Receiving zoning applications and issuing zoning permits and sign permits as permitted by the terms of this chapter.

Keeping an official record of all business and activities, including complaints of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter and of the subsequent action taken on each such complaint. All such records shall be open to public inspection. File copies of all applications received, permits issued and reports and inspections made in connection with any structure, building, sign or use of land shall be permanently retained.

Making inspections as required to fulfill his duties.

Issuing permits for uses by special exception and for variances from the terms of this chapter, upon approval of such by the Zoning Hearing Board, in accordance with the terms of § 131-105 of this chapter.

Being responsible for keeping this chapter and the Official Zoning Map up-to-date, including all amendments hereto.

Issuing certificates of use and occupancy in accordance with the terms of this article.

All applications shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by two sets of plans showing, as a minimum, the following information:

One copy of the plans shall be returned to the applicant by the Zoning Officer after he shall have marked such copy either as approved or as disapproved and attested to the same by his signature on such copy.

One copy of all such plans shall be retained by the Zoning Officer for the permanent records of the Township.

Such approval and building permit shall be issued or denied within 30 days from the date upon which a complete application was received by the Township. In the event that a permit is denied, the applicant shall be informed of his rights of appeal. The application for a permit shall be submitted on such forms as the Zoning Officer may prescribe.

The Zoning Officer shall inspect structures, buildings, signs and land or portions thereof to determine conformance with the building permit issued therefor. If he is satisfied that the completed work is in conformity with this chapter and with the work listed in the building permit, he shall issue a certificate of use and occupancy.

A certificate of use and occupancy shall be granted or refused, in writing, within 10 days of the date of application.

No certificate of use and occupancy for a commercial or industrial facility shall become permanent until 30 days after the facility is fully operating and when, upon reinspection by the Zoning Officer, it is determined that said facility is in compliance with all performance standards required by § 131-79.

Nonilluminated signs with an area of less than four square feet.

Nonilluminated signs with an area of less than 12 square feet which advertise the sale or lease of the land upon which such sign is located.

A detailed drawing to scale of the sign showing its intended location and stating how it shall be affixed.

A statement indicating the type of construction and the manner of installation, together with the materials to be used.

A written agreement that the applicant is the owner of the premises on which the sign will be erected or that the applicant has obtained the consent of the owner to erect such sign.

A written agreement that the sign shall be erected according to the accompanying plans and specifications.

If the sign is to be supported by a separate structure to be erected for that purpose, then the applicant shall supply a map of the lot indicating the location of the proposed sign and showing the distance of that location from the lot lines, as measured along lines perpendicular to said lot lines.

A scaled drawing or a photograph of a similar sign shall accompany the application.

A certificate of use and occupancy shall be required for freestanding signs, but for no other type of sign.

A map of the lot, showing the location of the runway, necessary approach zone and parking apron.

A statement indicating the reasons for the need to utilize an airport or helipad and the flight experience of the applicant.

A description of the type of airplane or helicopter to be used, with its stated capacities.

A statement of the intended use of the airplane or helicopter and prospective pilots.

All applicable federal and state regulations shall be met.

There must be a setback (called the "lateral clear zone") extending 200 feet off the center line of the runway to any lot line.

Permitted aircraft are limited to single-engine, propeller-driven craft; jet-engine aircraft are prohibited. No more than two aircraft of the permitted type shall be permitted at a private airport or helipad.

No application shall be approved which does not provide a runway of at least 2,000 feet, an approach zone of not less than 1,000 feet and a parking apron of not less than 1,000 feet.

No activities shall be permitted by which any commercial use is made of the airplane.

An application for a conditional use shall be made, in writing, to the Board of Supervisors and shall be accompanied by the written material and data hereinafter required, along with such other written and graphic material as may be required by the Board of Supervisors to enable it to adequately make the decisions and determinations required by this chapter.

