Source: https://www.ecode360.com/27441253
Timestamp: 2019-07-22 10:29:13
Document Index: 785596056

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 190', '§ 190', '§ 190', '§ 190', '§ 190', '§ 190', '§ 551']

Township of Penn, PA Junkyards and Junk Dealers
§ 190-1 Title.
§ 190-2 Purpose.
§ 190-3 Definitions and word usage.
§ 190-4 License required; application; fees; issuance.
§ 190-5 Operating regulations.
§ 190-6 Compliance; violations and penalties.
Chapter 190 Junkyards and Junk Dealers
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of Penn Township 7-20-1998 by Ord. No. 537 (Ch. 83 of the 1975 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
Property maintenance — See Ch. 225.
Solid waste — See Ch. 262.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Penn Township Junkyard Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to regulate and license junk dealers and the establishment and maintenance of junkyards and scrap yards.
All types of machinery and equipment which are originally manufactured for farm use and which have been used for agricultural purposes.
Any person, firm, partnership or corporation who or which buys, sells, salvages, stores or accumulates junk or who allows anyone to buy, sell, salvage, store or accumulate junk on real property owned by such person within the Township. The term "junk dealer" includes any person who shall store or accumulate upon his or another's premises or who shall permit the storage or accumulation upon premises owned by him of any two or more inoperable or unlicensed motor vehicles or such vehicles that do not have current and valid inspection stickers as required by the motor vehicle laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or who shall store or accumulate upon his or another's premises or who shall permit the storage or accumulation upon premises owned by him of any four or more inoperable pieces of farm machinery, provided that any person who operates an existing or after-established garage, service station or repair facility shall not be classified as a "junk dealer," provided that he stores or accumulates no more than two inoperable, unlicensed or uninspected vehicles at any one time; that no single such vehicle can be stored there for more than 30 days; and that the garage, service station or repair facility may not have such vehicles on the premises more than 120 days per year. Should any such person operating one of the aforesaid facilities store or accumulate an inoperable, unlicensed or uninspected vehicle(s) in conflict with the above referenced, he shall be subject to all of the provisions set forth herein.
The permit issued by The Township of Penn granting authority to own something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade.
All types of automobiles, trucks, trailers, tractors, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and all other self-propelled machinery of all kinds with the exception of farm machinery.
In this chapter, the singular shall include the plural and the masculine shall include the feminine and the neuter.
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage or continue to engage in business as a junk dealer or establish, own or operate or continue to establish, own or operate a junkyard in the Township except as authorized by this chapter and without first having obtained a license therefor from the Township.
Any person desiring to continue to operate an existing junkyard or to establish a new junkyard or desiring to engage in business or continue to engage in business as a junk dealer shall first make written application to the Township on a form prepared and made available by the Township for such purposes, submitting all required fees therefor. A separate application shall be required for each junkyard site.
Upon an applicant's submission of an application for a junkyard license, the Township shall have the right and is hereby authorized to enter the premises upon which any business subject to the provisions of this chapter is conducted, or about to be conducted, to inspect same at reasonable times to determine compliance with the terms of this chapter. The Township shall have 60 days from receipt of an application for a license to review same; to inspect the operation of the junkyard/junk dealer business and to inspect the premises upon which the business is conducted, or about to be conducted, and, thereafter, to issue or deny issuance of a license. When the site, any current operations and the application are found to be in compliance with the provisions herein set forth, the Township shall issue a license to the applicant for the proposed site as described in the application. When the site, any current operations and/or the application are found not to be in compliance with the provisions herein set forth, the Township shall refuse to issue a license and, in such event, shall provide the applicant with a statement, in writing, setting forth the reasons for such denial. Upon receipt of a notice of denial of an application for a license, an applicant shall have 30 days to file an appeal thereto, in writing, with the Township. The Board shall conduct a hearing on the applicant's appeal in accordance with the provisions of the Local Agency Law[1] within 30 days of its receipt of said appeal.
Editor's Note: See 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 551. et seq.
All licenses shall be for a period of one year only, with each application for renewal subject to the terms and conditions hereof. All requests for renewals shall be submitted on the application form made available by the Township and shall be subject to complete reexamination and consideration by the Township for continued compliance with the terms hereof.
The applicant for a license shall submit with the application a license fee, which shall be calculated in accordance with the schedule from time to time established by resolution of the Township. All such fees are due, payable to and for the use of the Township at the time of application. In case of the refusal of a license, the Township shall return a portion of the license fee in accordance with the fee schedule established by the Township. Once a license has been issued, there shall be no abatement of the annual license fee for any cause whatsoever.
No person licensed under this chapter shall, by virtue of one license, operate more than one business or junkyard within the municipality. No person shall engage in business or operate a junkyard at any place other than the place designated by his license. Licenses are nontransferable, both as to junk dealer and junkyard premises. The permitted size of a junkyard shall be fixed at the time of license issuance. Any expansion of a permitted facility shall necessitate that a new application be submitted for the premises to be used as a junkyard and all such expanded sites must be operated and maintained in accordance herewith.
The license under which the junkyard is operated shall at all times be conspicuously posted on the licensed premises, and the operating requirements as herein provided shall be complied with.
