Consistent with the general purposes of this
chapter, the specific purpose of this article is:
A. To encourage the construction on and continued use
of the land for industrial and commercial purposes.
[Amended 12-21-2020 by Ord. No. 281]
B. To prohibit any use which would substantially interfere
with the development, continuation or expansion of industrial uses
in the district.
C. To establish reasonable standards for buildings and
other structures, the area and dimensions of yards and other open
spaces, and to provide for facilities and operation of industries
to minimize air pollution, noise, glare, heat, vibration, fire, safety
hazards, etc.
All proposed industrial uses shall meet or exceed
all of the following requirements:
A. Buffer zones.
(1) The buffer zone shall be measured from the district
boundary line or right-of-way line, if not coexistent with the district
boundary line.
(2) A minimum buffer zone of 100 feet in width including
the required setback shall be provided along any common property line
with a residential use or district.
[Amended 11-6-2006 by Ord. No. 204]
(3) The buffer zone shall be maintained and kept clean
of debris, rubbish, weeds, and other unsightly features.
(4) No building, structure, or physical improvement shall
be permitted in the buffer zone except:
(b)
A stormwater facility; and
(5) No less than half of the exterior buffer area shall
be planted and maintained with grass or ground cover, massed evergreens,
and deciduous trees and shrubs of such species and size as will produce
a screen of such density as will obscure, throughout the full course
of the year, all of the glare of automobile headlights emitted from
the premises. The preservation of all natural wooded tracts, rock
outcroppings or topographic features shall be an integral part of
all said plans regardless of their proximity to required buffer zones.
(a)
Massed evergreens used in screen planting shall
be at least four feet in height when planted and produce a complete
visual screen year-round.
(b)
The screen planting shall be maintained permanently
and any plant material which does not live shall be replaced within
one year.
(c)
The screen planting shall be so placed that
at maturity it will be no closer than three feet from any street or
property line.
(d)
A clear-sight triangle shall be maintained at
all street intersections and at all points where private access ways
intersect public streets.
(e)
The screen planting shall be broken only at
points of vehicular and pedestrian ingress and egress.
(6) No screen planting shall be required along street
frontages.
B. Drainage. No stormwater or natural drainage which
originates on the property or water generated by the activity, e.g.,
air conditioners, swimming pools, shall be diverted across property
lines unless transported in an approved or existing drainage system.
C. Electricity. Electric or electronic equipment shall
be shielded so there is no interference with any radio or television
reception at the lot line or beyond as the result of the operation
of such equipment.
D. Glare. No use shall produce a strong dazzling light
or a reflection of a strong dazzling light or glare beyond its lot
lines. Exterior lighting shall be shielded, buffered, and directed
so that glare will not become a nuisance to adjoining properties,
adjoining districts, or streets. A light of 0.5 footcandle that shine
on any dwelling is considered a nuisance under this section.
E. Radioactivity. Any proposed activity in this district
shall not emit any dangerous radioactivity at any point on the site.
F. Vibration. There shall be no vibration which is discernible
to the human sense of feeling beyond the immediate site on which such
use is conducted.
G. Fire and explosion hazard. All activities shall be
carried out in buildings, structures and improvements which conform
to the standards of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. Furthermore,
protection against fire and explosion shall be upon the advice of
the Franklin County Fire Marshal and the Township Emergency Management
Coordinator.
H. Traffic control. All design traffic volumes shall be determined by accepted procedures of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The design hourly volume and the average annual daily traffic count data shall be used as a basis of computation. Geometric design features shall be consistent with the design speeds and capacities of streets serving the site. Minimum stopping, turning and passing sight distances shall be determined. Grades, alignments, lanes, slopes, clearance, and other street standards shall be consistent with Chapter
310, Subdivision and Land Development. Traffic control devices (signs, signals, pavement markings, etc.) shall be consistent with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regulations. Anticipated traffic generation shall not exceed the design volume of the street or streets serving the site and surrounding area, unless appropriate provisions to upgrade and to construct necessary street improvements consistent with Washington Township street specifications are made at the applicant's expense.
I. Storage of explosives or flammable substances and
waste disposal.
(1) No highly flammable, explosive, chemicals or toxic
waste liquids, solids or gases shall be stored in bulk above the ground
except in structures according to commonwealth and federal specifications.
(2) All outdoor storage facilities for fuel shall be enclosed
by an approved safety fence to prevent access thereto by unauthorized
individuals.
(3) All materials or wastes which might cause fumes, constitute
a fire hazard, or attract rodents or insects may only be stored in
enclosed buildings or containers which are adequate to eliminate such
hazards.
(4) No materials, fuels, wastes, or flammable substances
may be deposited or stored on a lot in such a manner as to allow them
to be transferred off the lot by natural causes or forces. No substances,
including but not limited to gasoline, alcohol, oil, waste oil, and
chemicals which can contaminate a stream, water source, or ground
shall be stored in such a location so that it could be introduced
into the said stream, watercourse, or ground by natural causes or
forces, or by rupture or storage containers or accidental discharge.
(5) Noise control. The sound level of any use within this
district shall not exceed, at any point along the boundary of the
lot on which the use is to be undertaken, federal standards of recommended
decibel levels in the designated octave bands, except for emergency
alarm system. Sound levels shall be projected in accordance with similar
or identical operations or uses and shall be measured with a sound
level meter and associated octave band analyzer manufactured according
to standards prescribed by the American Standards Association. Measurements
shall be made using the same measuring system which may now or hereafter
be utilized by the United States Government for the purpose.
(6) Odor control. There shall be no emission of odorous
gases or other odorous material of any nature in such quantities as
to be offensive to the average individual at any point on or beyond
the lot boundary line within which the industrial operation is situated.
Identical operations or processes may be compared to determine compliance
with this subsection. This subsection shall not apply to the storage
or application of manure by agricultural operations in this district.
(7) Dust, fumes, vapor, and gas control. The emission
of dust, dirt, flyash, fumes, vapors, or gases which can cause damage
to human health, to animals or to vegetation or other forms of property,
or which can cause spoiling or staining of persons or property at
any point beyond the lot line of the use creating such emission is
hereby prohibited. No emission of liquid or solid particulate from
any chimney or stack or otherwise shall exceed .03 grains per cubic
foot of the covering gas at any point beyond the lot line of the use
creating the emission. Identical processes or facilities may be compared
to determine compliance with this subsection. For measurement for
the amount of particles discharge as set forth above, measurement
procedures shall follow those then employed by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection for similar or identical measurements.
(8) Smoke control. No smoke shall be emitted from any
chimney or from any other source which has a visible gray opacity
greater than number one on the Ringelmann Smoke Chart as published
by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, as amended to the time of the application
for land use permit. Identical operations or processes may be compacted
to determine compliance with this subsection.
(9) Liquid and solid wastes. No operation shall discharge
wastes of any kind into a surface water or groundwater source. All
methods of waste disposal shall be approved by the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection and the Washington Township Municipal
Authority, when said discharges are to the public sewer. Evidence
of such approval shall be provided.