1. Uses requiring special permits by the Zoning Hearing Board. (See Part 10 of this Chapter.)
2. Temporary structures or uses. The following temporary structures shall be deemed to be permitted uses in all zoning districts.
A. Temporary structures or uses incidental to construction work, including a non-illuminated sign, not exceeding 12 square feet in area, of any contractor, engineer or architect, shall be permitted for a period of time not to exceed one year; provided, that any such structure shall be removed forthwith upon the completion or abandonment of the construction work. Any extension of said time limit shall require the approval of the Zoning Hearing Board.
B. The temporary use of a dwelling as a model home shall be permitted for a period of time not to exceed three months.
C. Any temporary structure or use permitted by the Zoning Hearing Board as authorized in Part 10 of this Chapter.
3. Signs and commercial signs. Signs may be erected and maintained only when in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter and any and all other ordinances and regulations relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance of signs and similar devices.
A. General requirements. All signs and/or commercial signs, where permitted in this Chapter, are subject to the following.
(2) Each application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by a minimum fee in accordance with the fee payment schedule maintained by the township.
(3) Every sign shall be kept in a state of good repair from the standpoint of safety, fire protection and appearance. The Zoning Officer shall require such maintenance and, in the event of failure of a sign owner to correct unsafe conditions or dilapidated appearance, the Zoning Officer will notify the sign owner that, if the unsafe condition or dilapidated appearance is not corrected within 30 days, the Zoning Officer shall order the removal of the sign by the township at the owner’s expense. All signs not owned by the person, firm or organization advertising thereon shall carry a clearly legible imprint showing the owner’s name.
(4) The area of any sign shall be determined from its outside measurements, excluding as a part thereof the height and overall width of supports and supporting structures and any other portion or portions thereof beneath the normal area upon which an advertisement is posted or intended to be posted. Where a sign is so designed as to permit advertising copy on each side, back to back, only one face shall be counted in determining area. Where a sign is designed in a “V”, each face shall be counted separately in determining area.
(5) Construction and wiring of all electric signs shall comply with the requirements of the National Electric Safety Code, and operating permits will not be issued therefor until the label of the underwriters laboratories has been affixed. No sign shall be so illuminated as to permit spot or flood lights to shine into or have a blinding effect upon vehicular traffic. No sign shall be so illuminated as to constitute a nuisance by spilling light into any adjacent residential property.
(6) No sign shall contain moving parts or use flashing or intermittent illumination. The source of light shall be steady and stationary.
(7) No sign shall be higher than 35 feet from the ground to the highest part of the sign.
(8) No sign shall be so erected as to obstruct entrance to or exit from a required door, window, fire escape or other required exit way.
(9) Temporary signs not exceeding 16 square feet in area of painters, mechanics, contractors and the like are permissible in all districts, provided such signs are removed as soon as work is completed on the premises.
(10) Temporary signs and banners of a non-commercial nature across rights-of-way are permitted, provided approval is obtained from the Township Supervisors, and it is erected in a location where it will not cause a traffic hazard, it meets safety standards and is maintained, and it will be removed when its temporary use is completed.
B. Signs in residential districts. The following types of signs may be permitted in residential districts unless otherwise provided:
(1) One name plate and one house number sign for each dwelling unit, professional office or home occupation, provided it does not exceed one square foot and identifies only the name and title of the occupant. It shall not extend beyond a vertical plane two feet inside the lot from the street line. If lighted, it will be illuminated without objectionable glare. No displays or change in facade shall indicate from the exterior that the building is being used in whole or in part for any purpose other than that of a dwelling;
(2) Real estate sign; provided, it is unlighted, is not closer to a right-of-way than one-half the depth of the existing front yard, does not exceed six square feet in area and pertains either to the lease, rental or sale of the premises on which it is maintained; and
(3) One institutional sign, provided it does not exceed 16 feet in area and is not closer to a right-of-way than one-half the depth of the existing front yard. If lighted, it will be illuminated without objectionable glare.
