[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
This Part shall be known as the “Richland Township Park Ordinance.”
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008; as amended by Ord. 287, 2/10/2020]
The activity of catching fish from Township waters, either for food or sport.
Land owned by the Township that has been preserved from development or that may be used as parks.
Any parkland or trail.
Tracts owned or acquired by the Township for public use including, but not limited to, playing fields, playgrounds and open space areas.
Any hot-air balloon, mini-bike, dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), off-road vehicle (ORV) or other form of motorcycle or any snowmobile.
The possession by a person of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or other lighted smoking device.
The act or sport of propelling oneself through water using one’s limbs.
A body of water, natural or manmade, located either partially or entirely within a Township park or open space.
A pathway designed for use by pedestrians or bicycles.
Any motorized device for that may be used for carrying passengers, including the operator, or goods.
A boat or other vessel that travels on water.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008; as amended by Ord. 261, 2-9-2015; by Ord. 287, 2/10/2020; and by Ord. 289, 9/14/2020]
1.
No person or persons without a permit or written agreement shall be allowed in the parklands except between the hours of sunrise and sunset. Exceptions include park facilities where field lighting is provided, and use is allowed by agreement or permit; in those cases, field lights must be turned off and use must cease by 11:00 p.m. Overnight parking is prohibited.
2.
Persons shall enter and leave a park by the entrance and exits provided for that purpose.
3.
No vehicle shall be used or parked on any roadway of a park except in areas designated for such purposes. No person may operate any recreational vehicle within any Township park.
4.
Use or possession of alcoholic beverages or narcotics in parks is prohibited.
5.
Visibly intoxicated persons shall not be permitted in a park, and shall be removed from park premises if found to be under the influence of alcohol and/or narcotics.
6.
Neither gambling, nor any obscene, indecent, lewd or lascivious acts shall be permitted in any park.
7.
Abusive, indecent or threatening language or any conduct that may cause annoyance to park visitors shall not be permitted.
8.
No firecrackers, fireworks or rockets are permitted in any park, except for special fireworks displays by special permit or necessary construction blasting that must be approved in writing by the Township.
9.
Hunting, target shooting and trapping are prohibited in any park, except that they may be permitted in some open space areas with permission by the Township; provided, that no hunting shall occur in close proximity to any dwelling or recreation area. Close proximity is established by the range of the weapon being used and/or other regulations governing hunting established by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
10.
No person or persons shall in any way injure, foul, pollute or deface any building, equipment, signs and standards or water in any park.
11.
No person or persons shall cut, remove, injure or destroy flowers, plants, wildflowers, shrubbery or trees in any park. Downed trees may only be removed for firewood by written permission of the Township. No person or persons shall erect any structures or install plant material in any park, unless authorized by the Township.
12.
Pets are not permitted on baseball, softball, or soccer fields, tennis or basketball courts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than six feet in length in all parks, except in areas or parks specifically designated for pets to run loose. All pet and animal waste shall be picked up and disposed in the appropriate trash receptacles.
13.
Littering in parks is prohibited. All refuse shall be placed in receptacles provided for that purpose. No dumping or storing of household items, household trash, construction debris, commercial or landscape debris, tires or other materials in park receptacles or on parks is permitted.
14.
No person shall deface or destroy any notices, rules or regulations for the regulation of a park system posted or in any matter permanently fixed within the limits of the same.
15.
Fires shall only be allowed in parks for the purposes of cooking. Fires are to be contained within stoves or grills. Fires must be attended and monitored at all times. Fires must be completely extinguished before leaving a site. Ashes are to be disposed of properly.
16.
Scheduling and Permits for Parks.
A.
Any individual or group of individuals desiring the privilege of having the exclusive or special use of all or portion of any park area, ground, building, athletic field or other recreational facility shall schedule such use with and obtain a permit from the Township. Individuals or groups desiring to conduct organized activities on park grounds shall schedule such activities with and obtain a permit from the Township. Individuals or groups using parkland facilities are responsible for any damage done to turf, park area, grounds, buildings or equipment.
B.
Scheduling and permit applications shall be made with the Township at least two business days before the date of the desired use. Established fees, security deposits and/or required certificates must be paid and/or filed with the Township at the time the permit application is submitted for approval and scheduling.
C.
Security deposits will not be returned if reserved park facilities are not properly cleaned after use.
D.
Any individual or group of individuals using a park facility to the exclusion of others without a permit shall remove themselves from the facility upon request by a properly scheduled and permitted user or authorized Township official or staff member.
E.