Five copies of all applications, along with the material and data required by this chapter, shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors, along with such fees as may be established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

Within 15 business days of the receipt of a complete application and all applicable fees, the Board of Supervisors shall submit three copies of the complete application to the Chairman of the Township Planning Commission. The Planning Commission shall complete its review of the application and prepare a written report to the Board of Supervisors, presenting its findings within 45 days following receipt of the applications by the Planning Commission.

The Board of Supervisors shall make at least two copies of the Planning Commission's report available for public inspection at the Township Building within 10 days of its receipt of said report. The reports shall remain available for public inspection during the posted hours of operation of the Township Building until a final decision has been rendered on the application by the Board of Supervisors.

Within 30 business days of the receipt of a complete application for conditional use, including all fees, the Board of Supervisors shall give the first of two written public notices of the receipt of such application. The written public notice shall include but need not be limited to the following information:

The Board of Supervisors shall schedule a public hearing to obtain comments on the application from all interested parties. Such public hearing shall be held no earlier than 45 days and no later than 75 days following the receipt of the application. A written notice announcing the public hearing shall be published once a week for two successive weeks, with the first publication being no earlier than 30 days and the second publication being no later than seven days prior to said hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in Washington Township.

The Board of Supervisors shall give written notice, either through electronic or mailed notice, of any public hearing to the applicant, to the Zoning Officer and to any person who has made a timely request for such notice.

The parties to the public hearing shall be the applicant, any person affected by the application who has made a timely appearance of record before the Board of Supervisors and any other person (including civic or community organizations) who has made a timely appearance of record before the Board of Supervisors. The Board shall have the power to require that all persons who wish to be considered parties enter appearances, in writing, on forms supplied by the Board for such purpose.

The parties shall have the right to be represented by counsel and shall be afforded the opportunity to present evidence and argument and to cross-examine witnesses on all relevant issues.

Formal rules of evidence shall not apply; however, irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence may be excluded.

The Board shall keep a stenographic record of the proceedings. A transcript of the proceedings and copies of graphic or written material received in evidence shall be made available to any party at cost.

The hearing shall be conducted by the Board or the Board may appoint any member or an independent attorney as a hearing officer. The decision, or, where no decision is called for, the findings, shall be made by the Board. However, the appellant or the applicant, as the case may be, in addition to the municipality, may, prior to the decision of the hearing, waive decision or findings by the Board and accept the decision or findings of the hearing officer as final.

The Board of Supervisors shall render a written decision upon applications for conditional use within 60 days of the last public hearing before the Board. In authorizing or approving any such conditional use, the Board of Supervisors shall have the power to attach such reasonable conditions and safeguards as it may deem necessary to implement the purpose of this chapter or to support the purpose of the district within which the conditional use is or will be located.

Where the application is contested or denied, the written decision shall be accompanied by findings of fact and conclusions based thereon, together with the reasons therefor. Conclusions based upon any provision of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.) or upon any ordinance, rule or regulation of the Township shall contain a reference to the provision relied upon and the reasons why the conclusion is deemed appropriate in light of the facts found.

Where the governing body fails to render the decision within the period as provided in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code[1] or fails to commence, conduct or complete the required hearing as provided in § 131-104B(1)(b) and (c), the decision shall be deemed to have been rendered in favor of the applicant unless the applicant has agreed in writing or on the record to an extension of time. When a decision has been rendered in favor of the applicant because of the failure of the governing body to meet or render a decision as hereinabove provided, the governing body shall give the public notice of the decision within 10 days from the last day it could have met to render a decision in the same manner as required by the public notice requirement of this act. If the governing body shall fail to provide such notice, the applicant may do so.

A copy of the written decision shall be delivered to the applicant personally or mailed to him postmarked not later than the business day next following the date of the decision. To all other persons who have filed their names and addresses with the Board of Supervisors not later than the date of the last public hearing, the Board shall provide, by mail or otherwise, brief notice of the decision and a statement indicating where the full decision may be examined.

Nothing in this subsection shall prejudice the right of any party opposing the application to urge that the decision of the Board of Supervisors is erroneous.

Assure itself that the proposed use is consistent with the spirit, purpose and intent of this chapter and of the zoning district within which it is located.

