Middletown Township Bucks
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXV
Nuisance Standards
§ 500-2501 Smoke.
No smoke shall be emitted from any chimney or other source of visible gray opacity greater than No. 1 on the Ringlemann Smoke Chart as published by the United States Bureau of Mines, except that smoke of a shade not darker than No. 2 on the Ringlemann Chart may be emitted for not more than four minutes in any thirty-minute period.
§ 500-2502 Dust, fumes, vapors and gases.
A.
The emission of dust, dirt, fly ash, fumes, vapors or gases which can cause any damage to human health, to animals, to vegetation or to property, or which can cause any soiling or staining of persons or property at any point beyond the lot line of the use creating the emission, is herewith prohibited.
B.
No emission of liquid or solid particles from any chimney or other source shall exceed 0.3 grains per cubic foot of the carrying gas at any point beyond the lot line of the use creating the emission. For measurement of the amount of particles in gases resulting from combustion, standard correction shall be applied to a stack temperature of 500° F. and 50% excess air in stack at full load.
§ 500-2503 Heat.
No use shall produce heat perceptible beyond its lot lines.
§ 500-2504 Odor.
A.
No use shall emit odorous gases or other odorous matter in such quantities as to be offensive at any point on or beyond its lot lines. The guide for determining such quantities of offensive odors shall be the fifty-percent response level of Table I (Odor Thresholds in Air), "Research on Chemical Odors: Part I - Odor Thresholds for 53 Commercial Chemicals," October, 1, 1968, Manufacturing Chemists Association, Inc., Washington, D.C.
§ 500-2505 Glare.
No use shall produce a strong, dazzling light or a reflection of a strong, dazzling light beyond its lot lines. In general, lighting fixtures that shield the reflector or lens or any high brightness surface from viewing angles above 60° from horizontal shall be utilized.
§ 500-2506 Vibrations.
No use shall cause earth vibrations or concussions in excess of the standards outlined below, with the exception of vibration produced as a result of construction activity. The standards below are set forth in the Table of Frequency Amplitude Relations. Vibration shall be expressed as displacement in inches and shall be measured with a standard three-component measuring system, which is a device for recording the intensity of any vibration in three mutually perpendicular directions.
Frequency of Ground Motion in Cycles per Second | Maximum Amplitude of Ground Motion in Inches, Not More Than |
|---|---|
Up to 10 | 0.0305 |
20 | 0.0153 |
30 | 0.0102 |
40 | 0.0076 |
50 | 0.0061 |
60 | 0.0051 |
§ 500-2507 Storage and waste disposal.
[Amended 3-23-1999 by Ord. No. 99-04]
The following requirements shall apply to all land uses:
A.
No highly flammable or explosive or toxic liquids, solids or gases shall be stored in bulk above ground, except tanks or drums of fuel directly connected with energy devices, heating devices or appliances located and operated on the same lot as the tank or drums of fuel. This provision shall not apply to fuel storage and distribution uses permitted in the M-1 District.
B.
Storage of flammable or combustible materials and fuels shall meet the standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 58), Pennsylvania State Police, Fire Marshal Division (Chapters 11 and 13 of Title 37 of the Pennsylvania Code), applicable Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) standards, as adopted by the Township,[1] and if stored below ground, the standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Prior to the issuance of a zoning permit, approval from the Township Fire Marshal must be obtained.
(1)
Residential land uses. No tank or drum of fuel oil or compressed gases (other than those directly connected with energy and heating devices or appliances) shall be located closer than 25 feet to any building or lot line or 50 feet from any street line. Outdoor storage facilities shall be enclosed by an approved safety fence which is adequate to provide security for either the storage tank or property. Such fence shall not exceed six feet in height. The storage tank shall be shielded from view of adjoining residences by either plant material, fencing, building walls or other such materials as may be acceptable to the Zoning Officer. Hedge and shrub plant materials permitted by § 500-2605F of this chapter, which are acceptable to the Fire Marshal with regard to location and type of plant, shall be used to create a visual screen when determined to be necessary by the Zoning Officer to carry out the screening intent of this chapter.
(2)
Nonresidential land uses. All outdoor storage facilities for fuel, raw materials and products, and all fuel, raw materials and products stored outdoors, shall be protected from encroachment and enclosed by an approved safety fence with a minimum height of seven feet. The storage facility must comply with all applicable yard setbacks and buffer requirements specified for the district. Storage facilities which are located adjacent to residential uses shall be required to shield the storage tanks from view by a planted screen or other materials that are acceptable to the Zoning Officer and Fire Marshal to form a visual screen. Fuel storage and distribution uses shall also comply with all requirements of the M-1 District.
C.
No materials or wastes shall be deposited upon a lot in such form or manner that they may be transported off the lot by natural causes or forces, nor shall any substance which can contaminate a stream or watercourse or otherwise render such stream or watercourse undesirable as a source of water supply or recreation or which will destroy aquatic life be allowed to enter any stream or watercourse.
D.
All materials or wastes which might cause fumes or dust or which constitute a fire hazard, or which may be edible or otherwise attractive to rodents or insects, shall be stored outdoors only if enclosed in containers adequate to eliminate such hazards.
E.
Radioactivity and electrical disturbance. There shall be no activity which emits dangerous or harmful radioactivity. There shall be no electrical disturbance adversely affecting the operation of any equipment beyond the property line of the creator of such disturbance.