Should the use of any building or structure or lot be changed in any district, then all of the area, bulk and accessory requirements of the new use shall be met.

On any corner lot, no wall, plant, fence or other structure, shall be maintained which may cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view, or which violates any minimum sight distance established in Chapter 320: Subdivision and Land Development.

A. No fence or wall used to define or enclose a yard or other space shall be erected and no hedge, tree, shrub, or other growth shall be maintained which may cause danger to traffic on any public street, private road or driveway by obscuring the view.

B. In residential districts, all fences and walls erected in any yard abutting a street shall not exceed six feet in height and shall have at least 50% of the surface occupied by the fence or wall open to view.

C. In residential districts, fences or walls erected at the side or at the rear of any building or structure shall not exceed six feet in height and may be solid.

D. Swimming pools shall be enclosed by a fence or wall of not less than four feet in height with a self-latching gate, comprised of metal fencing, chain-link fencing, a portion of a wall or building, a solid wood fence, or an equivalent as required by the current Building Code.

E. All fences shall be of homogeneous construction.

F. No fence or wall may be built within the ultimate right-of-way or within five feet of the cartway, whichever is greater.

G. Fences and wall shall be consistent with the intent, use, and character of a lot or development within a zoning district as further modified by the character zone containing such lot or development.

H. No fence, including agricultural fencing, shall be erected in, along or across any swale unless the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Zoning Code Enforcement Officer that the fence will not change, reduce or impede the performance or structural integrity or maintenance and upkeep of the swale.

I. Fencing for agriculture, as defined by Article II: Terminology; Establishment of Districts, § 370-7: Definitions and word usage, on any parcel larger than 10 acres is excluded from the permitting requirement.

J. Maintenance and repair of existing fences that do not substantively change the fence in appearance or height is excluded from the permitting requirement.

Any activity producing intense heat shall be performed within an enclosed building or behind a solid fence in such manner as to be completely imperceptible from any point on any other property.

See § 370-130E for more detailed information.

Landscaping shall be provided pursuant to the provisions of § 320-34: Screening, landscaping and buffering of Chapter 320: Subdivision and Land Development. All landscaping, plantings, screenings, and buffering areas shall be maintained in a healthy condition at all times and shall be kept free of rubbish and debris. Dead landscape materials or plants which constitute a hazard or nuisance shall be promptly removed. All dead or diseased plant materials that are part of a required buffer or screening area shall be replaced within not more than one year. All portions of lots or sites not occupied by buildings, other structures, or parking or other paved areas, shall be planted with an all-season ground cover sufficient to reduce erosion or weed growth.

The sound level of any operation (other than the operation of motor vehicles or other transportation facilities, operations involved in the construction or demolition of structure, emergency alarm signals or time signals) shall not constitute a nuisance.

See § 370-130E for more detailed information.

Purpose.
It is the purpose of this article to allow, with conditions, the continuance of existing uses of land and structures which, as of the effective date of this chapter, as amended, may not meet the bulk, use, or other standards established by this chapter.

Nonconforming buildings, structures and uses.

A. Continuation. Any lawful building or other structure, or any lawful use of a building or other structure or land, legally existing on the effective date of this chapter, which does not conform with the provisions of this chapter, shall be considered a lawful nonconforming building, structure or use, and may be continued, except as otherwise herein provided.
B. Extension.

(1) When authorized by special exception, any lawful nonconforming use of a portion of a building may be extended throughout the building, or any building of which a lawful nonconforming use is made may be extended upon the lot occupied by such building and held in single and separate ownership on the effective date of this chapter, provided that the area of such building shall not be increased by more than a total of 25% of the area of such building existing on the date it first became a lawful nonconforming building or a building of which lawful nonconforming use is made and provided further that any structural alteration, extension or addition shall conform with all height, area, width, yard and coverage requirements for the district in which it is located and provided the off-street parking and loading requirements of Article XXII: Vehicle Controls herein shall be met.
(2) Lawful nonconforming buildings which are conforming as to use, and are located on lots which are in single and separate ownership, may be expanded by special exception, provided that the total ground coverage of the buildings shall not exceed the percentage allowed for building coverage in the district, and provided further that the expansion shall not cause a violation or increased violation of any other requirement of this chapter.

