Falls Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE X
Amendments; Penalties
§ 209-86 Authority to amend.
The Township Supervisors may from time to time amend this chapter, including the Zoning Map.
§ 209-87 Public hearing prior to amendment.
Before voting on the enactment of any amendment, the Supervisors shall hold a public hearing thereon pursuant to public notice. "Public notice," as used in this section, shall mean that the first publication shall be not more than 30 days and not less than seven days in advance of the hearing. Such notice shall be published once each for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township. Such notice shall state the time and place of the hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered at the hearing. If, after any public hearing held upon an amendment, the proposed amendment is revised or further revised to include land previously not affected by it, the Supervisors shall hold another public hearing pursuant to public notice before proceeding to vote on the amendment.
§ 209-88 Submission of amendment by landowner.
A landowner who desires to challenge on substantive grounds the validity of this chapter or any part hereof that prohibits the use or development of land in which he has an interest may submit a curative amendment to the Township Supervisors with a written request for hearing. The Township Supervisors shall commence a hearing thereon within 60 days of the submission of a properly completed request, following procedures outlined in Article VI, Section 609.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10609.1.
§ 209-89 Submission of amendment to Planning Commission.
In the case of an amendment other than one prepared by the Planning Commission, the Township Supervisors shall submit each such amendment to the Township Planning Commission and the Bucks County Planning Commission at least 30 days prior to the hearing in order to provide the Planning Commissions an opportunity to submit recommendations.
§ 209-90 Violations and penalties.
A.
Any person, partnership or corporation who or which shall violate the provisions of this chapter shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the Township, pay a judgment of not more than $500 plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by this Township as a result thereof. No judgment shall commence or be imposed, levied or payable until the date of the determination of a violation by the District Justice. If the defendant fails to either pay or timely appeal such judgment, this Township shall enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation, unless the District Justice determining that there has been a violation, further determines that there was a good faith basis for the person, partnership or corporation violating this chapter to have believed that there was no such violation, in which event there shall be deemed to have been only one such violation until the fifth day following the date of the determination of a violation by the District Justice, and thereafter each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation. All judgments, costs and reasonable attorneys' fees collected for the violation of any provision of this chapter shall be paid to this Township.
B.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in case any building, structure, landscaping or land is or is proposed to be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, maintained or used in violation of this chapter, the Falls Township Board of Supervisors or, with the approval of the Falls Township Board of Supervisors, any officer of Falls Township or any aggrieved owner or tenant of real property who shows that his property or person will be substantially affected by the alleged violation, in addition to other remedies, may institute any appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, restrain, correct or abate such building, structure, landscaping or land or to prevent in or about such premises any act, conduct, business or use constituting a violation. When any such action is instituted by a landowner or tenant, notice of that action shall be served upon Falls Township at least 30 days prior to the time the action is begun by serving a copy of the complaint on the Board of Supervisors of Falls Township. No such action may be maintained until such notice has been given.
§ 209-91 Additional remedies.
In case any building, structure or land is, or is proposed to be, erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, maintained or used in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, the Supervisors, or an officer of the Township with the approval of the Supervisors, in addition to other remedies, may institute in the name of the Township appropriate action or proceedings to prevent, restrain, correct or abate such building, structure or land, or to prevent in or about such premises any act, conduct, business or use constituting a violation.