A. 
It is not intended that this glossary include only those words used or referred to in this chapter. The words are included in order to facilitate the interpretation of this chapter for administrative purposes and in the carrying out of duties by appropriate officers, staff, and consultants by the Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board and Board of Supervisors.
B. 
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meaning herein indicated:
(1) 
Words used in the present tense include the future tense.
(2) 
The singular includes the plural.
(3) 
The word "person" includes a corporation, partnership or similar legal entity as well as an individual.
(4) 
The word "lot" includes the word "plot" or "parcel."
(5) 
The term "shall" is always mandatory.
(6) 
The word "used" or "occupied" as applied to any land or building shall be construed to include the words "intended, arranged, or designed to be used or occupied."
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY BUILDING
A subordinate building or a portion of the main building on a lot, the use of which is customarily incidental to that of the main or principal buildings.
ACCESSORY USE
A use customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use or building and located on the same lot with such principal use or building.
ADULT BUSINESS
Those uses providing adult reading or view material which depicts or describes nudity or sexual activity and/or entertainment, including adult bookstores or video stores, adult movie theaters or movie houses and live theaters.
AGRICULTURAL OPERATION
An enterprise that is actively engaged in the commercial production and preparation for market of crops, livestock and livestock products and in the production, harvesting and preparation for market or use of agricultural, agronomic, horticultural, silvicultural and aquacultural crops and commodities. The term includes an enterprise that implements changes in production practices and procedures or types of crops, livestock, livestock products or commodities produced consistent with practices and procedures that are normally engaged by farmers or are consistent with technological development within the agricultural industry.
ALLEY
A public thoroughfare which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting property and not intended for general traffic circulation.
ALTERATIONS
As applied to a building or structure, means a change or rearrangement in the structural parts or in the exit facilities, or an enlargement, whether by extending on a side or by increasing in height, or the moving from one location or position to another.
ALTERATIONS, STRUCTURAL
Any change in the supporting members of a building such as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders.
AMENDMENT
A change in use in any district which includes revisions to the zoning text and/or the Official Zoning Map; the authority for any amendment lies solely with the Board of Supervisors.
AMUSEMENT PARK
A tract of land or an area used principally as the location for permanent amusement structures or rides.
APARTMENT
An area within a building designed for use of a person or persons for dwelling purposes, including kitchen/cooking, bathroom and sleeping facilities, and same shall constitute a dwelling unit.
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
Every application, whether preliminary, tentative or final, required to be filed and approved prior to start of construction or development, including but not limited to an application for a building permit, for the approval of a subdivision plat or plan or for the approval of a development plan.
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTION
That portion of a structure designed to accommodate an aesthetic or incidental function such as a bay window, chimney or stairway landing. The projection shall not be used in the determination of a minimum setback or yard.
AREA, BUILDING
The total of areas taken on a horizontal plane at the main grade level of the principal building and all accessory buildings, commonly known as the "building footprint," exclusive of unroofed porches, terraces, and steps.
AREA, LOT
The total area within the lot lines.
ASSEMBLY HALL
A room, hall, building or structure, operated by other than a public agency for profit, for the indoor or outdoor pursuit of leisure, business, or religious activities, including, but not limited to, anniversary parties, weddings, shower parties, retreats, bible study events, men's and women's groups, and similar activities.
[Added 7-11-2011 by Ord. No. 44A]
ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY (NURSING OR SKILLED CARE HOME)
A facility which provides sleeping rooms, meals and personal assistance with daily activities such as dressing, grooming, and bathing and which may include nursing care.
AUTO BODY SHOP
Any structure of any building or part thereof that is used for the repair or painting of bodies and fenders of motor vehicles, and the towing of such vehicles.
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE STATION
Any area of land, including structures thereon, that is used or designed to be used for the supply of gasoline or oil or other fuel for the propulsion of motor vehicles and which may include towing services, facilities for minor repairs, polishing, greasing, washing, spraying, dry cleaning or otherwise cleaning or servicing such motor vehicles.
BASEMENT
A story partly underground but having at least 1/2 of its height above the average level of the adjoining ground. A basement shall be counted as a story for the purpose of height measurement if the vertical distance between the ceiling and the average level of the adjoining ground is more than five feet or is used for business or dwelling purposes, other than a game or recreation room.