C. Change. Any lawful nonconforming use of building or land may be changed to another nonconforming use of the same general character, provided that the new use shall generate no appreciable increase in vehicular traffic on the highway serving such use, nor shall such new use be more objectionable or offensive by reason of noise, glare, odor, nor more hazardous by reason of fire, explosion or otherwise than the previous nonconforming use, and for such purpose a building may be extended in accordance with paragraph "B" of this Section, herein above. Whenever a nonconforming use of a building or land has been changed to a conforming use, such conforming use shall not thereafter be changed to a nonconforming use.
D. Restoration. Any lawful nonconforming building or other structure which has been involuntarily damaged or destroyed by fire, explosion, windstorm, or other similar active cause, may be reconstructed in the same location, provided that:

(1) The reconstructed building or structure shall not exceed the height, area, or volume of the damaged or destroyed building or structure, except as provided in Subsection B of this section, hereinabove; and
(2) Reconstruction shall begin within one year from the date of damage or destruction and shall be carried on without interruption.

E. Discontinuance of use. If a lawful nonconforming use of a building or other structure is discontinued for a continuous period of one year or more, or if a lawful nonconforming use of land is discontinued for a continuous period of one year or more, subsequent use of such building or structure or land shall be in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
F. Nonconforming signs. Within a period of two years from the effective date of this chapter, every nonconforming sign shall either be discontinued and removed, or changed to a conforming sign. However, every sign for a nonconforming building, structure or use shall either be discontinued and removed, or changed to conform to the specific regulations of the district in which the aforementioned nonconforming building, structure or use would be normally permitted. All such signs shall comply with Article XXI: Signs herein.
 

Lots nonconforming as to area and width regulations, and lots of unusual dimensions.
A building may be erected or altered on any lot held at the effective date of this chapter in single and separate ownership which is not of the required minimum area, or width, or is of such unusual dimensions that the owner would have difficulty in providing the required open spaces for the district in which such lot is situated, provided that where a lot cannot meet the required yard requirements for the zoning district in which it is located, a special exception shall be authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board and provided further that the applicant does not own or control other adjoining property sufficient to enable him to comply with the provisions of this chapter as amended.

No use shall emit odorous fumes, gases or other odorous matter in such quantities as to be offensive at any point on or beyond its lot lines. The guide for determining such quantities of offensive odors shall be the 50% response level of Table I (Odor Thresholds in Air), "Research on Chemical Odors: Part I – Odor Thresholds for 53 Commercial Chemicals," October 1968, Manufacturing Chemists Association, Inc., Washington, D.C.

See § 370-130E for more detailed information.

(1) Purpose. To require and set minimum standards to:

(a) Provide for and control lighting in outdoor public places where public health, safety and welfare are potential concerns.
(b) Protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of nonvehicular light sources.
(c) Protect neighbors, the environment and the night sky from nuisance glare and light trespass.
(d) Promote energy efficient lighting design and operation.
(e) Protect and retain the intended visual character of the various venues of Schuylkill Township.

(a) All uses within Schuylkill Township where there is interior or exterior lighting that creates a nuisance or hazard as viewed from outside, including, but not limited to, residential, commercial, industrial, public and private recreational/sports and institutional uses, and sign, billboard, architectural and landscape lighting.
(b) Temporary seasonal decorative lighting and emergency lighting are exempt from all but the glare-control requirements of this chapter.
(c) Emergency lighting, as may be required by any public agency while engaged in the performance of their duties, is exempt from the requirements of this chapter.

(3) Criteria, see § 370-130C(3).

(4) Recreational lighting, see § 370-130C(4).
(5) Plan submission, see § 370-130C(5).

(6) Compliance monitoring, see § 370-130C(6).

(7) Nonconforming lighting, see § 370-130C(7).

See § 370-130E for more detailed information.

There shall be no outdoor storage or accumulation for a period in excess of seven days of any waste materials which produce fumes detectable at the lot lines, of any inflammable or edible materials, of material which would harbor or breed rodents or insects, or of abandoned, wrecked, or junked vehicles, or of any vehicle without a valid registration for more than 120 days unless screened or covered, and placed in a rear yard. No unregistered vehicles shall be stored in a front yard. This shall not apply to farm vehicles and implements.

No building or structure and no part of a building or structure shall be erected within or shall project into any required yard in any district except as provided for as an accessory use structure in specified instances herein and provided that unenclosed ground level porches, terraces or patios, platforms or other unenclosed landing places, buttresses, chimneys, cornices, eaves, gutters, piers or pilasters, unenclosed fire escapes, steps, bay windows and balconies may project into any required yard.