Determine that the proposed use will have no deleterious effect upon the use of neighboring properties or upon the character of the neighborhood and that the properties adjacent to the proposed use are adequately safeguarded.

Determine that the proposed use will serve the best interests of the Township, the convenience of the community and the public health, safety and welfare.

Consider the effect of the proposed use upon the logical, efficient and economical extension of public services and facilities.

Consider the social, environmental and economic impact of the proposed use against logical alternatives.

Be guided in its study, review and recommendation by sound standards of land development practice, where applicable.

Guide the development of state and local highway frontage to limit the total number of access points, encouraging the placement of access to buildings on roads perpendicular to major highways.

Impose such conditions, in addition to those required, as are necessary to assure compliance with the general purpose and intent of this chapter, which shall include but not necessarily be limited to the harmonious design of buildings, provision of plantings and the maintenance of the same as a visual and/or aural barrier and the minimization of noxious, offensive or hazardous elements.

Weigh each case on its own merits separately, based upon pertinent information presented to or otherwise known to the Board, without regard to any previous case but giving full application to all Township ordinances.

The Board of Supervisors, by resolution adopted at a public meeting, shall fix the time and place of a public hearing on a proposed amendment. Notice of the hearing shall be provided in conformance with Subsection D.

The Board of Supervisors shall refer each proposed change or amendment to the Township Planning Commission and the Berks County Planning Commission at least 30 days prior to the hearing on such proposed amendment to provide each Planning Commission an opportunity to submit its recommendation on the proposed amendment. The Planning Commissions shall consider whether or not the proposed change or amendment would be, in the view of the Commissions, consistent with the purposes and objectives set forth in this chapter and desirable in the furtherance of the goals and objectives found in the Washington Township Comprehensive Plan.

A landowner who desires to challenge on substantive grounds the validity of this chapter, any provision thereof or the Zoning Map[2] which prohibits or restricts the use or development of land in which he has an interest may submit a curative amendment to the Board of Supervisors along with a written request that his challenge and proposed amendment be heard and decided as provided for in Sections 609.1 and 916.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended (53 P.S. §§ 10609.1 and 10916.1, respectively).

The Board of Supervisors shall commence a hearing upon such request within 60 days of receipt of such request, in accordance with Section 916.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. § 10916.1).

The curative amendment shall be referred to the Berks County Planning Commission and the Washington Township Planning Commission in accordance with Subsection A(2) of this section, and notice of the hearing thereon shall be given as provided in Subsection D below. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with § 131-104 of this chapter. All references therein to the Zoning Hearing Board shall, for purposes of this section, be interpreted as references to the Board of Supervisors.

Before voting on the enactment of an amendment, the governing body shall hold a public hearing thereon, pursuant to public notice. In addition, if the proposed amendment involves a Zoning Map[3] change, notice of said public hearing shall be conspicuously posted by the municipality at points deemed sufficient by the municipality along 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 addition to the requirement that notice be posted at least one week prior to the date of the hearing, where the proposed amendment involves a Zoning Map change, notice of the public hearing shall be distributed through either electronic or mailed notice by the municipality at least 30 days prior to the date of the hearing. Mailed notice shall be distributed by first-class mail to the addresses to which real estate tax bills are sent for all real property located within the area being rezoned, as evidenced by tax records in the possession of the municipality. The notice shall include the location, date and time of the public hearing. A good-faith effort and substantial compliance shall satisfy the requirements of this subsection. This clause shall not apply when the rezoning constitutes a comprehensive rezoning.

Public notice of such hearing shall include either the full text of the proposed amendment or change or a brief summary of the principal provisions in reasonable detail and a reference to where within the Township copies of the proposed amendment or change may be examined prior to the hearing.

If, after a public hearing held upon an amendment or change, the proposed amendment or change is revised or further revised to include land previously unaffected, the Board of Supervisors shall hold another public hearing pursuant to public notice prior to voting on the amendment or change.

The vote by the Board of Supervisors concerning the amendment or change shall be no more than 90 days after the last public hearing.