Hopewell Township Cumberland County
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VII
Keeping of Animals and Livestock
§ 220-103 Purpose.
[Amended 9-11-2014 by Ord. No. 14-06]
The keeping of animals and/or livestock shall be in accordance with the following. These rules, regulations and standards shall be considered the minimum requirements for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Township. Any action taken by the Land Use Board under the terms of this article shall give primary consideration to the requirements of this article and to the welfare of the entire community.
§ 220-104 General regulations.
A.
For the purposes of this article, animals and livestock shall be separated into the following classifications:
(1)
Class I animals: horses, ponies, donkeys or any other animals belonging to the biological order of Perissodactyla.
(2)
Class II animals: cattle, pigs, goats, sheep or other animals commonly referred to as "livestock."
(3)
Class III animals: any feathered vertebrate animal, including but not limited to chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, hens, pheasants, or other animals commonly referred to as "barnyard fowl."
(4)
Class IV animals: dogs, cats, parakeets, parrots, small pet birds, hamsters, guinea pigs and similar or usual domestic pets.
(5)
Class V animals: fox, mink, fur-bearing animals including rabbits except when two or less are kept as domestic pets, monkeys or other wild animals which by state or federal law require a license to be kept in captivity.
B.
The keeping of animals and/or livestock shall be permitted as per this chapter, provide that the following requirements are met:
(1)
Not more than one Class I animal shall be kept on a lot of at least two acres, provided that said animal is kept in a pen or corral containing not less than 5,000 square feet in area. Each additional Class I animal shall require an additional acre in lot area and an additional 2,000 square feet of pen or corral space. At a minimum, box stalls of five feet by eight feet per animal shall be provided. No animal shall be housed nor manure stored closer than 100 feet to any adjacent property line.
(2)
In any zoning district, on a lot of at least one acre, not more than two Class II animals (except pigs) or 12 Class III animals may be kept, except in the case of cattle, wherein the lot size shall be no less than three acres. All such animals shall be kept enclosed in a pen, corral, or other suitable enclosure with appropriate animal housing provided. No animal shall be housed nor manure stored closer than 100 feet to any adjacent property line. The keeping of pigs and the keeping of barnyard fowl shall be prohibited in all residential zoning districts.
(3)
The keeping of Class IV animals shall be permitted in all zoning districts, provided that the breeding and sale of such animals may be determined a commercial use by the Zoning Officer based upon the number of animals involved within a reasonable time period and the use of the property or structures thereon for such activity. When so determined to be a commercial activity, the property owner shall be subject to the requirements of this chapter for such commercial activity, including site plan review.
(4)
All fencing in connection with the enclosure of animals shall be installed not closer than 10 feet from adjacent property lines and at least 50 feet from the nearest dwelling, excluding the owner's.
(5)
In computing the acreage required for the keeping of animals or livestock, each Class of animal set forth herein shall be computed separately, resulting in a cumulative total.
(6)
The breeding or sale of all Class V animals shall be prohibited in all zone districts within the Township of Hopewell.
(7)
An apiary shall be permitted on any lot size of at least two acres, provided that bees kept for the production of honey shall be housed no less than 100 feet from the nearest dwelling, except the hive's owner's, and bees kept for other purposes shall be housed no less than 200 feet from the nearest dwelling, excluding the owner's. All hives shall be located at least 25 feet from any property line.
(9)
Poultry, fowl, or turkey farms may be established wherever agriculture use/purpose activities are permitted in accordance with this chapter, provided that they meet the following conditions:
(a)
All applications for poultry, fowl, or turkey farms or the raising and breeding of any Class III animals shall be accompanied by a written opinion of the County Agricultural Agent concerning the possible nuisance characteristics of such use and recommended measures for adequately dealing with them. Such opinion shall be reviewed by the Land Use Board and, where deemed appropriate, made a condition of approval. Site plan review shall not be required in connection with any such proposed use; however, the applicant shall provide a drawing to scale of the proposed use and a written statement detailing the purpose of the operation, the manner in which the animals will be housed, methods for storing, recycling and/or disposing of manure, the number of animals to be kept in relation to the size of the parcel, all the buildings or range areas, property line setbacks and proposals for regular rotation and cropping of range areas, including schedules.
(b)
Any such use must meet the following conditions:
[1]
Turkeys are to be raised only inside entirely enclosed buildings.
[2]
Minimum parcel size shall be 10 acres when animals are to be outside.
[3]
Surface runoff from range areas shall be retained on site.
[4]
Fencing or other barriers are to be erected to catch debris or feathers from being blown off the site to the extent reasonably possible.