Franklin Township, PA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fence height
- Minimum 6 feet
- Opacity required
- 90%
- Setback from lot lines
- At least 20 feet
- Exempt uses
- Single- and two-family dwellings
- Multi-family rule
- Containers must be centralized
- Governing section
- § 27-1603, Outdoor Storage
Summary
In Franklin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, most garbage containers must be fully screened behind a six-foot, 90%-opacity fence and kept at least 20 feet off every lot line under the zoning code's outdoor storage standards. Single- and two-family dwellings are exempt from the screening rule.
Garbage containers, with the exception of those associated with single- and two-family dwellings, shall be completely screened with a minimum six-foot fence offering 90% opacity and maintained a minimum of 20 feet from all lot lines. For multiple-family developments, garbage containers shall be centralized to expedite trash collection.
Full Breakdown
Franklin Township's zoning ordinance treats trash containers as a form of outdoor storage, and § 27-1603 sets the design standard the Zoning Officer enforces. Outdoor storage generally must be screened from any public right-of-way or adjacent use, and it cannot sit in a required front yard, street right-of-way, parking area, required accessory-structure setback, sidewalk, or other pedestrian space, except for a sidewalk sale, flea market, public auction or garage sale. Garbage containers get their own, stricter rule layered on top: except for containers serving single- and two-family dwellings, every container must be completely screened with a minimum six-foot fence offering 90% opacity, and it must sit at least 20 feet from all lot lines.
Multiple-family developments face an added requirement: their garbage containers must be centralized so trash collection can be handled efficiently rather than scattered across the property. This section traces back to Ord. 95-07 of 12/14/1995 (originally § 1502) and was amended by Ord. 2003-10 on 10/9/2003. The screening duty sits alongside the Township's broader landscaping and screening framework at § 22-610 of the Subdivision and Land Development chapter, which the zoning section cross-references for design specifications on plantings and buffers used to meet the outdoor-storage screening requirement.
Violations & Fines
A container placed out of compliance is a zoning violation handled like any other under § 27-2303 and § 27-2304: the Zoning Officer issues a written notice of violation describing the defect and the corrective action required, and if it isn't cured in the stated time the Township can order the use discontinued or pursue a civil enforcement judgment of up to $500 plus court costs and attorney fees before the Magisterial District Judge, with each additional day treated as a separate violation after any grace period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do single-family homes need to screen their trash cans in Franklin Township?
How tall and solid does a dumpster screen have to be?
What happens if a business doesn't screen its dumpster?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin Township
Compare Franklin Township to another location·View the Pennsylvania trash & recycling overview
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