BED-AND-BREAKFAST
A private, owner-operated business where overnight accommodations and a morning meal are provided to transients for compensation.
[Amended 7-11-2011 by Ord. No. 44A]
BOARDING STABLE
A structure designed for the feeding, housing, and exercising of horses not all owned by the owner of the premises.
BUFFER
Land area used to physically and/or visibly separate one use from another or to shield or block noise, lights, visibility or an activity that may, or in fact does, constitute a nuisance if not buffered from use of other lands.
BUILDING
Any structure having a roof supported by walls, and intended for the shelter, housing or enclosure of persons, animals, machinery or produced goods.
BUILDING, DETACHED
A building surrounded by open spaces on the same lot.
BUILDING, FRONT LINE OF
The line of that face of the building nearest the front line of the lot. This face includes sun parlors and roofed porches whether enclosed or unenclosed but does not include steps.
BUILDING, HEIGHT OF
The vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the proposed finished grade at the front of the building to the highest point of the roof for flat roofs, to the deck line of mansard roofs, and to the mean height between eaves and ridge for gable, hip and gambrel roofs.
BUILDING, MAIN
A building in which is conducted the principal use of the lot on which it is located.
CAMPER
A motor vehicle with space and equipment, either in a rear compartment or in an attached trailer, for sleeping and simple housekeeping. Travel trailers, pickup coach/recreation vehicles, and motorized homes as defined under "trailer" will also be considered campers.
[Added 5-12-2014 by Ord. No. 2-2014]
CARPORT
An open space for the storage of one or more vehicles in the same manner as a private garage, which may be covered by a roof supported by columns or posts except that one or more walls may be the walls of the main building to which the carport is an accessory building or extension.
CELL SITE
A tract or parcel of land that contains the cellular phone antenna, its support structure, accessory building(s), and parking, and may include other uses associated with and ancillary to cellular phone transmissions.
CELLAR
A story partly underground and having more than 1/2 of its clear height below the average level of the adjoining ground. A cellar shall not be considered in determining the permissible number of stories.
CEMETERY
Land used or intended to be used for the burial of the dead, including but not limited to columbariums and mausoleums.
COMMERCIAL
Engaging in a business, enterprise, activity or other undertaking for profit.
COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES
Buildings, towers and equipment erected and used for the purpose of facilitating transmission and exchange of cellular telephone or radio telephone message between subscribers and other business of the transmission company. In a residential district this use category does not include public business offices, storage of materials, truck storage or repair facilities, or the housing of repair crews.
CONDITIONAL USE
A use permitted in a particular zoning district pursuant to the provisions of Article VI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247, as amended.[1]
CONTRACTOR'S YARD
A lot or portion of a lot or parcel of land used to store equipment and/or materials used by the contractor, which may or may not include office space for the contracting business.
CONVERSION APARTMENT
A multifamily dwelling constructed by converting an existing dwelling into apartments for more than one family without substantially altering the exterior of the building.
COURT
An unoccupied open space, other than a yard, on the same lot with a building, which is bounded on two or more sides by the walls of such building.
COVERAGE
That portion or percentage of the plot or lot area covered by the building area.
CURB LEVEL
The officially established grade of the curb.
DRIVE-IN USE
An establishment which by design, physical facilities, service, or by packaging procedures encourages or permits customers to receive services, obtain goods, or be entertained while remaining in their motor vehicles.
DUPLEX
Two dwelling units accommodating two families which are attached side by side through the use of a party wall, or as vertical units with the ceiling of one unit being contiguous to the floor of the other. Required yards shall be provided as established in each zoning district.
DWELLING
A building designed or used as the living quarters for one or more families. The term "dwelling," "one-family dwelling," "multiple dwelling," "two-family dwelling," or "dwelling group" shall not be deemed to include automobile court, recreational vehicle RV park, trailer coach, trailer park, mobile home park, rooming house, tourist home or hotel.
DWELLING, MULTIFAMILY
Multifamily dwelling unit includes "townhouses," "garden apartments" and other buildings of similar nomenclature and is defined herein as a development of a group of a minimum of three and a maximum of six attached single-family dwellings having a common wall or abutting walls between units.
DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED
A house accommodating but a single family and having two side yards.
DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY (DUPLEX)
Two dwelling units accommodating two families which are attached side by side through the use of a party wall, or as vertical units with the ceiling of one unit being contiguous to the floor of the other. Required yards shall be provided as established in each zoning district.
DWELLING UNIT
A building or portion thereof providing complete housekeeping facilities for one family.
FAMILY
One or more persons living together in a single dwelling unit as a traditional family or the functional equivalent of a traditional family. It shall be a rebuttable presumption that four or more persons living together in a single dwelling unit, who are not related by blood, adoption, or marriage, do not constitute the functional equivalent of a traditional family. In determining the functional equivalent of a traditional family, the following criteria shall be present:
[2]
A. 
The group shares the entire dwelling unit.
B. 
The group lives and cooks together as a single housekeeping unit.
C. 
The group shares expenses for food, rent, utilities or other household expenses.
D. 
The group is permanent and stable, and not transient or temporary in nature.
E. 
Any other factor reasonably related to whether the group is the functional equivalent of a family.
FARM STAND
A booth or stall located on a farm from which produce and farm products of the farm are sold to the general public.
FOOTPRINT
That area of a building lot or site which is defined by the outside dimensions of a footer or footings placed below grade to support the load of the construction.
FOREST
Land, a minimum of 0.5 acre in area with 20 or more trees at least 12 inches in diameter at breast height (dbh).
FORESTRY
The management of forests and timberlands when practiced in accordance with accepted silvicultural principles, through developing, cultivating, harvesting, transporting and selling trees for commercial purposes, which does not involve any land development.
GARAGE, PRIVATE
An enclosed or covered space in a residentially zoned area for the storage of no more than three motor vehicles, provided that no business, occupation or service is conducted for profit therein nor space therein for more than one car is leased to a nonresident of the premises.
GARAGE, PUBLIC
Any garage, not a private garage in an appropriate commercial district, and which is used for storage, repair, rental, servicing or supplying of gasoline or oil to motor vehicles.
GENERAL OFFICE
That area of a structure or building devoted to the conduct of activities associated with business transactions, including but not limited to word processing, typing, filing of records, and the answering of telephones.
GENERAL RETAIL SALES
Those businesses whose primary activities involve the display, sales of goods, products and services. This term shall not include adult-related uses as defined herein.
GRADE, FINISHED
The completed surfaces of lawns, walks, and roads brought to grades as shown on official plans or designs relating thereto.
GROSS FLOOR AREA
The sum of the gross horizontal inside areas of the several floors of a building excluding cellars, attics, garages, open breezeways, open porches and terraces.
GROUP HOME
A dwelling unit where room and board is provided to not more than eight permanent residents who are mentally or physically handicapped; or any number of permanent residents who are dependent and/or delinquent children under the age of 18 adjudicated by the court system; or any number of mentally disturbed persons of any age who are in need of supervision by qualified staff who may or may not reside at the facility and who provide health, social and/or rehabilitative services to the residents under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, its licensed or certified agents or any other responsible nonprofit social services corporation.
HOME GARDENING
The cultivation of herbs, fruits, flowers or vegetables on a piece of ground adjoining the dwelling, excluding the keeping of livestock, and permitting the sale of product raised thereon.
HOME OCCUPATION
Any use customarily conducted entirely within a dwelling and carried on by the inhabitants residing therein, providing that the use is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes, the exterior appearance of the structure or premises is constructed and maintained as a residential dwelling, and no goods are publicly displayed on the premises other than signs as provided herein.
HORTICULTURE
The science and act of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants.
HOSPITAL
Unless otherwise specified, the term "hospital" shall be deemed to include sanitarium, sanatorium, preventorium, clinic, rest home, assisted living facility, convalescent home and any other place for the diagnosis, treatment or other care of ailments, and shall be deemed to be limited to places for the diagnosis, treatment or other care of human ailments.
HOTEL
A building containing rooms intended or designed to be used or which are used, rented or hired out to be occupied or which are occupied for sleeping purposes by guests and where only a general kitchen and dining room are provided within the building or in any accessory building.
