REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS
As we enjoy the beauty of spring and watch the trees and flowers bud and grow, we also watch our roadsides and utility poles become cluttered with signs of varying descriptions. Some intersections begin to look like a sign wonderland, as if someone tried to collect every imaginable sign in one place.
Various local and state laws regulate signs for safety and aesthetic reasons. Signs placed on utility poles can injure workers. Improperly placed signs can also be a distraction to motorists and cause accidents; especially when placed where they interfere with the line of sight at an intersection. Signs anchored incorrectly can become a danger during high winds.
A failure to follow regulations on the use of signs can result in fines of up to $500 per day plus court costs. The following rules will help to keep you from having a problem with signs:
Please keep our community beautiful and help us to enjoy the flowers and trees without having to peer around signs to do so.
Unlicensed and Uninspected Vehicles
West Bradford Township regulates the storage of unlicensed and uninspected vehicles. If you have a vehicle or trailer that is not currently licensed or inspected stored outside on your property or on a public street, you are violating Township ordinances. Many residents believe, incorrectly, that they are permitted to store one such vehicle.
The Township Zoning Ordinance and Property Maintenance Code do not permit vehicles or trailers of any type to be parked or stored on any residentially zoned property unless they are in a good state of repair and display current license and inspection stickers. This includes public streets and right-of-ways. However, these vehicles may be stored in a completely enclosed building approved for such use.
If you have an unlicensed and uninspected vehicle parked or stored outside on your property, please take the time to place the vehicle in your garage or have the vehicle properly inspected and licensed before it becomes a complaint. Your neighbors will appreciate it, our staff will appreciate it, and you will save yourself a fine.
For safety reasons, the Township requires barriers that completely enclose any swimming pool, hot tub, or spa that is over two feet deep. Barriers for swimming pools are usually fences and barriers for portable hot tubs are usually safety covers. Fixed hot tubs and spas, such as those permanently mounted in a deck, are treated as pools.
Safety barriers must be at least four feet high measured from the outside of the fence and non-climbable. These fences must be at least five feet from property lines. All exterior entrances into the area must have self-closing and locking gates. All doors leading from a residence to the pool must have audible alarms. Aboveground pools having steps or ladders of any kind, or whose sides are less than four feet from ground level, must have a code compliant barrier.
Hot tub and spa safety covers must be UL approved and bear a label indicating compliance with “ASTM 1346-91” specifications.
The codes and requirements for these barriers are very specific and extend beyond the scope of this article. We suggest that you contact our Codes Department at (610) 269-4174 and speak to them before purchasing or installing a pool, hot tub, or spa.