The membership of the Zoning Hearing Board shall consist of three residents of the Township appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Their terms of office shall be three years and shall be so fixed that the term of office of one member shall expire each year. The Zoning Hearing Board shall promptly notify the Township Supervisors of any vacancies that occur. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be only for the unexpired portion of the terms. Members of the Zoning Hearing Board shall hold no other office in the Township.

The Board of Supervisors may appoint by resolution at least one but not more than three residents of the Township to serve as alternate members of the Zoning Hearing Board. The term of office of an alternate member shall be three years. When seated pursuant to Subsection 2, an alternate shall be entitled to participate in all proceedings and discussion of the Zoning Hearing Board to the same and full extent as provided by law for Zoning Hearing Board Members including specifically the right to cast a vote as a voting member during the proceedings, and shall have all the powers and duties as set forth in this chapter, the Municipalities Planning Code and as otherwise provided by law. Alternates shall hold no other office in the Township, including membership on the Planning Commission and Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer.

Substantive challenges to the validity of any land use ordinance, except those brought before the Board of Supervisors.

Challenges to the validity of any land use ordinance raising procedural questions or alleged defects in the process of enactment or adoption, which challenges shall be raised by an appeal taken within 30 days after the effective date of said ordinance.

Appeals from the determination of the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer, including, but not limited to, the granting or denial of any permit, or failure to act on the application therefore, the issuance of any cease-and-desist order or the registration or refusal to register any nonconforming use, structure or lot.

Appeals from a determination by a Township Engineer or the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer with reference to the administration of any floodplain or flood hazard ordinance or such provisions within a land use ordinance.

Applications for variance from the terms of this chapter or any floodplain or flood hazard ordinance, or such provisions within a land use ordinance.

Applications for special exceptions under this chapter or any floodplain or flood hazard ordinance, or such provisions within a land use ordinance.

Appeals from the determination of any officer or agency charged with the administration of any transfer of development rights or performance density provisions of this chapter.

Appeals from the determination of the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer or Township Engineer in the administration of any land use ordinance or provisions thereof with reference to sedimentation and erosion control and stormwater management insofar as the same relate to development not involving subdivision and land development and planned residential development applications.

The Zoning Hearing Board shall fix a reasonable time and place for the public hearing and shall give notice thereof stating the time and place of the hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered as follows:

The Board of Supervisors may prescribe reasonable fees with respect to hearings before the Zoning Hearing Board. Fees for said hearings may include compensation for the secretary of the Zoning Hearing Board, notice and advertising costs and necessary administrative overhead connected with the hearing. The costs, however, shall not include legal expenses of the Zoning Hearing Board, expenses for engineering, architectural or other technical consultants or expert witness costs.

The hearings shall be conducted by the Zoning Hearing Board or the Zoning Hearing Board may appoint any member as a hearing officer. The decision or, where no decision is called for, the findings shall be made by the Zoning Hearing Board, but the parties may waive decision or findings by the Zoning Hearing Board and accept the decision or findings of the hearing officer as final.

Formal rules of evidence shall not apply, but irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence may be excluded.

The Zoning Hearing Board or the hearing officer shall not communicate, directly or indirectly, with any party or his representatives in connection with any issue involved except upon notice and opportunity for all parties to participate, shall not take notice of any communication, reports, staff memoranda, or other materials unless the parties are afforded an opportunity to contest the material so noticed and shall not inspect the site or its surroundings with any party or his representative unless all parties are given an opportunity to be present.

Parties to the hearing shall be the Township, any person affected by the application who has made timely appearance of record before the Zoning Hearing Board, and any other person including civic or community organizations permitted to appear by the Zoning Hearing Board. The Zoning Hearing Board shall have the power to require that all persons who wish to be considered parties enter appearances in writing on forms provided by the Zoning Hearing Board for that purpose.

The parties shall have the right to be represented by counsel and shall be afforded the opportunity to respond and present evidence and argument and cross-examine adverse witnesses on all relevant issues.

Statements are to be made in the following order or as the Chairman may direct:

The applicant or appellant must be given an opportunity for rebuttal.

