Lower Paxton, PA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption
- Aircraft, railroads and vehicles on a public street, § 131-2B(8)
- Effect
- No dBA limit applies to aircraft under Chapter 131
- Park landings
- Unlawful on recreation, park and conservation lands, § 132-7H
- BC heliport lot size
- Not less than 10 acres, § 203-720B
- BC heliport quiet hours
- No landings or take-offs 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Holiday heliport cap
- Not more than two landings per day on weekends and national holidays
Summary
In Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, the Chapter 131 Noise Ordinance exempts vehicles operating on a public street, railroads and aircraft from its sound level limits. Chapter 131 sets no decibel standard for aircraft. Heliports are handled in zoning, and parks bar landing aircraft.
B. The maximum permissible sound level limits set forth in the above table shall not apply to any of the following noise sources: ... (8) Vehicles operating on a public street, railroads and aircraft.
Full Breakdown
The Lower Paxton Township Noise Ordinance, Chapter 131, was adopted 3-10-2020 as Ord. No. 20-02. Its table in § 131-2A caps sound at the receiving lot line at 60 dBA or 55 dBA at a residential lot line in a residential district, 65 dBA or 60 dBA for a principal residence in a commercial or industrial district, and 70 dBA at any other lot line. Section 131-2B then lists the noise sources the table does not apply to, and item (8) reads: vehicles operating on a public street, railroads and aircraft.
That item removes aircraft from the decibel limits, so Chapter 131 supplies no decibel standard for an aircraft passing over the Township. The same subsection exempts emergency alert sound, utility and construction work between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., lawn and household power equipment between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., agriculture, authorized public celebrations, unamplified voices and routine bells and chimes. Other Township provisions reach aircraft on the ground rather than in flight. Section 132-7H makes it unlawful to land a private or commercial airplane or helicopter on recreation, park and conservation lands.
In zoning, § 203-720 requires a heliport applicant to prove the heliport has been located and designed to minimize noise nuisances to other properties. For a heliport in the BC Zoning District, the lot must be not less than 10 acres, landings and take-offs are prohibited between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and weekend and national holiday use is limited to not more than two landings per day. The Zoning Hearing Board can place conditions on helicopter size, frequency of use, fueling facilities, setbacks and hours of operation.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 131 sets no decibel standard for aircraft in flight, so no noise penalty attaches to overflight. Where a park landing violates § 132-7H, § 132-9 allows a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days on summary conviction, with each day a separate offense. Other Chapter 131 violations carry the same $1,000 and 90 day ceiling under § 131-3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lower Paxton Township regulate aircraft noise?
Can aircraft land in a Lower Paxton Township park?
What limits apply to a heliport in the BC Zoning District?
Who can add conditions to a heliport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lower Paxton
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