C. Signs in industrial and commercial districts. The following types of signs may be permitted in industrial and commercial districts unless otherwise provided:
(1) One wall sign to a property, provided it is attached to the wall of a building and projects horizontally not more than 12 inches therefrom, is not less than ten feet above the sidewalk and occupies not more than 20% of the total area of the front of the principal building. It shall not project more than three feet above the roof line or parapet wall;
(2) One projecting sign, provided it shall not project beyond a vertical plane two feet inside the lot from the street line;
(3) In C-2 Business Districts, one free-standing sign not to exceed 80 square feet in area. It shall not extend beyond a vertical plane two feet inside the lot from the street line and shall not exceed a height of 35 feet; and
(4) In C-3 General Commercial Districts, identification signs, provided they are separate and not attached to any building; a maximum to two such signs for any one general area. The height of signs shall be a maximum of 35 feet measured from the ground, and the maximum size of the sign portion itself shall not exceed 100 square feet.
D. Commercial sign structures. Commercial sign structures (billboards, sign boards, outdoor advertising signs) may be erected where permitted as a special exception use, providing that such commercial sign structures do not exceed 300 square feet in surface area and are spaced at intervals of not less than 1,000 feet along the same side of any street or highway. No commercial sign structure shall be located within 100 feet of any street intersection.
E. Prohibited signs. No sign shall be erected, relocated or enlarged which, in the opinion of the Zoning Officer shall:
(1) Create a traffic hazard as a result of screening traffic signals or signs or which may cause confusion by utilizing red, green or amber lights or reflectorized material which creates a flashing action and is so located as to resemble or render ineffective any traffic sign or signal which uses the words “Stop”, “Slow”, or “Danger”, or any other official traffic device; and
(2) Be painted, pasted or otherwise affixed to any tree, rock, utility pole, hydrant, bridge, sidewalk, curb, or street, except when authorized by and under a permit from an authorized public agency or required by law.
4. Limitations on gasoline service stations and public garages.
A. No part of any building used as a gasoline service station or public garage and no filling pump, lift or other service appliance shall be erected within 25 feet of any R District boundary.
B. No gasoline or oil pump, no oiling or greasing mechanism and no other service appliance shall be installed in connection with any gasoline service station or public garage within 20 feet of any street line.
C. Two reservoir spaces for each gasoline pump shall be provided on the lot for waiting vehicles. Such reservoir space shall not include space at the pump or required parking space.
D. There shall be no use of the lot except for landscaping or screening within 20 feet of any R District boundary.
E. All portions of the lot not enclosed in a building and used for a reservoir space or for storage, parking or servicing of a motor vehicle shall be subject to the provision of division 5. below.
5. Limitations on automotive use areas. Any portion of a lot used for open off-street parking or reservoir space, or for open sales, service or storage areas for motor vehicles, contractors equipment, or boats shall be deemed to be an automotive use area. New automotive use areas or enlargements of existing automotive use areas shall be subject to the following requirements.
A. Surfacing. Every automotive use area and access driveway thereto shall be surfaced with a durable and dustless material and shall be so graded and drained so as to dispose of surface water accumulation.
B. Lighting. Any fixture used to illuminate any automotive use area shall be so arranged as to direct the light away from the street and away from adjoining premises in any R District.
C. Screening. Every automotive use area, except off-street parking areas for less than five vehicles, shall be screened from any adjoining lot if under separate ownership in any R District, including lots situated across the street as follows:
(1) Along a street line, by a planting strip of five feet wide; provided, however, that no shrub planting or tree foliage shall be placed or maintained which obstructs vision at an elevation between three feet and seven feet above the street level. Such screening may be interrupted by normal entrances and exits; and
(2) Along a rear lot line or an interior side lot line which abuts an existing or future rear yard or side yard on such adjoining lots, by a compact evergreen hedge which will reach the height of five feet within three years, or by a solid fence or an unpierced masonry wall five feet in height. Such screening shall be maintained in good condition at all times.
D. Access.
(1) No entrance or exit to any automotive use area shall be permitted within 30 feet of any intersecting street lines and, except for off-street parking areas for uses permitted in any R District requiring less than ten parking spaces, no entrance or exit shall be permitted within ten feet of a lot in any R District; and
(2) Access to automotive areas, except for off-street parking areas in R Districts for less than ten vehicles, shall be approved by the Building Inspector and shall be so arranged that vehicles shall not back into a street.
E. Restriction on use. No automotive use areas shall be used for auto wrecking or for the storage of wrecked, partially dismantled, or junked vehicles or equipment, or motor vehicles which do not qualify for state motor vehicle registration.