JUNK
Any worn, castoff or discarded article or material which is ready for destruction or which has been collected or stored for sale, resale, salvage, recycling, or conversion to some other use. Any such article or material which, without alteration, disassembly, unfastening, reconditioning, or changing, can be used for its original purpose as readily as when new shall not be considered junk.
JUNK, AUTOMOBILE
A motor vehicle not in running condition, stored in the open, not being restored to operation, unlicensed and without a current Pennsylvania State inspection sticker.
JUNKYARD
Any place, lot, tract of land, yard, establishment or location where any junk as herein defined is accumulated, stored, disposed of, or allowed to remain on the outside of a building or structure, or where the business of buying, selling, trading or dealing in junk is conducted, or where motor vehicles are accumulated or stored which are unlicensed, are inoperable and do not have current registration license plates and a valid inspection sticker as required by the Motor Vehicle Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[3]
KENNEL (COMMERCIAL)
A commercial establishment keeping four or more dogs or other domesticated animals and in which such animals are housed, groomed, bred, boarded, trained, or sold all for a fee or compensation. A kennel may only be established on a land area containing four acres or more, and exterior exercise yards and structures for animals must be set back a minimum of 100 feet from the nearest property line of the land being used for a kennel.
KENNEL (PRIVATE)
An accessory building or structure for keeping, boarding or training for small domestic animals, including but not limited to dog and cat kennels.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
Any of the following activities:
A. 
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
(1) 
A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings, whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential building on a lot or lots regardless of the number of occupants or tenure; or
(2) 
The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of, or for the purpose of streets, common areas, leaseholds, condominiums, building groups or other features.
B. 
A subdivision of land.
C. 
Development in accordance with Section 503(1.1) of the Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of 1968,[4] as amended by Act 170 of 1988.
LANDFILL
A lot or land or part thereof used primarily for the disposal by abandonment, or storage, dumping burial, burning or any other means and for whatever purpose of garbage, sewage, trash, refuse, junk, discarded machinery, vehicles or part thereof, or waste material regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
LIGHT INDUSTRY
Specified industrial uses that meet the performance standards, bulk controls, and other requirements established in this chapter.
LIGHT MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing facilities involving hard or soft goods production where assembly or manufacturing used are the primary processes and which do not involve environmental hazards to the Township.
LIGHTING
A. 
DIFFUSEDThat form of lighting wherein the light passes from the source through a translucent cover or shade.
B. 
DIRECT or FLOODThat form of lighting wherein the source is visible and the light is distributed directly from it to the object to be illuminated.
C. 
INDIRECTThat form of lighting wherein the light source is entirely hidden, the light being projected to a suitable reflector from which it is reflected to the object to be illuminated.
LINE, STREET
The dividing line between the street right-of-way line and the lot boundary line.
LOT
A designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plat or otherwise as permitted by law and to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.
LOT, CORNER
A parcel of land abutting on two or more intersecting streets.
LOT, INTERIOR
A lot other than a corner lot.
LOT LINES
The lines bounding a lot as defined herein.
MANUFACTURED HOUSING (MOBILE AND MODULAR HOUSING)
Factory built, single-family structures that meet the National Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act (42 U.S.C. § 5401) commonly known as the HUD, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Code.
MANUFACTURING
Establishments engaged in the mechanical or chemical transformation of materials or substances into new products, including the assembling of component parts, the creation of products, and the blending of materials, such as lubricating oils, plastics, resins, or liquors.
MEDIATION
A voluntary negotiating process in which parties in a dispute mutually select a neutral mediator to assist them in jointly exploring and settling their differences, culminating in a written agreement which the parties themselves create and consider acceptable.
MINERAL EXTRACTION
The excavation or extraction of any earth products of natural mineral deposit, except where such excavation is for purposes of grading for a building lot or roadway where grass sod is removed to be used for landscaping, or where materials are excavated from a lot for use on that same lot by the owner of the property.
MINERALS
Any aggregate or mass of mineral matter, whether or not coherent. The term includes, but is not limited to, limestone and dolomite, sand and gravel, rock and stone, earth, fill, slag, iron ore, zinc ore, vermiculite and clay, anthracite and bituminous coal, coal refuse, peat and crude oil and natural gas.
