Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Monroe Township, Pennsylvania

Monroe Township’s own rules

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Monroe township limits (not the borough of Monroe, which is a separate municipality within the township)

  • The statement is on Bradford County's government profile of Monroe Township; the township's own website and code were not located in this research run.
  • No township zoning ordinance applies, so zoning-only topics are answered from the no-zoning statement and from county subdivision rules.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Zoning districts inside Monroe township; none exist because the township has no zoning ordinance

  • Based on the no-zoning statement on the county profile.
  • No zoning map or district list exists for the township.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Minimum dwelling floor area inside Monroe township; no township zoning sets one

  • Based on the no-zoning statement; the county SALDO does not set a dwelling size.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage inside Monroe township; no township zoning sets one

  • Based on the no-zoning statement; the county SALDO sets no lot-coverage limit in the sections opened.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Building heightNone

  Building height inside Monroe township; no township zoning sets one

  • Based on the no-zoning statement; the county SALDO sets no height limit in the sections opened.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

  Tiny homes used as dwellings on private land inside Monroe township; no township land-use rule restricts it

  • Septic, floodplain and UCC requirements still apply.
  • Based on the no-zoning statement on the county profile.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Manufactured homesUnrestricted

  Manufactured homes used as dwellings on private land inside Monroe township; no township land-use rule restricts it

  • Septic, floodplain and UCC requirements still apply.
  • Based on the no-zoning statement on the county profile.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  Accessory dwellings on private land inside Monroe township; no township land-use rule restricts them

  • Septic, floodplain and UCC requirements still apply.
  • Based on the no-zoning statement on the county profile.

  “the township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan and adopting zoning ordinances.”

Rules another office applies inside Monroe Township

Monroe Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction and alterations inside Monroe township, under the statewide Uniform Construction Code

  • Municipalities enforce the UCC locally or through certified third-party agencies; whether Monroe township administers it itself or uses an agency was not confirmed.
  • Accessibility provisions are subject to a 2022 court order; non-accessibility requirements are unaffected.

  “the revised regulations adopting the 2018 i code series as reviewed and amended by the review and advisory council (rac) have an effective date of february 14, 2022.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Building setback lines for subdivisions and land developments in Monroe township, where no township zoning ordinance exists

  • Setbacks are measured from the street right-of-way; the SALDO states that setback lines must conform to any zoning requirement, if applicable.
  • Applies to subdivisions and land developments, not to every existing lot.

  maximum required setback from street right-of-way: <= 40 feet (minimum setback is one-half of the street right-of-way width, capped at this maximum)

  “the minimum building setback line for all structures in subdivisions, land developments, mobile home parks, recreational vehicle parks or campgrounds shall be measured from the required street right-of-way and shall be one-half (1/2) of the street right-of-way, provided that the maximum required setback shall be forty feet (40')”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage systems on land inside Monroe township

  • State sewage rules (25 Pa. Code ch. 72) are administered by a local agency, which employs the sewage enforcement officer; the local agency for Monroe township was not identified.
  • Towanda Borough is the listed sewerage facility provider for the township; it does not establish on-lot permitting authority.

  “a sewage enforcement officer shall issue permits only within the jurisdiction of the local agency”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Site-suitability testing for on-lot sewage systems inside Monroe township, before permit issuance

  • This is a pre-permit site-testing duty, not a post-installation inspection; no construction inspection rule for on-lot systems was found.

  “prior to issuing a permit, the sewage enforcement officer shall conduct personally, observe or otherwise confirm in a manner approved by the department all tests used to determine the suitability of a site”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions and land developments inside Monroe township

  • The Bradford County Office of Planning and Grants must approve all subdivisions and land developments in the township.
  • Governed by the Bradford County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

  “the bradford county office of planning and grants must approve all subdivisions and land developments that occur within the township.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access onto a state highway from land inside Monroe township; township roads are not covered by this rule

  • Applies only to state highways under the state highway law; township road access is not addressed in the excerpt.
  • Stated as a plat-approval notice requirement in the county SALDO.

  “a highway occupancy permit is required pursuant to section 420 of the act of june 1, 1945 (p.l. 1242, no. 428), known as the "state highway law," before driveway access to a state highway is permitted.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Monroe Township or Bradford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permitting in Monroe township
• Inspections — Inspections of new homes inside Monroe township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Monroe township
• Off-grid sanitation — Privies, holding tanks and other off-grid sanitation in Monroe township
• Well permit — Private water wells on land inside Monroe township

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.