No permit will be issued for a use that violates the Townships regulations regarding the use of park facilities. The Township reserves the right to revoke any permit if those using the park pursuant to the permit violate Township regulations. The Township further reserves the right to limit the number of permits issued if the capacity of the facilities is exceeded.
F.
These regulations do not apply to minor children engaged in ordinary and customary play, except that children must remove themselves from a park facility upon request by a properly scheduled and permitted user or authorized Township official or staff member.
G.
Fees for permits as determined and approved by the Township shall be provided with each permit request.
H.
Issuance of a permit does not exempt any person from any of the rules and regulations as set forth in this Part.
I.
Issuance of a permit in no way states, implies or guarantees that the Township may not close down a park or facility that becomes hazardous or questionable for public use due to weather, fire, water, construction or other unforeseeable conditions.
17.
Activities and games shall only take place in parks in areas designated for such use. Individuals or groups using parks, with or without Township permission, are responsible for any damage done to turf or equipment.
18.
Soliciting is prohibited in parks.
A.
There shall be no soliciting of any kind, including the sale or vending of food, in parks or at Township recreational programs except by permit issued by the Township, and those sales associated with organized activities, as noted in Subsection 16.A above.
B.
Use of any park facility or section of a park facility for commercial or profitmaking activities without a special permit issued by the Township is prohibited.
19.
Camping is prohibited in parks, except with the issuance of a special use permit by the Township.
20.
All public parks including, but not limited to, fields, baseball, softball, and soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts, trails, playgrounds, and pavilions shall be used only for their intended purpose and no other unless a special permit has been issued by the Township.
21.
Smoking or the use of any tobacco products is prohibited in any park.
22.
Tree climbing in parks is prohibited.
23.
No person may excavate in any manner in parks, except for Township approved construction activities.
24.
No swimming or wading shall be allowed in any Township waters.
25.
Fishing is allowed in approved Township waters under the rules outlined by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Approved Township waters for fishing can be found in §16-110.
26.
Ice skating, walking, or going upon any Township waters which may appear to be frozen is prohibited except at such times and at such places as may be designated by the Township.
27.
Boating is allowed on approved Township waters under the following stipulations:
A.
Only human-powered and electric-powered watercraft with a maximum output of 55-pound thrust that can be carried in may be used on Township waters. These include but are not limited to canoes, kayaks, rowboats, pedal boats, and stand-up paddle boards.
B.
No gas-powered watercraft or watercraft that requires a ramp to launch shall be allowed on Township waters.
C.
All users must have a properly fitted United States Coast Guard approved personal flotation device with them on the watercraft. Any non-swimmers or children under the age of 12 must wear this device at all times.
D.
No swimming is permitted off of any watercraft on Township waters.
F.
All boating is at boater’s own risk. Water rescue or retrieval of equipment is not provided by the Township.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
1.
Operating or parking any vehicle while on park property in an unauthorized, reckless or negligent manner, or in such a manner as to become a nuisance to other park users is prohibited.
2.
Operating vehicles in excess of 10 miles per hour on any park roadway is prohibited. (This restriction shall not apply to vehicles of the fire and police departments, nor to ambulances or vehicles used by physicians when actually responding to emergency calls.)
3.
Operating vehicles in areas of parks other than on cartways especially designed and constructed for vehicular traffic is prohibited. This shall not apply to vehicles of the Township and authorized emergency vehicles.
4.
Parking on shoulders or roadways, on grass or on any other area of park property where specific parking spaces has not been provided is prohibited unless indicated otherwise on notices posted by the Township.
5.
Road testing of any vehicle or driver instruction shall be forbidden in all parks.
6.
The washing, repairing or servicing of any motor vehicle in parks is not permitted, but a flat tire may be replaced. Abandonment of such vehicles is prohibited. If mechanical disablement occurs in a park, immediate steps must be taken for removal.
7.
Displays of vehicular speed or power are prohibited in parks.
8.
The use of park trails for vehicular traffic or parking is prohibited.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
There shall be no trespassing on adjacent properties to parks, or harassment of the owners, renters, or occupants thereof.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
The Richland Township Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police are authorized to enforce the provisions of this Part.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
The Board of Supervisors may from time to time, by resolution, adopt a schedule of fees and charges for the use of Township facilities.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
The Township Manager is authorized to promulgate temporary regulations from time to time not inconsistent with the rules set forth in this Part.
[Ord. 238, 5/5/2008]
Any person violating the provisions of this Part shall, upon conviction before a magisterial district judge, pay a fine not to exceed $600 and costs of prosecution, and/or community service. All prosecutions for violations under this Part shall be brought in the name of Richland Township, and all fines shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Township and shall be applied to the general funds of said Township.