MOBILE HOME
A transportable single-family dwelling intended for permanent occupancy, contained in one unit, or in two or more units designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of again being separated for repeated towing, which arrives at a site complete and ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operations, and constructed so that it may be used without a permanent foundation.
MODULAR HOME
A structure consisting of two or more modules, sections or units, which were designed to be moved from the place of manufacture to a home site and there permanently connected together and placed upon a foundation to form an integral and immobile dwelling, having the external appearance of a conventional house. (See also "manufactured housing.")
MOTEL
A building or group of buildings, whether detached or in connected units, used as individual sleeping or dwelling units designed primarily for transient automobile travelers and providing for accessory off-street parking facilities.
NET RESIDENTIAL ACRE
The number of dwelling units in relation to the land area actually in use or proposed for use for residential purposes not including areas set aside for public use, recreation, utility easements, stormwater management or street rights-of-way.
NO-IMPACT HOME-BASED BUSINESS
A business or commercial activity administered or conducted as an accessory use which is clearly secondary to the use as a residential dwelling and which involves no customer, client or patient traffic, whether vehicular or pedestrian, pickup, delivery or removal functions to or from the premises, in excess of those normally associated with residential use. The business or commercial activity must satisfy the following requirements:
[5]
A. 
The business activity shall be compatible with the residential use of the property and surrounding residential uses.
B. 
The business shall employ no employees other than family members residing in the dwelling.
C. 
There shall be no display or sale of retail goods and no stockpiling or inventory of a substantial nature.
D. 
There shall be no outside appearance of a business use, including but not limited to parking, signs or lights.
E. 
The business activity may not use any equipment or process which creates noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors or electrical or electronic interference, including interference with radio or television reception, which is detectable in the neighborhood.
F. 
The business activity may not generate any solid waste or sewage discharge in volume or type which is not normally associated with residential use in the neighborhood.
G. 
The business activity shall be conducted only within the dwelling and may not occupy more than 25% of the habitable floor area.
H. 
The business may not involve any illegal activity.
NONCONFORMING LOT
A lot the area or dimension of which was lawful prior to the adoption or amendment of a zoning ordinance, but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located by reasons of such adoption or amendment.
NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE
A structure or part of a structure manifestly not designed to comply with the applicable use or extent of use provisions in a zoning ordinance or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such structure lawfully existed prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation. Such nonconforming structures include, but are not limited to, nonconforming signs.
NONCONFORMING USE
A use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions in a zoning ordinance or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment, or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.
OPEN PIT MINING
Open pit mining shall include all activity which removes from the surface or beneath the surface of the land some material, mineral resource, natural resource or other element of economic value, by means of mechanical excavation necessary to separate the desired material from an undesirable one; or to remove the strata or material which overlies or is above the desired material in its natural condition and position. Open pit mining includes, but is not limited to, the excavation necessary to the extraction of: sand, gravel, topsoil, limestone, sandstone, coal, clay; shale and iron ore.
OPEN SPACE
An unoccupied space open to the sky on the same lot with the building or area intended for use by all owners of individual building lots within the perimeter of a planned residential development.
OUTDOOR STORAGE
The keeping in an unroofed area of any goods, junk, material, merchandise, or vehicles in the same place for more than 24 hours.
OVERLAY DISTRICT
All that area of land within an area specifically defined as an overlay district following the application of standards established for uses in the underlying zoning districts.
PARKING SPACE
The area required for parking one automobile, which is held to be an area nine feet wide and 18 feet long, and the minimum area per parking space shall be 180 square feet exclusive of aisleways and pedestrian passageways. Driveways and traffic aisles serving individual parking spaces shall not be less than 25 feet wide for ninety-degree parking, 12 feet wide for parallel parking, 17.5 feet wide for sixty-degree parking, and 13 feet for forty-five-degree parking.
PERMANENT FOUNDATION
An underlying prepared base or support of cemented concrete blocks or similar masonry placed upon a footer (the footer must be below the frost line) upon which a structure is placed and which completely encloses the structure exclusive of half-windows, windows, or doors.
