Charleston Township
City Zoning Code

Public, semipublic or public services building, hospitals, public institutions or schools, when permitted in a district, may be erected to a height not exceeding 50 feet, and churches or temples may be erected to a height not exceeding 50 feet if the building is set back from each yard line at least two feet or each additional one foot of building height above the height limit otherwise provided in the district in which the building is located.

Special industrial structures such as cooling towers, elevator bulkheads, fire towers, tanks, water towers which require a greater height than provided in the district may be erected to a greater height than permitted, providing:

Agricultural uses, including barns, silos, etc.

The height limitations of this chapter shall not apply to flagpoles, church spires, belfries, silos, chimneys or antennas.

All yards required to be provided under this article shall be open to the sky and unobstructed by any building or structure except for accessory buildings in the rear yard and fences.

The following may project into the required yards as established in this article:

Irregular lots. Where any main wall of a structure located on an irregularly shaped lot does not parallel the lot line which the wall faces, the yard or minimum distance to the lot line at every point shall be at least equal to the minimum (dimension required for the yard or distance to the lot line.)

Deep lots. For purposes of measuring lot area on exceptionally deep lots, only the part of the depth which is less than four times the average width of the lot may be utilized in calculations.

On any corner lot, no wall, fence, sign or other structure shall be erected or altered, and no hedge, tree, shrub or other growth shall be permitted which may cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view.

No solid hedge or growth shall be planted or permitted to grow higher than three feet in height on any property line or street right-of-way line between the front or side street so that the sight distance from any adjacent driveway onto a public highway or sidewalk is restricted.

Residential uses. Additional residential structures may be erected on a large tract if a minimum land area of two acres per structure is available and if said land area is definable and a logical parcel for each such structure. In no case shall the gross density on such a large tract exceed one dwelling unit per two acres.

Nonresidential uses. Where a lot or tract is used for a nonresidential purpose, more than one principal building may be located upon the lot or tract, but only when such buildings conform to all open space and yard requirements around the lot for the district in which the lot or tract is located.

Purpose and intent. It is the purpose and intent of this section to promote and protect public health so as to prevent the accumulation of excessive rubbish and junk and the development of potential public health nuisances through the accumulation of unsanitary conditions. Further, it is to protect the safety and general welfare of the public by eliminating unattractive nuisances and unsafe conditions; at the same time to protect property values of adjacent property owners by regulating and licensing junk dealers in accordance with the current provisions of 53 P.S. § 66532(a)(4).

Definitions. The following words shall for the purposes of this section have the following meanings:

License required. No person shall hereafter engage in business as a junk dealer in the Township without first having obtained a license from the Supervisors, for which license the fee could be $200, the maximum permitted by law, for each and every calendar year. Such license shall be renewed annually on or before the first day of January of each year. In case where a junk dealer business shall be established in the Township on or after the first day of July in any year, the license fee payable by such junk dealer for the remainder of such year shall be at 1/2 the yearly rate.

Application for license. The license provided for in this section shall be issued by the Board after written application has been made by the person or persons desiring to be licensed. The application form shall be provided by the Board. The license shall state the name of the person to whom such license is issued, the premises on which business is to be conducted, and the written consent of the property owner to use the property as a junkyard. The applicant shall also submit a plot of the premises to be used. Such license shall be posted conspicuously upon the premises licensed.

Issuance of license. Upon receipt of an application by the Board, Board shall issue a license or refuse to issue license to person applying therefor after taking into consideration the effect of the proposed use upon the Township, both economic and aesthetic. In the event the Board shall issue a license, it may impose upon the person applying therefor such conditions as may be deemed necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of this section.

License limitation. No person licensed under this section shall, by virtue of one license, keep more than one place of business within the Township for purpose of dealing in junk dealer in any place other than place designated upon his license.

Transfer of license. No license issued by Board shall be transferable by licensee to any other person unless such transfer is authorized by Board. Any person desiring to transfer license shall notify Board in writing, which notification shall be accompanied by transferee's application for license as described in § 300-611D. In the event the Board approves a transfer of location or license, they may impose such conditions as may be deemed necessary to carry out the purpose and intent of this section.

Transfer fee. In event Board shall approve transfer of license, the transferee shall immediately pay to Township a transfer fee of $100.

Operational standards. Every person who stores junk in this Township shall constantly maintain the premises in accordance with any special provisions imposed by the Board and in the manner prescribed by this section and any subsequent regulations adopted by the Board.

Additional standards. Any person who has only one abandoned and/or unlicensed motor vehicle on his or her premises shall keep that abandoned and/or unlicensed motor vehicle a minimum distance of 500 feet from the right-of-way lines on all streets or roads and a minimum distance of 50 feet from all other property lines, if this is possible. If this is not possible, then the abandoned and/or unlicensed motor vehicle shall be kept at the back side of the premises so far from all streets and roads as possible, so as not to be visible from all streets and roads.

Compliance. Each person subject to this section shall have six months from the time the section becomes effective to comply with the provisions of this section.

Records. Every person licensed under this section shall provide and shall constantly keep a book in which shall be fairly written down in the English language at the time of the purchase of any junk, a description of every article or material purchased or received by him, the date and hour of such purchase and the person from whom such article or material was purchased, received or handled by such person, and the said book shall at all times be subject to the inspection of any official of the Township.

Delay in disposal. Every person licensed under this section shall keep and retain upon the licensed premises, for a period of 48 hours after the purchase or receipt thereof, all junk received or purchased by him, and he shall not disturb or reduce the same or alter the original form, shape or condition until such period of 48 hours shall have elapsed.

Violations. Any person who violates or permits a violation of this section shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the Township before a Magisterial District Judge, pay a fine of not more than $600, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Township in the enforcement of this section. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the Township are hereby authorized to seek equitable relief, including injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.

Abatement of nuisances. In addition to the remedies provided in § 300-611N above, any continued violations of this section which shall constitute a nuisance in fact or which shall in the opinion of the Board constitute a nuisance, may be abated by proceeding against the violator in a court of equity for relief.

Severability. If any subsection of this section shall be found to be invalid, the other subsections of the section shall not be affected thereby.

Effective date. This section shall become effective five days after adoption.