The following types of signs and no other shall be permitted by Administrative Research, Neighborhood Commercial, Commercial, Limited Industrial, Industrial/Limited Industrial, and Industrial Districts:
 

A. Any sign permitted in the residential districts.

B. Commercial or industrial signs in conjunction with any permitted use, provided that:

(1) Such sign shall be erected on the premises on which the use to which the sign pertains is conducted.
(2) There shall be not more than three signs for any one use.

(a) Such signs shall not exceed 50 square feet in area on any one side and the maximum total exposed sign area of all three signs shall be two square feet in area for every one linear foot of building length facing a street, but in no case shall exceed 100 square feet in area.
(b) Window signs shall not be considered in computing the total exposed sign area but shall not cover more than 20% of the area of any window opening.
(c) Letters painted on or affixed to a building shall be included in the computation of the total exposed sign area.

(3) Signs in a shopping center shall conform to the following regulations:

(a) Signs for individual establishments shall follow § 370-177B; provided, however, that individual establishments cannot have ground signs.
(b) Pedestrian directory signs shall be permitted in the proportion of one such sign for each 10 establishments. The signs shall not exceed 15 square feet on any one side, they may be double-faced, and they may be located on a building, on a mall or in any area used solely by pedestrians.
(c) Parking signs and directional signs shall be permitted but shall not exceed two square feet on any one side.
(d) One ground sign identifying the shopping center shall be permitted at each vehicular entrance from a public street, provided that:

[1] The overall height of any entrance sign, including structural support, shall not be more than 25 feet.
[2] The total exposed area of all permitted entrance signs shall not exceed 300 square feet. Any one two-faced sign shall not exceed a total of 170 square feet. No single-faced sign or any one side of a two-faced sign shall exceed 85 square feet, of which not more than 50% may be used to identify the various tenants. Below such a sign and not forming part of it may be a semipermanent changeable sign which shall not exceed 34 square feet on any one side. The area of the changeable sign shall form part of the three-hundred-square-foot limitation.
[3] The distance between such signs, with reference to each other, shall not be less than 400 feet measured in a single straight line.
[4] There shall not be more than three such signs for any one shopping center. The signs may be double-faced.
 

C. Mobile home park signs shall comply with the regulations of § 370-176D.

The following types of signs and no other shall be permitted in Residential Districts and Apartment/Professional Office Districts:
 

A. Official signs erected by or at the direction of governmental agencies or nonprofit organizations with proof of nonprofit status.

B. Home occupation and office signs indicating the name, profession, or activity of the occupant of a building. Not more than one such sign shall be erected for each unit, and such sign shall not exceed two square feet in size on any one side nor have a total exposed area in excess of four square feet.

C. Trespassing signs or signs indicating the private nature of a driveway or premises; such signs shall not exceed one square foot in size on any one side nor have a total exposed area in excess of two square feet.

D. Real estate and multifamily housing signs.

(1) The size of any such sign shall not exceed 12 square feet on any one side. The total exposed area of any such sign shall not exceed 24 square feet.
(2) Signs advertising a property shall be placed on the property to which they pertain. Directional signs are prohibited.
(3) Not more than two signs shall be permitted on any one property.
 

E. Other permitted residential district uses may have one sign, such sign not exceeding two square feet on any one side nor having a total exposed area in excess of four square feet.

F. Any resident or property owner proposing to hold a yard sale or any other singular commercial event, may erect a maximum of four yard sale signs for any given yard sale or event. Such signs may be erected for a period of not more than two weeks prior to the yard sale or event. Signs shall be removed immediately upon completion of the sale; however, under no circumstances shall any sign remain for more than 30 days. Fees for a deposit and permits shall be as stated in the Township's Fee Schedule.

General sign regulations.
Except as provided for otherwise in § 370-179: Sign regulations for billboards, the following shall apply:
 

A. No sign shall be of a flashing type.

B. No sign shall rotate, move, or oscillate or give the appearance of movement.

C. No sign or light illuminating a sign (whether or not attached to the sign structure) shall be placed in such a position that it will obscure the view, or otherwise cause a danger to traffic, or create light trespass glare upon adjacent properties or streets.

D. No sign, other than signs authorized by § 370-176A, shall be erected within the ultimate right-of-way lines of any streets.

E. Temporary signs of mechanics and artisans may be erected in any district, provided the size of the sign shall not exceed 12 square feet on any one side nor have a total exposed area in excess of 24 square feet. All such signs shall be located on the premises to which they relate and shall be moved upon completion of the work.