PLAT
The map or plan of a subdivision or land development, whether preliminary or final.
PORCH
A covered area in excess of four feet by five feet or 20 square feet in area at a front, side, or rear door.
PRACTICE OF PROFESSION
The use of offices and related space for such professional services and activities as are provided by doctors, dentists, lawyers, architects, engineers, surveyors, realtors, teachers, artists, musicians, magistrates, and similar services or by any such persons licensed to practice.
PREMISES
Any lot, parcel or tract of land and any building constructed thereon.
PUBLIC HEARING
A formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the governing body or planning agency, intended to inform and obtain public comment, prior to taking action in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.
PUBLIC MEETING
A forum held pursuant to notice under 65 Pa.C.S.A. Ch. 7 (relating to open meetings).[6]
PUBLIC NOTICE
A notice published once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. Such notice shall state the time and place of the hearing and the particular nature of the matter to be considered at the hearing. The first publication shall not be more than 30 days and the second publication shall not be less than seven days from the date of the hearing.
PUBLIC UTILITY FACILITY
Building, structures, and facilities, including generating and switching stations, poles, lines, pipes, pumping stations, repeaters, antennas, transmitters and receivers, valves, and all buildings and structures relating to the furnishing of utility services, such as electric, gas, telephone, water, sewer, and public transit, to the public.
QUADRAPLEX
Four attached dwellings in one building in which each unit has two open space exposures and shares one or two walls with adjoining unit or units.
RECREATION, PRIVATE
A recreational facility for the exclusive use of the owner of the land or parcel, but not open to the general public.
RECYCLING CENTER
A lot, land or structure, or part thereof, used primarily for the recycling, collecting, storage and sale of wastepaper, rags, scrap metal, plastic or discarded material; or for the collecting, dismantling, storage and salvaging of machinery equipment or vehicles not in running condition, and for the sale of parts thereof.
RIDING ACADEMY
Any establishment where horses are kept for riding, driving, or stabling for compensation or incidental to the operation of any club, association, ranch or similar establishment.
SCREEN PLANTING
A vegetative material of sufficient height and density to conceal from the view of property owners in adjoining residential districts the structures and uses on the premises on which the screen planting is located.
SELF-STORAGE FACILITIES
A building or structure containing lockable stalls rented to members of the general public for self-access storage of their personal household goods and personalty.
SIGN
Any object, surface, fabric, device or structure, or part thereof, whether situate inside or outside of a structure, bearing lettered, pictorial or sculptured matter intended, designed, or used to convey information visually and exposed to public view which directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization, or business. The term "sign" does not apply to a flag, emblem or insignia of a nation, political unit, school, athletic scoreboards, or the official announcements or signs of government for highway/traffic purposes or otherwise, including but not limited to government activities of the Township of Darlington.
SIGN, ANIMATED OR MOVING
Any sign or part of a sign which changes physical position by any movement or rotation or which gives the visual impression of such movement or rotation.
SIGN AREA
The entire face of a sign, including the advertising surface and any framing, trimming or molding, but not including the supporting structure.
SIGN, AWNING, CANOPY OR MARQUEE
A sign that is mounted or painted on, or attached to an awning, canopy, or marquee that is otherwise permitted by ordinance.
SIGN, BILLBOARD
A sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.
SIGN, BUSINESS
A sign which directs attention to a business or profession conducted, or to a commodity or service sold, offered or manufactured, or to an entertainment offered on the premises where the sign is located.
SIGN, CONSTRUCTION
A temporary sign erected on the premises on which construction is taking place, during the period of such construction, indicating the names of the architects, engineers, landscape architects, contractors or similar artisans, and the owners, financial supporters, sponsors, and similar individuals or firms, having a role or interest with respect to the structure or project.
SIGN, DIRECTIONAL
Signs limited to directional messages, principally for pedestrian or vehicular traffic, such as "one-way," "entrance," and "exit."
SIGN, FACE
The area or display surface used for the message.
SIGN, FLASHING
Any directly or indirectly illuminated sign which exhibits changing natural or artificial light or color effects by any means whatsoever.
SIGN, FREESTANDING
Any nonmovable sign not affixed to a building.