The Zoning Hearing Board or the hearing officer, as the case may be, shall render a written decision or, when no decision is called for, make written findings on the application within 45 days after the last hearing before the Zoning Hearing Board or hearing officer. Where the application is contested or denied, each decision shall be accompanied by findings of fact and conclusions based thereon together with the reason therefor. Conclusions based on any provision of the Municipalities Planning Code or of any ordinance, rule or regulation shall contain a reference to the provision relied on and the reason why the conclusion is deemed appropriate in the light of the facts found. If the hearing is conducted by a hearing officer, and there has been no stipulation that his decision or findings are final, the Zoning Hearing Board shall make its report and recommendations available to the parties within 45 days and the parties shall be entitled to make written representations thereon to the Zoning Hearing Board prior to final decision or entry of findings and the Zoning Hearing Board's decision shall be entered no later than 30 days after the report of the hearing officer. Where the Zoning Hearing Board has power to render a decision and the Zoning Hearing Board or the hearing officer, as the case may be, fails to render the same within the period required by this subsection, or fails to hold the required hearing within 60 days from the date of the applicant's request for a hearing, the decision shall be deemed to have been rendered in favor of the applicant unless the applicant has agreed in writing to an extension of time. When the decision has been rendered in favor of the applicant because of the failure of the Zoning Hearing Board to meet and render a decision as hereinabove provided, the Zoning Hearing Board shall give public notice of said decision within 10 days from the last day it could have met to render a decision in the same manner herein provided. If the Zoning Hearing Board shall fail to provide such notice, the applicant may do so. Nothing in this subsection shall prejudice the right of any party opposing the application to appeal the decision to a court of competent jurisdiction.

A copy of the final decision or, where no decision is called for, of the findings shall be delivered to the applicant personally or mailed to him no later than the day following its date. To all other persons who have filed their name and address with the Zoning Hearing Board not later than the last day of the hearing, the Zoning Hearing Board shall provide by mail or otherwise, brief notice of the decision or findings and a statement of the place at which the full decision or findings may be examined.

Whenever the Zoning Hearing Board imposes a condition or conditions with respect to the granting of an application or appeal, this condition must be stated in the order of the Zoning Hearing Board and in the permit issued pursuant to the order by the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer. This permit remains valid only as long as the condition or conditions upon which it was granted or the conditions imposed by this chapter are adhered to.

An application may be made to the Zoning Hearing Board for a variance where it is alleged that the provisions of this chapter inflict unnecessary hardship upon the applicant. The application must be on a form provided for that purpose by the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer. The application and all supporting documentation shall be filed with the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer who shall forward copies to the Township Planning Commission. The applicant must provide all the information requested on the form, together with any other information and data that may be required to advise the Zoning Hearing Board on the variance, whether such information is called for by the official form or not.

Unless otherwise specified or extended by the Zoning Hearing Board, a variance authorized by it expires if the applicant fails to obtain a building permit or use certificate within one year from the date of authorization of the variance.

There are unique physical circumstances including irregularity, narrowness or shallowness of lot size or shape, or exceptional topographical or other physical conditions peculiar to the particular property, and that the unnecessary hardship is due to such conditions and not the circumstances or conditions generally created by the provisions of this chapter in the neighborhood or district in which the property is located.

That because of such physical circumstances or conditions, there is no possibility that the property can be developed in strict conformity with the provisions of this chapter and that the authorization of a variance is therefore necessary to enable the reasonable use of the property.

That such unnecessary hardship has not been created by the appellant.

The variance, if authorized, will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood or zone in which the property is located, nor substantially or permanently impair the appropriate use or development of adjacent property, nor be detrimental to the public welfare.

The variance, if authorized, will represent the minimum variance that will afford relief and will represent the least modification possible of the regulation in issue.

Ground-floor plans and elevations of proposed structures.

Names and addresses of adjoining owners, including properties directly across a street right-of-way.

The location of all buildings, parking areas, traffic access and circulation drives, open spaces, landscaping, and other pertinent information.

A written narrative of the proposed use in sufficient detail to determine that all applicable standards are adequately addressed.

Unless otherwise specified or extended by the Zoning Hearing Board, a special exception authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board expires if the applicant fails to obtain, where required to do so, a building permit or use certificate within one year of the date of the authorization of the special exception.

Is beneficial to the public health or general welfare.

Is necessary to promote the proper development of the community.

Is seasonal in nature.

The temporary special exception may be issued for a period not exceeding one year and may be renewed for an aggregate period not exceeding three years. The nonconforming structure or use must be completely removed upon the expiration of the special exception without cost to the Township.

The proposed use, including its nature, intensity and location, is in harmony with the orderly and appropriate development of the zone.

Adequate water supply, sewage disposal, storm drainage and fire and police protection are or can be provided for the use.

The use of adjacent land and buildings will not be discouraged and the value of adjacent land and buildings will not be impaired by the location, nature and height of buildings, walls and fences.

The use will have proper location with respect to existing or future streets giving access to it and will not create traffic congestion or cause industrial or commercial traffic to use residential streets.

The specific standards set forth for each particular use for which a special exception may be granted have been met.