F. All signs shall be constructed of durable material firmly supported and must be maintained in good condition.

G. No permitted wall sign shall extend above:

(1) The top of the parapet wall upon which it is mounted.
(2) The roof which is immediately adjacent to the wall upon which the sign is mounted. (This is in the case where a parapet wall does not exist.)
(3) The roof line of a gable roofed building.
 

H. With the exception of the height requirement of § 370-177B(3) and § 370-179A(1)(c), the overall height of any ground sign, including support structure, shall not be more than 20 feet.

I. Where applicable, signs in an industrial park shall conform with the regulations of § 370-177B(3).

J. For any residential use existing in other districts of the Township, the sign regulations of § 370-176: Residential District and Apartment/Professional Office District herein shall apply.

K. All temporary signs, including yard sales and advertising signs shall be limited to a period of 30 days. For specific fees for deposits and permits refer to the Township's Fee Schedule.

There shall be no erection of buildings or streets on steep slopes; provided, however, that the following uses may be located in steep slopes:

A. Passive parks may be permitted; provided that their activities do not conflict with the use of the land as watershed.
B. Tree farming, forestry, and other agricultural use may be permitted when conducted in conformance with conservation practices that ensure adequate protection against soil erosion.
C. Areas of man-made steep slopes may be graded or built upon subject to review and approval under provisions of this chapter applicable to the granting of conditional uses provided that the applicant establishes that such grading or building will not cause any increase in erosion of soil that would not otherwise occur were such grading or building not to occur.

Purpose.
It is the purpose of this article to protect public safety and welfare by encouraging the provision of adequate areas for the parking of vehicles, to minimize dangers due to vehicle congestion in parking areas, and to promote efficient vehicle circulation in and around parking areas.

Required off-street parking facilities, see § 370-181: Required off-street parking facilities for a list of parking requirements.

Location of off-street parking.
Off-street parking required for those uses listed under § 370-181 above shall be located on the same lot with the use to which it relates; provided, however, that:

A. Nothing herein shall preclude the location of the required off-street parking spaces for dwellings in common parking areas designed and constructed for this purpose so long as none of such dwellings shall be more than 200 feet from spaces designated for such dwellings.
B. Three or more establishments on adjacent lots in any commercial district, but not in a shopping center, may combine their off-street parking facilities, in which case the total combined parking space requirements may be reduced by 10% when authorized as a special exception, so long as none of such establishments is a department store or supermarket, and provided that, in no case shall such reduction result in less off-street parking spaces than would be required of such establishments if they were in a shopping center.
 

A. Garaging. Any number or proportion of the required parking spaces may be provided within an enclosed structure or garage, which, however, must meet all the building requirements of the district.
B. Loading and unloading. In addition to required off-street parking spaces, every use permitted in this chapter shall be provided with off-street loading and unloading space, which, except for single-family, semidetached, and two-family detached dwellings, shall be completely separate and not a part of the required off-street parking space or circulation thereof.
C. Required yards. Except where otherwise in this chapter prohibited, required off-street parking shall be permitted in required yards but not closer to the lot line than 1/2 the yard width or depth, and the unpaved portion of the yard shall be maintained in grass or other appropriate ground cover.
D. Lighting. All lots containing more than five parking spaces must be illuminated with shielded lights at night when the lot is in use. Exterior lighting where required, shall be installed as prescribed in § 370-130: Performance standards of Article XIX: General Standards herein.
 

A. Reduction. Off-street parking and loading facilities existing on the effective date of this chapter, and such facilities provided to comply with this chapter, shall not subsequently be reduced below the requirements of this chapter except as otherwise provided herein.
B. Change of use. Before a use of a building can be changed, the parking requirements of the proposed new use must be met.
C. Future parking. The Township Engineer and the Township Panning Commission may recommend and the Township Supervisors may approve a reduction of off-street parking facilities required for each use, or groups or uses, as stated in this chapter, provided that an equivalent suitable land area for such reduced parking spaces shall be shown and listed on all subdivision plans and shall be clearly denoted as "reserved for future parking when required"; and, further provided that the landowner or developer shall certify to the Township Supervisors that the parking needs for the use(s) are less than those required by this chapter. Any plan showing a parking reduction shall also be so noted on the plan that:

(1) When deemed necessary by the Township Supervisors, the parking reserve area or portion thereof required shall be constructed and completed with the parking facilities as shown on the original plan.
(2) Reserved future parking areas may not be counted as open space which may be required by other sections of this chapter.