SIGN, GOVERNMENTAL
A sign erected and maintained pursuant to the discharge of any governmental functions, or required by law, ordinance or other governmental regulation.
SIGN, GROSS SURFACE AREA OF
The entire area within a single continuous perimeter enclosing the extreme limits of such sign. All signs shall be limited to not more than two faces. All area limitations shall be computed in square feet. Each face of a double-face sign may equal the maximum size permitted for the particular type of sign. When individual letters are used separately on the surface of a building wall, the spaces between said letters shall be included in computing the area of the sign.
SIGN, GROUND
Any sign, other than a pole sign, placed upon or supported by the ground independent of any other structure.
SIGN, HOME OCCUPATION
A sign containing only the name and occupation of a permitted home occupation.
SIGN, IDENTIFICATION
A sign giving the nature, logo, trademark or other identifying symbol, address, or any combination of the name, symbol and address of a building, business, development or establishment on the premises where it is located.
SIGN, ILLUMINATED
A sign lighted by or exposed to artificial lighting either by lights on or in the sign or directed towards the sign.
SIGN, MEMORIAL
A sign, tablet or plaque memorializing a person, event, structure or site.
SIGN, NAME PLATE
A sign, located on the premises, giving the name or address, or both, of the owner or occupant of the building premises.
SIGN, POLE
A sign that is mounted on a freestanding pole or other support so that the bottom edge of the sign face is six feet or more above ground.
SIGN, POLITICAL
A temporary sign announcing or supporting political candidates or issues in connection with any national, state or local election.
SIGN, PORTABLE
A sign that is not permanent, affixed to a building, structure or the ground.
SIGN, PRIVATE SALE OR EVENT
A temporary sign advertising private sales of personal property such as house sales, garage sales, rummage sales, and the like or private not-for-profit events such as picnics, carnivals, bazaars, game nights, art fairs, craft shows and Christmas tree sales.
SIGN, PROJECTING
A sign that is wholly or partly dependent upon a building for support and which projects more than 12 inches from such building.
SIGN, REAL ESTATE
A sign pertaining to the sale or lease of the premises, or a portion of the premises, on which the sign is located.
SIGN, ROOF
A sign that is mounted on the roof of a building or which is wholly dependent upon a building for support and which projects above the point of a building with a flat roof, the eave line of a building with a gambrel, gable or hip roof or the deck line of a building with a mansard roof.
SIGN, SELF-SUPPORTING
A sign supported by one or more uprights, poles, posts, monolithic wall structure or braces placed in or upon the ground in a fixed location, and not attached to any building or structure. A self-supporting sign many contain off-premises advertising.
SIGN, WALL
A sign fastened to or painted on the wall of a building or structure in such a manner that the wall becomes the supporting structure for, or forms the background surface of the sign, and which does not project more than 12 inches from such building or structure.
SIGN, WINDOW
A sign that is applied or attached to the exterior or interior of a window or located in such manner within a building that it can be seen from the exterior of the structure through a window.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION
A use permitted in a particular zoning district pursuant to the provisions of Articles VI and IX of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.
STABLE, PRIVATE
An accessory building in which horses are kept for private use and not for hire, remuneration or sale.
STABLE, PUBLIC
A building in which any horses are kept for remuneration, hire, or sale.
STOCK
As used in this chapter, stock includes, but is not limited to, the keeping, breeding, and raising of rabbits, ferrets, minks, chinchillas, and all domesticated animals.
STOOP
A covered or uncovered area at a front, side or rear door not exceeding four feet by five feet or 20 square feet in area.
STORAGE YARD
A lot or portion of a lot, or parcel of land used to store equipment or materials outside of a building but within a fenced and screened area as an accessory use to a commercial establishment.
STORY
That portion of a building included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the floor next above it, or if there be no floor above it, then the space between any floor and the ceiling next above it.
STORY, HALF
A story under a gable, hip or gambrel roof, the wall plates of which on at least two opposite exterior walls are not more than two feet above the floor of such story.
STREET
Includes street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, freeway, parkway, lane, alley, viaduct and any other ways used or intended to be used by vehicular traffic or pedestrians whether public or private.
STREET GRADE
The officially established grade of the street upon which a lot fronts. If there is no officially established grade, the grade of the street shall be taken as the existing street grade.