6. Lots divided by district boundaries. Where a lot is divided by any zoning district boundary so as to be in more than one zoning district and where such lot was an existing lot when such district boundary was established, a conforming use, occupying 50% or more of the area of said lot and having street frontage in the district where permitted, may be extended on such lot not more than 25 feet (measured perpendicular to the district boundary) into any district where such use is not permitted, but no open space requirement shall be diminished by reason thereof. Site improvements which are accessory to the permitted use including, but limited to, parking, loading, dumpsters, signage, stormwater management, landscaping, etc. shall be permitted on the lot.
7. Lot frontage on street for dwellings. No dwelling shall be erected on any lot which lot does not have immediate frontage on a street as defined in this Chapter, and except for permitted accessory dwellings or dwelling groups, there shall be no more than one such building on a lot.
8. Mobile home and mobile home parks.
A. Regulations for individual mobile homes on subdivided lots under separate ownership in districts where permitted.
(1) A mobile home used as a dwelling is required to be on rigid supports (blocks) with the wheels removed, and is required to have an opaque material (skirting) extending from the lower edge of the exterior of the mobile home to the ground around the circumference of the outside of the mobile home.
(2) A planted visual barrier, or landscaped screen that covers the skirting year round shall be provided and maintained by the owner along the exterior of the mobile home which faces the public right-of-way providing access to the lot. The adequacy of this screen shall be determined by the Zoning Officer.
B. Regulations for mobile home parks.
(1) Special definitions.
LICENSEE. Any person licensed to operate and maintain a mobile home park under the provisions of this Chapter.
PARK. Mobile home park.
(2) License. It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or operate a mobile home park within the limits of the municipality unless such person shall first obtain a license.
(3) License fees.
(a) The annual license fee for each mobile home park shall be in an amount as established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors; and
(b) The fee for transfer of a license shall be in an amount as established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
(4) Application for license. Application for an initial mobile home park license shall be filed with and issued by the Board of Supervisors. The application shall be in writing, signed by the applicant, and shall include the following:
(a) The name and address of the applicant;
(b) The location and legal description of the mobile home park;
(c) A complete plan of the park in conformity with the requirements of division 8.B.(6) below;
(d) Plans and specifications of all buildings, improvements and facilities constructed or to be constructed within the mobile home park; and
(e) Such further information as may be requested by the Board of Supervisors to enable it to determine if the proposed park will comply with legal requirements.
(5) Location. Each mobile home in the park must be at least 100 feet from any permanent residential buildings located outside the park.
(6) Mobile home park plan. The mobile home park shall conform to the following requirements:
(a) The park shall be located on a well-drained site, properly graded to ensure rapid drainage and freedom from stagnant pools of water;
(b) The maximum number of mobile dwelling units permitted per gross acre in a mobile home park shall be six;
(c) No mobile home shall be located closer than 15 feet from any building within the park, or from any other mobile dwelling unit, nor closer than 25 feet from any property line bounding the park;
(d) No more than five adjacent mobile home spaces shall be located so that they are parallel to each other;
(e) All mobile home spaces shall abut a driveway of not less than 20 feet in width, which shall have unobstructed access to a public street, alley or highway;
(f) No more than one access road shall be constructed to serve as an entrance or exit to any single street location outside of the site;
(g) It shall be required that all parking within a mobile home park be located off-street to ensure greater safety and convenience of the pedestrian and traffic.
1) There shall be a minimum area of two parking spaces per mobile home lot.
2) Or one parking space per mobile home lot and parking compounds to accommodate the remainder of spaces per unit which shall be located as to provide convenient access to the mobile home, but shall not exceed a distance of 200 feet from the mobile home that it is intended to serve.
(h) Walkways, not less than two feet wide, shall be provided from the mobile home space to the services building;
(i) All driveways and walkways within the park shall be hard surfaced and lighted at night with electric lamps of not less than 25 watts each, spaced at intervals of not more than 100 feet;
(j) Not less than 10% of the gross area of the mobile home park shall be set aside for usable recreation areas for use by all park residents. The recreation area shall not be included in the calculations to determine the number of mobile homes allowed. Land reserved for recreation purposes shall be of a character and location-suitable for use as a playground, playfield or other recreation purposes, and shall be level and dry;
(k) All mobile home parks shall be a minimum of ten acres in area; and
(l) The maximum paved area of streets shall not exceed 15% of the mobile home park area.
