[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township
of Abington 11-8-2012 by Ord. No. 2007.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Garbage, rubbish and refuse — See Ch. 92.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall
be defined as follows:
A trademarked brand of a large metal bin for disposal of
refuse, to be temporarily located on a property, designed to be hoisted
onto a specially equipped truck for emptying or hauling away of the
refuse contained therein, or any similar device.
Any portable structure, not self-propelled, designed to store
personal belongings outside of a principal structure on a property,
whether constructed of inflexible or flexible material. By way of
illustration only, such structures shall include, but shall not be
limited to, those structures known and labeled as a "pod" or "Pack
Rat" or "Bagster®."
Either a portable storage unit or dumpster, as those terms
are defined above.
The provisions of this chapter pertaining to permitting, duration,
time limitations, time extensions and number of units allowed on a
property shall not apply to work performed under demolition and/or
construction permits. Such units shall be removed from the property
when the work being done under a demolition and/or construction permit
shall be completed.
Before placing a unit on a property, the property owner must
submit an application and receive a permit from the Township Code
Enforcement Department. There shall be no fee for obtaining a permit;
provided that, a property owner otherwise required to obtain a permit
and who fails to do so will be subject to the penalty provided for
in § 173-11.
A unit shall be located at the applicant's address for
a maximum of 30 days, including the days of delivery and removal.
At the expiration of the thirty-day period, the applicant may request
to extend his/her permit for not more than two additional thirty-day
periods by requesting an extension for cause from the Township Code
Enforcement Department. The cost of extending a permit shall be $25,
payable at the time of application for an extension.
No extensions shall be granted in excess of 90 days, including
the initial period, except upon written application of the property
owner setting forth sufficient information to justify the extension,
and stating the duration of the requested extension.
A.
The placement of a unit in the public right-of-way or the front yard of a residential property is prohibited, except as provided in Subsection B, below. Units must be placed, whenever possible, in the driveway of the property at the furthest accessible point from the street. The required parking space(s) shall at all times be maintained if a unit is placed in a parking area. The applicant must obtain approval of the location of the unit by the Township Code Department in the following situations: (1) If the property does not have a driveway; (2) If the driveway is located in the front yard of the property; and/or (3) If the property is a corner lot.
B.
In those situations where placement of a unit on a property as provided for in Subsection A is not feasible, a property owner shall be permitted to place a unit in a public right-of-way, provided that such placement shall not obstruct any lane of travel, and provided further that the unit is marked with hazard warning placards as directed by the Traffic Safety Officer of the Abington Township Police Department. Additionally, placement of a unit in the public right-of-way or front yard must be approved by the Abington Township Code Enforcement Department.
Only one unit may be placed on any residential property at one
time. The unit may not exceed eight feet six inches in height, 10
feet in width, or 22 feet in length.
The applicant, as well as the person or entity supplying the
unit, shall be responsible for ensuring that the unit is maintained
in reasonably good condition, free from evidence of damage caused
by other than normal wear and tear. In no event shall a use of a unit
marked with graffiti or containing holes, tears or punctures be permitted
to be placed.
No portable storage unit shall be used to store solid waste,
construction debris, demolition debris, recyclable materials, business
inventory, commercial goods, or any illegal or hazardous material.
Upon reasonable notice to the applicant, the Township may inspect
the contents of any portable storage unit, at any reasonable time
to ensure that it is not being used to store such materials.
Any unit which is not removed at the end of the time for which
it may lawfully remain in place, or immediately upon the direction
of the Township Code Department for removal of such unit for safety
reasons, may be removed by the Township immediately, without notice,
and the cost of such removal, together with the cost of administration
of its removal, may be assessed against the property on which the
unit was located and may be filed as a lien against such property.
Any person or entity violating the provisions of this chapter
shall be guilty of a summary offense, and, upon conviction before
the local District Justice, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not
less than $300 nor more than $1,000, plus court costs.