STRUCTURE
Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.
SUBDIVISION
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions of land, including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of lease or sale, partition by the court for distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building or lot development; provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes in parcels of more than 10 acres, not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, shall be exempted.
SUPPLY YARDS (Also CONTRACTOR YARDS AND STORAGE YARDS)
A commercial establishment storing, or offering for sale, building supplies, including light wood fabricating and woodworking, landscaping supplies, steel supplies, heavy equipment, feed and grain and similar goods. Supply yards do not include the wrecking, salvaging, dismantling or storage of automobiles and similar vehicles.
SURVEYOR
A registered land surveyor licensed as such by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SWIMMING POOL, PRIVATE
Any reasonably permanent pool or open tank, not located within a completely enclosed building, and containing or normally capable of containing water to a depth at any point greater than 1 1/2 feet. Farm ponds and/or lakes are not included, provided that swimming was not the primary purpose for their construction.
TEMPORARY SECOND DWELLING
A dwelling that may be permitted to be placed on a lot that already contains one dwelling, based on a family hardship encountered by the residents of the existing dwelling that can be cured during the extent of the hardship by the presence of the second dwelling.
THEATER
A building or part of a building or open amphitheater devoted to the showing of moving pictures or theatrical productions on a paid admission basis.
THEATER, OUTDOOR DRIVE-IN
An open lot or part thereof, with its appurtenant facilities, devoted primarily to the showing of moving pictures or theatrical productions, on a paid admission basis, to patrons seated in automobiles or on outdoor seats.
TRAILER (CAMPING AND RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT)
Include travel trailers, pickup coaches, motorized homes, and recreation equipment as follows:
A. 
TRAVEL TRAILERA portable structure built on a chassis designed to be towed and used as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational, and vacation purposes, and permanently identified as a travel trailer by the manufacturer of the trailer.
B. 
PICKUP COACH or RECREATIONAL VEHICLEA structure design primarily to be mounted on a pickup or other truck chassis with sufficient equipment to render it suitable for use as a temporary dwelling, travel, recreational, and vacation purposes.
C. 
MOTORIZED HOMEA portable dwelling designed and constructed as an integral part of a self-propelled vehicle.
D. 
BOATA vessel designed to travel on water.
E. 
BOAT TRAILERA trailer designed to haul a boat as defined above.
TRAILER CAMP
A tract of land:
A. 
Where two or more trailers are parked; or
B. 
Which is used or held out for the purposes of supplying to the public a parking space for two or more trailers.
TRIPLEX
A building containing three individual dwellings designed for occupancy by not more than three families living independently of each other.
USE
The specific purpose for which land or a building is designed, arranged, intended, or for which it is or may be occupied or maintained. The term "permitted use" or its equivalent shall not be deemed to include any nonconforming use.
VARIANCE
Relief granted pursuant to the provisions of Articles VI and IX of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as amended.
VETERINARY CLINIC
A building or building and premises in combination where qualified veterinary services are offered including the treatment and boarding of infirm or sick animals.
YARD
An unoccupied space open to the sky, on the same lot with a building or structure.
YARD, FRONT
An open unoccupied space on the same lot with a main building, extending the full width of the lot and situated between the street line and the front line of the building projected to the side lines of the lot. The depth of the front yard shall be measured between the front line of the building and the street line.
YARD, REAR
An open unoccupied space on the same lot with a main building, extending the full width of the lot and situated between the rear line of the lot and the rear line of the building projected to the side lines of the lot. The depth of the rear yard shall be measured between the rear line of the lot and the rear line of the building.
YARD, SIDE
An open unoccupied space on the same lot with the main building, situated between the building and the side line of the lot and extending from the front yard to the rear yard. Any lot line not considered a rear line or a front line shall be deemed a side line.
ZONING DISTRICT
A specifically delineated area or district in a municipality within which uniform regulations and requirements govern the use, placement, spacing, and size of land and buildings.
ZONING OFFICER
The administrative officer designated to administer the zoning ordinance and issue zoning permits.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10601 et seq.
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[3]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[4]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10503(1.1).
[5]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[6]
Editor's Note: See 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 701 et seq.