(7) Utilities.
(a) Mobile home court shall be provided with the following utilities:
1) Water supply system;
2) Sewage disposal system; and
3) Electrical system.
(b) Utilities, including gas piping system, where provided, shall have sufficient capacity to supply the requirement of the mobile home court and for the maximum number of connected mobile homes.
(8) Refuse disposal. Garbage containers with tight-fitting covers shall be provided in quantities adequate to permit disposal of all garbage and rubbish. Garbage cans shall be located not farther than 300 feet from any mobile home space. The containers shall be kept in sanitary condition at all times. Garbage and rubbish shall be collected and disposed of once a week to ensure that the garbage containers shall not overflow.
(9) Mobile home spaces.
(a) Mobile home stand.
1) A mobile home space shall contain a mobile home stand capable of retaining the mobile home in a fixed position; and
2) Mobile home stands shall be adequately compacted and at such elevation, distance, and angle, in relation to the access way, as to facilitate the safe and efficient placement and removal of the mobile home.
(b) Accessory structures. Accessory structures, if provided, shall be of durable construction and appropriate for intended use and location.
(c) Patios. Patios, if provided, shall be located so as to provide safe and easy access from the mobile home.
(d) Storage lockers. Storage lockers, if provided, shall be designed to provide adequate storage facilities convenient to the mobile home.
(10) Property maintenance.
(a) General. A mobile home park shall be maintained in a safe, sanitary and orderly condition.
(b) Premises. Premises shall be kept clean and free of physical hazards.
(c) Infestation. Grounds and structures shall be maintained free of insect, vermin, and rodent harborage and infestation. Methods used for purposes of extermination shall conform with generally accepted practice.
(11) Fire protection. Every park shall be equipped at all times with fire extinguishing equipment in good working order, or such type, size and number and so located within the park to satisfy applicable and reasonable regulations of the Fire Department. No open fires shall be permitted at any place which may endanger life or property. No fires shall be left unattended at any time.
(12) Register of occupants.
(a) It shall be the duty of each licensee and permittee to keep a register containing a record of all mobile home owners and occupants located within the park. The register shall contain the following information:
1) The name and address of each mobile home occupant;
2) The name and address of the owner of each mobile home;
3) The make, model, year and serial number of each mobile home; and
4) Whether or not each mobile home is a dependent or independent mobile home.
(b) The park shall keep the register available for inspection at all times by law enforcement officers, public health officials and other officials whose duties necessitate acquisition of the information contained in the register. The register record for each occupant registered shall not be destroyed for a period of three years following the date of departure of the registrant from the park.
(13) Revocation of license. The Township Supervisors may revoke any license to maintain and operate a park when the licensee has been found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction of violating any provision of this Chapter. After such conviction, the license may be reissued if the circumstances leading to conviction have been remedied and the park is being maintained and operated in full compliance with the law.
(14) Posting of license and temporary permit. The license certificate or temporary permit shall be conspicuously posted in the office of, or on the premises of, the mobile park at all times.
(15) Penalty. Any person violating this division 8.B. shall be fined not less than $5, nor more than $100 for each offense for each day.
9. Screening.
A. A planted visual barrier, or landscaped screen, shall be provided and maintained by the owner or lessee of a property between any district and contiguous residentially zoned districts, except where natural or physical human-made barriers exist. This screen shall be developed in a manner approved by the Zoning Officer. All plants not surviving one year after planting must be replaced.
B. All visual barriers, or landscape screens, shall be in accordance with the following minimum widths. Such areas shall not be counted as part of the required open spaces or yard areas.
(1) In all commercial districts: ten feet.
(2) In industrial districts: 20 feet.
C. Any existing business affected by these regulations at the time of passage of this Chapter shall not be required to comply with the above screening requirements, except in case of enlargement or major alteration of such business. Similarly, for any zoning district boundary change after the passage of this Chapter initiated by a residential developer abutting a commercial or industrial district property for which these regulations apply, these screening requirements shall not be imposed upon such commercial or industrial property.
(Ord. 1983-2B, passed 4-30-1984; Ord. 1989-1, passed 3-13-1989; Ord. 1991-6, passed 4-29-1991; Ord. 2016-10-01, passed 10-10-2016) (A.O.) Penalty, see § 1-111