Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of New Morgan, Pennsylvania

Borough of New Morgan’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New or altered buildings and changes of use in New Morgan borough

  • Agricultural use of vacant land excepted
  • Issued by zoning officer; application simultaneous with building permit application when one is required

  “no use of vacant land, other than agricultural use, shall be made nor shall any building or structure hereafter constructed, erected or structurally altered by occupied or used, nor shall any existing use of a building, structure or land be changed until a certificate of use, occupancy and compliance has been issued by the zoning officer.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside New Morgan borough

  • Zoning officer administers; ordinance amended by Ord. 2015-4, 9/8/2015

  “no zoning permit shall be issued unless the zoning officer certifies that the proposed use, building, construction, or alteration complies with the provisions of this chapter.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts in New Morgan borough

  • Districts per table of contents: R-Residential, TND overlay, GC General Commercial, H-C Highway Commercial, I-Industrial, SWM Solid Waste Management, FPC floodplain (see Chapter 8)

  “part 5 r-residential district §27-501. §27-502. §27-503. §27-504. §27-505. specific intent uses permitted by right uses permitted by conditional use open space requirements bulk requirements part 6 traditional neighborhood development (tnd) overlay district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-Residential district, New Morgan borough

  • Other residential uses in R district: 1 acre minimum, 150 ft width
  • Commercial, industrial districts not examined

  minimum lot area: >= 0.5 acre · minimum lot width: >= 95 feet

  “single-family detached dwellings. a. minimum lot width-95 feet. b. minimum lot area-½ acre.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-Residential district, New Morgan borough

  maximum building coverage: <= 35 percent · maximum impervious coverage: <= 65 percent

  “f. maximum building coverage-35 percent. g. maximum impervious coverage-65 percent.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-Residential district, New Morgan borough

  • Section 27-1105 has exceptions to height regulations (not read)

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (to the highest point of the roof)

  “h. maximum height-35 feet to the highest point of the roof.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Travel trailers and pickup campers on residential lots in New Morgan borough

  • Must be stored in a carport or enclosed building except up to 24 hours for loading/unloading
  • Section text continues past the excerpt; remainder not read

  “no major recreational equipment shall be permitted to occupy any lot or any public right-of-way except in a carport or enclosed building; provided, however that such equipment may be parked anywhere during loading and unloading for a period not to exceed 24 hours. no such equipment shall be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes when stored on a residential lot, or in any location not approved for such use.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of New Morgan or Berks County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside New Morgan borough
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside New Morgan borough
• Building code adopted — Building code inside New Morgan borough
• Inspections — Building inspections inside New Morgan borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside New Morgan borough

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.