This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Shrewsbury Township Zoning Ordinance."

Section 601 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247) provides that the Board of Supervisors of Shrewsbury Township may implement comprehensive plans or accomplish any of the purposes of Act 247 by enacting a zoning ordinance.

This chapter requires that, within the Township of Shrewsbury, in the County of York and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, no land, body of water or structure shall hereafter be used or occupied and no structure or part thereof shall hereafter be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered unless in conformity with all the regulations and procedures herein specified for the district in which such land, body of water or structure is located.

This chapter is enacted to promote the health, safety, morale, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Township of Shrewsbury in the following ways:

In case any building, structure, landscaping or land is or is proposed to be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, maintained or used in violation of this chapter the Shrewsbury Township Board of Supervisors or with the approval of the Shrewsbury Township Board of Supervisors, an officer of Shrewsbury Township, or any aggrieved owner or tenant of real property who shows that his property or person will be substantially affected by the alleged violation, in addition to other remedies, may institute any appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, restrain, correct or abate such building, structure, landscaping or land, or to prevent, in or about such premises, any act, conduct, business, or use constituting a violation. When a landowner or tenant institutes any such action, notice of that action shall be served upon Shrewsbury Township at least 30 days prior to the time the action is begun by serving a copy of the complaint on the Shrewsbury Township Board of Supervisors. No such action shall be maintained until such notice has been given.

Any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated or permitted the violation of any provision of this chapter shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by Shrewsbury Township, pay a judgment in the amount of $500 plus all court costs, including reasonable attorney fees incurred by Shrewsbury 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 Magisterial 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 Magisterial 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 the ordinance 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 Magisterial 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 Shrewsbury Township.

In interpreting and applying the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of health, safety, morals, and the general welfare of Shrewsbury Township and its citizens. It is not intended by this chapter to interfere with or abrogate or annul any rules or regulations previously adopted or permits previously issued by Shrewsbury Township, which are not in conflict with any provisions of this chapter, nor is it intended by this chapter to interfere with or abrogate or annul any easements, covenants, building restrictions or other agreements between parties; provided, however, that where this chapter imposes a greater restriction upon the use of the buildings or premises or upon the height of the building, or requires a larger open space than is imposed or required by such ordinance, rules, regulation, or permits or by easements, covenants, building restrictions or agreements, the provisions of this chapter shall control.

Should any section, subsection or provision of this chapter be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of this chapter as a whole or any other part thereof. Likewise, if a court of competent jurisdiction finds the application of any provision or provisions of this chapter to any lot, building or other structure or parcel of land to be invalid or ineffective in whole or in part, the effect of such decision shall be limited to the person, property or situation immediately involved and shall not affect any other persons, property or situation.

All other Shrewsbury Township ordinances or parts of ordinances are hereby repealed insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.