Building Permits. Where required by the Manheim Township Building Permit Ordinance [Chapter 4] for the erection, enlargement, repair, alteration, moving or demolition of any structure, a building permit must be obtained from the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer. A building permit expires one year from the date of issuance. The permit application must be accompanied by the site plan showing, as necessary, to demonstrate conformity to this chapter:

Zoning Permits. A zoning permit shall be obtained from the Zoning Officer (i) for any erection, construction, alteration, extension, replacement, relocation or conversion of any building or structure and (ii) for the change in use of any building, structure, sign and/or land and (iii) for the excavation, grading of or earthmoving activities on any property in preparation for the erection of a structure or change in use of a property. No zoning permit shall be required for repairs to or maintenance of any building, structure or land, provided such repairs do not change the use, alter the exterior dimensions of the building or structure or otherwise violate the provisions of this chapter or any other applicable Township or county ordinance or applicable statute or regulation.

Use Certificates. A use certificate, certifying compliance with this chapter, must be obtained from the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer for any new structure, as below, or for any change of use of a structure or land, as set forth below, before such new structure or use or change of use is occupied or established:

Appointment and Powers. For the administration of this chapter, a Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer, who may not hold any elective office in the Township, shall be appointed by the Township Supervisors. The Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer shall meet qualifications established by the Board of Supervisors and shall be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors a working knowledge of municipal zoning. The Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer shall administer this chapter in accordance with its literal terms and shall not have the power to permit any construction or any use of change which does not conform to this chapter. The Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer is the enforcement officer for this chapter. He issues all building permits, use certificates and, at the direction of the Zoning Hearing Board, special exceptions and variances.

Forms. The Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer must provide a form or forms prepared by the Township Solicitor for:

Transmittal of Papers. Upon receipt of an application for a special exception, variance or a notice of appeal, the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer must transmit to the Secretary of the Zoning Hearing Board and to the Township Planning Commission copies of all papers constituting the record upon the special exception, variance or appeal.

Action on Building Permits. Within 15 business days after receipt of an application for a building permit, the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer must grant or refuse the permit. If the application conforms to the applicable requirements of the Building Permit Ordinance [Chapter 4] and this chapter, the Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer must grant a permit. If the permit is not granted, he must state in writing the grounds of his refusal.

Action on Use Certificates. Within 15 business days after receipt of an application for a use certificate, the Code Enforcement Officer/Zoning Officer must grant or refuse the certificate. If the specifications and intended use conform in all respects with the provisions of this chapter, he must issue a certificate to that effect. Otherwise, he must state in writing the grounds of his refusal.

Enforcement. If it appears to the Township that a violation of this chapter has occurred, it shall initiate enforcement proceedings by sending an enforcement notice to the owner of record of the parcel of land in question. Should the owner fail to comply with the enforcement notice as required, the Township may initiate appropriate legal action as authorized by this chapter or by law.

Records. The Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer must keep a record of:

Reports. The Code Enforcement/Zoning Officer shall, on a monthly basis, report to the Township Supervisors:

Any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated or permitted the violation of 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 attorney fees incurred by the Township as a result thereof. No judgment shall commence or be imposed, levied or be payable until the date of the determination of a violation by the District Justice. 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 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 attorney fees collected for the violation of this chapter shall be paid over to the Township.

The court of common please, upon petition, may grant an order of stay, upon cause shown, tolling the per diem fine pending a final adjudication of the violation and judgment.

Nothing contained in this section shall be construed or interpreted to grant any person or entity other than the Township the right to commence any action for enforcement pursuant to this section.

Before voting on the enactment of an amendment, the Township Supervisors shall hold a public hearing thereon, pursuant to public notice. In addition, if the proposed amendment involves a zoning map change, notice of said public hearing shall be conspicuously posted by the Township at points deemed sufficient by the Township along the perimeter of the tract to notify potentially interested citizens. The affected tract or area shall be posted at least one-week prior to the date of the hearing. In the case of an amendment other than that prepared by the Planning Commission, the Township Supervisors shall submit each such amendment to the Planning Commission at least 30 days prior to the hearing on the amendment by the Township Supervisors. The Township shall submit the proposed amendment to the County Planning Commission for recommendations.

Curative Amendments. A landowner who desires to challenge on substantive grounds the validity of an ordinance or map or any provision thereof which prohibits or restricts the use of development of land in which he has an interest may submit a curative amendment to the Township Supervisors with a written request that his challenge and proposed amendment be heard and decided as provided in Section 10916.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.