Middle Smithfield Township
City Zoning Code

Transmission of communicable disease, including, but not limited to, conditions that may encourage the breeding of insects or rodents.

A physical hazard to the public or a physical hazard that could be an attractive nuisance that would be accessible by others.

Pollution to ground waters or surface waters, other than as authorized by a state or federal permit.

Risks to public health and safety, such as but not limited to explosion, fire, or biological and/or chemical hazards.

Interference with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property by a neighboring landowner of ordinary sensitivities.

The emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency.

Repair or installation of utilities or construction of structures, sidewalks or streets between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., except when public health or safety is involved. Such emergency repairs shall not be restricted by time.

Lawn mowers, snow blowers, leaf blowers and household power tools between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Licensed game hunting activities on property where such activities are authorized between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Agricultural activities, including the raising of livestock, but not exempting a commercial kennel.

Motor vehicle operations on public streets (covered in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Regulations, as amended).

Public celebrations, specifically authorized by the Township.

Unamplified human voices.

Routine ringing of bells and chimes by a place of worship or a municipal clock.

Snow-making within a commercial resort.

Festivals and similar special events that involve a total maximum of 20 days per calendar year per lot.

Any lighting for exterior environments shall be arranged to minimize uncontrolled light, glare, over lighting, light trespass and sky glow.

Blinking, flashing, lights which change intensity, including beacon lights, are prohibited, except as is required by the Federal Aviation Administration for safety reasons.

All lighting shall be aimed, located, designed, fitted, shielded and maintained so as not to present a hazard to drivers or pedestrians by impairing their ability to safely traverse and so as not to create a nuisance by projecting or reflecting objectionable light onto a neighboring use or property.

Directional luminaires such as floodlights and spotlights, when their use is specifically approved by the Township, shall be so shielded, installed and aimed that they do not project their output onto the properties of neighboring residences, adjacent uses, past the object being illuminated, skyward or onto a public roadway or pedestrian way. Floodlights installed above grade on residential properties, except when motion-sensor actuated, shall not be aimed out more than 45° from straight down. When a floodlight creates glare as viewed from an adjacent residential property, the floodlight shall be required to be adjusted and/or fitted with a shielding device to block the view of the glare source from that property.

Illumination for signs, billboards, building facades and/or surrounding landscapes for decorative, advertising or aesthetic purposes is prohibited between 11:00 p.m. and dawn, except that such lighting situated on the premises of a commercial establishment may remain illuminated while the establishment is actually open for business, and until no more than one-half hour after closing, unless otherwise specifically permitted in this chapter.

The use of floodlights and wall-mounted luminaires (wall packs) to illuminate parking areas, shall not be permitted unless it can be proven to the satisfaction of the Township that the employment of no other acceptable means of lighting is possible.

Lighting for parking areas and vehicular and pedestrian traffic ways for commercial, industrial and institutional uses shall be automatically extinguished nightly within 1/2 hour of the close of the facility unless otherwise specifically permitted in this chapter. On/off control shall be by astronomic programmable controller with battery or capacitor power-outage reset. When after-hours site safety/security lighting is proposed, such lighting shall not be in excess of 25% of the number of fixtures required or permitted for illumination during regular business hours. The use of greater than 25% of the normal lighting for all-night safety/security lighting shall require specific Township approval, based on the unique nature of the use or elevated area crime justification. Alternatively, where there is reduced but continued onsite activity throughout the night that requires site-wide even illumination, the use of dimming circuitry to lower illumination levels by at least 50% after 11:00 p.m. or after normal business hours, or the use of motion-sensor control, shall be permitted.

Glare control shall be achieved primarily through the use of such means as cutoff luminaires, shields and baffles, and appropriate application of luminaire mounting height, wattage, aiming angle and luminaire placement.

Except as permitted for certain recreational lighting and/or as may be specifically permitted elsewhere in this chapter, luminaires shall not be mounted in excess of 20 feet above finished grade of the surface being illuminated. Luminaires not meeting full-cutoff criteria, when their use is specifically allowed by the Township, shall not be mounted in excess of 16 feet above finished grade. Mounting height shall be defined as the distance from the finished grade of the surface being illuminated to the optical center of the luminaire. Where proposed parking lots consist of 100 or more contiguous spaces, the Township may, at its sole discretion, based partially on mitigation of potential off-site impacts, allow a luminaire mounting height not to exceed 25' above finished grade.