Swatara Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
§ 295-97 Erosion and stormwater control.
See the provisions in Chapter 253, Subdivision and Land Development, and state erosion control regulations. See also Chapter 247, Stormwater Management.
§ 295-98 Nuisances and hazards to public safety.
A.
No landowner, tenant nor lessee shall use or allow to be used any land or structures in a way that results or threatens to result in any of the following conditions:
(1)
Transmission of communicable disease, including conditions that may encourage the breeding of insects or rodents.
(2)
A physical hazard to the public or a physical hazard that could be an attractive nuisance that would be accessible by children.
(3)
Pollution to groundwater or surface waters, other than as authorized by a state or federal permit.
(4)
Risks to public health and safety, such as but not limited to explosion, fire or biological hazards.
B.
Additional information. If the Zoning Officer has reason to believe that the proposed use may have difficulty complying with the standards of this chapter, then the Zoning Officer may require an applicant to provide written descriptions of proposed machinery, hazardous substances, operations and safeguards.
§ 295-99 Wetlands and steep slopes.
See §§ 295-30 and 295-32.
§ 295-100 Floodplains; flood-prone areas.
A.
See Chapter 156, Floodplain Management, and the latest officially issued federal floodplain mapping. If a provision of this chapter regulates the exact same matter as a provision of Chapter 156, Floodplain Management, the provision that is most restrictive upon use and development shall apply.
B.
A hospital, nursing home, jails, prison, or manufactured home park shall not be newly developed or expanded within any portion of the one-hundred-year floodplain.
§ 295-101 Noise.
[Amended 4-2-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-01; 8-5-2026 by Ord. No. 2026-05]
A.
No principal or accessory use, or operations or activities on its lot, shall generate a sound level exceeding the limits established in the table below, when measured at the specified locations:
Zoning District Boundary/Use | Maximum dBA Daytime (7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) | Maximum dBA Nighttime (7:01 p.m. - 6:59 a.m.) | Maximum dBC Daytime (7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) | Maximum dBC Nighttime (7:01 p.m. - 6:59 a.m.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Residential or sensitive receptors | 60 | 60 | 70 | 70 |
Any lot line other than residential/sensitive receptors | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
NOTE: 1) dBA and dBC means a weighted decibel. 2) dBA and dBC levels will be measured at the lot line. | ||||
B.
The maximum permissible sound-level limits set forth in the above table shall not apply to any of the following noise sources:
(1)
Sound needed to alert people about an emergency.
(2)
Repair or installation of utilities or construction of structures, sidewalks or streets between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., except for clearly emergency repairs, which are not restricted by time.
(3)
Lawn mowers, snowblowers, leaf blowers, and household power tools between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
(4)
Agricultural activities, livestock and other animals.
(5)
Public celebrations specifically authorized by the Township Board of Commissioners or a county, state or federal government agency or body.
(6)
Unamplified human voices.
(7)
Routine ringing of bells and chimes by a place of worship or municipal clock.
(8)
Vehicles lawfully operating on a public street, railroads and aircraft.
(9)
Emergency backup generators used during a power failure or other emergency situation, except that no testing or recharge shall occur between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
§ 295-102 Odors and dust.
No use shall generate odors or dust that are offensive to persons of average sensitivities beyond the boundaries of the subject lot. This provision shall not apply to normal farming activities that are exempted under the Pennsylvania Right to Farm Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 3 P.S. § 951 et seq.
§ 295-103 Exterior lighting.
This section shall only regulate exterior lighting that spills across lot lines or onto public streets.
A.
Streetlighting exempted. This section shall not apply to streetlighting that is owned, financed or maintained by the Township or the state or by a homeowner association; or an individual porch light of less than six feet total height in a front yard (not including a spotlight).
B.
Height of lights. No luminaire, spotlight or other light source that is within 200 feet of a lot line of an existing dwelling or approved residential lot shall be placed at a height exceeding 35 feet above the average surrounding ground level. This limitation shall not apply to lights needed for air safety, nor lights intended solely to illuminate an architectural feature of a building, nor lighting of outdoor public recreation facilities or a ski resort.
C.
Diffused. All light sources, including signs, but other than LED lighting, shall be properly diffused as needed with a translucent or similar cover to prevent exposed bulbs from being directly visible from streets, public sidewalks, dwellings or adjacent lots.
D.
Shielding. All light sources, including signs, shall be shielded around the light source and carefully directed and placed to prevent the lighting from creating a nuisance to reasonable persons in adjacent dwellings and to prevent the lighting from shining into the eyes of passing motorists.
E.
Flickering. Flashing, flickering or strobe lighting are prohibited, except for nonadvertising seasonal lights between October 25 and January 10.
F.
Spillover. Exterior lighting on an institutional, commercial or industrial property shall not cause a spillover of light onto a residential lot that exceeds 0.5 horizontal footcandle at a distance 10 feet inside the residential lot line.
G.
Gasoline sales canopies. Any canopy over gasoline pumps shall have light fixtures recessed into the canopy or screened by an extension around the bottom of the canopy so that lighting elements are not visible from another lot or street.
H.
Lighting of horizontal surfaces. For the lighting of predominantly horizontal surfaces, such as parking areas and vehicle sales areas, lighting fixtures shall be aimed downward and shall include full cutoff measures as needed to properly direct the light and to meet the maximum spillover requirements of Subsection F and to prevent glare onto streets. The Township may require that light fixtures for nonresidential uses be placed along the street and be aimed away from the street in a manner that also minimizes light shining onto residential lots.
I.
Lighting of nonhorizontal surfaces. For lighting of predominantly nonhorizontal surfaces, such building walls and wall signs, lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded and shall be aimed so as to not project light towards neighboring residences or past the object being illuminated or skyward. Any lighting of a flag shall use a beam no wider than necessary to illuminate the flag. Lighting of a billboard should be attached to the top of the billboard and project downward. However, lighting shall be allowed of the United States flag from dusk to dawn.
J.
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
FULL CUTOFF
Attribute of a light fixture from which:
(1)
No light is emitted at or above a horizontal plane drawn through the bottom of the fixture; and
(2)
No more than 10% of the lamp's intensity is emitted at or above an angle 10° below that horizontal plane, at all lateral angles around the fixture.
FULLY SHIELDED
Attribute of a light fixture that is provided with internal devices and/or external shields or louvers to prevent brightness from the luminaire from causing glare at normal viewing angles.
GLARE
Excessive brightness in the field of view that is sufficiently greater than the brightness to which eyes are adapted, which causes annoyance or loss in visual performance and visibility so as to jeopardize health, safety or public welfare.