Permanent records of all junk received in or removed from any junkyard shall be kept by the junk dealer on the premises, containing the name and address of any person from whom any junk has been acquired or received; the name and address of any person to whom any junk has been sold or transferred; the date of each transaction (whether the acquisition or conveyance of junk); a complete description of the junk acquired or conveyed. All such records shall be retained for a period of three years and shall be open to inspection at all reasonable times by Penn Township or its agent and by any law enforcement officer.
Manner of storage of junk in junkyards. All junk in junkyards licensed under this chapter shall be stored as herein provided:
For junkyards existing as of the effective date hereof; all junk shall be set back at least 25 feet from any lot lines and at least 25 feet from the nearest easement or right-of-way of any public street, road or highway.
For junkyards established after the effective date hereof; all junk shall be set back at least 75 feet from any lot lines and at least 100 feet from the nearest easement or right-of-way of any public street, road or highway.
All junk shall be stored and arranged so as to permit inspection and access by fire-fighting equipment. All junk, including junked motor vehicles, shall be spaced in rows with at least 20 feet between double rows. Each row of junk shall be no greater than 40 feet in width.
Junk shall be arranged so as to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water and shall be stacked to a height of not more than eight feet from the ground.
All gasoline, oil, air-conditioning refrigerant or any similar potentially hazardous liquids shall be drained from junk within 24 hours of arrival on premises. Such liquids shall be stored in a secure location on the premises and shall be disposed of as required by law. Such liquids shall not be deposited on or into the ground.
There shall be no burning of any materials, including but not limited to junk, rubbish, refuse or solid waste of any type at a junkyard licensed under this chapter.
Garbage, organic waste and trash shall not be received or stored in any junkyard. Any garbage, organic waste or trash received as part of or mixed with junk materials shall be promptly separated and disposed of off the licensed premises within 10 days.
No junk shall be stored or accumulated within 100 feet of any river, stream, creek, pond, lake or wetland or within the one-hundred-year floodplain thereof, whichever is greater.
All grass, weeds and vegetation on the premises, excluding trees, bushes and shrubs, shall be kept at a height no greater than six inches.
No junk shall be permitted to be blown or scattered by the wind on adjoining premises or public streets.
No hazardous waste shall be received or stored on the licensed premises.
Fencing and screening; maintenance. Every junk dealer licensed under this chapter shall enclose and maintain his junkyard as herein provided:
The portion of the licensed premises used as a junkyard shall be completely enclosed by a fence. Such fences shall be set back in accordance with the provisions of Subsection D(1) and (2) of this chapter and shall be eight feet in height. Such fence shall be made of wood, metal, masonry, chain link with metal or vinyl woven slats or other material which provides a solid surface incapable of intrusion by adults or children. Entrance gates shall be of similar material, well constructed and shall be kept securely locked except during business hours. Fencing shall be maintained in good condition throughout its length at all times.
All open areas between fence and lot lines of the premises shall be maintained in a vegetative ground cover, with all grass and weeds kept at a height no greater than six inches.
The fencing provisions hereof shall be applicable only to that portion of the licensed premises being used directly for the storage of junk and shall not be applicable to the balance of the premises not so used; provided, however, that any expansion of the area used for the storage of junk shall be subject to the fencing requirements hereof.
All junkyard premises shall be maintained in such manner so as not to cause a public or private nuisance. Said premises shall not cause any menace to the health or safety of persons off the premises; nor shall they cause any excessive or offensive or noxious odors or sounds; nor shall they cause the breeding, harboring or infesting of rats, rodents or vermin; nor shall they be in violation of any health or sanitation law or ordinance or regulation of any governmental body.
All junkyards existing as of the effective date hereof shall be enclosed by a fence as hereby required within six months after said date.
Right of entry for inspection; additional regulations authorized. Every junk dealer and junkyard licensed under this chapter is subject to inspection by the Township at any reasonable time. The Township shall be authorized to enter upon the premises currently licensed or for which a license application is pending for the purpose of determining compliance with the provisions of this chapter. When the site, any current operations and/or the application are found not to be in compliance with the provisions herein set forth, the Township shall revoke the license after providing the applicant with a statement in writing setting forth the reasons for such revocation.
Every junkyard shall provide one off-street parking space for each employee per shift and shall provide one additional space for each 20,000 square feet of area or portion thereof used for the storage or processing of junk.
Every junkyard which has the delivery or pick up of materials by commercial carriers regardless of the size of the trucks coming to the property shall provide off-street loading/unloading spaces in accordance with the design standards set forth in the Penn Township Zoning Ordinance.[1]
Every junkyard shall provide sufficient access and circulation drives and turnaround areas for its off-street parking and loading areas to prevent stacking of vehicles or other obstructions of public streets in accordance with the Township's Subdivision/Land Development Ordinance.[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 280, Subdivisions of Land.
Junk dealers and junkyards lawfully existing and operating in the Township on the effective date of this chapter shall be required to comply with the provisions of and obtain a license under this chapter within six months from the effective date. Any expansion of a preexisting junkyard shall comply with all requirements and terms hereof prior to the granting by the Township of a license for the expanded facility.
Violations and penalties. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to the penalties for violations as described in Chapter 1, Article II, of the Penn Township Code.
The Township, in addition to any other remedies available to it, may take any appropriate action at law or equity, civil or criminal, to enforce the provisions of this chapter or to enjoin or otherwise restrain or prevent the violation of this chapter, and this chapter shall in no way restrict any remedies otherwise provided by law.