits for persons under the age of 18 years shall
be countersigned by the applicant's parent or legal guardian indicating
therein his or her responsibility for the conduct of the permit user.
F. The holder of a permit issued by the Township shall be held responsible
for the actions and conduct of the other persons in the group.
G. All visitors to the park system must comply with all rules and regulations
of the Township while within the park system.
20. Golfing. No person shall play or practice golf within the park system.
Applicable "no golfing" signs may be posted to aid in enforcing this
provision.
[Ord. 88-O-205B, 4/3/1988, § 5; as amended by Ord.
97-O-22, 12/3/1997]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this Part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before
a district justice in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary
offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall
be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and,
in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues
or each Section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated
shall constitute a separate offense.