Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Driftwood, Pennsylvania

Borough of Driftwood’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Dwellings and other structures in Driftwood borough

  • Sewage permit first, then zoning approval, then UCC building permit.
  • Recreational cabin exclusion under the PA UCC is available through Jones Township.

  “each municipality in cameron county requires a valid sewage and a pa. uniform construction code (ucc) building permit prior to the installation or construction of any dwelling”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code administered inside Driftwood borough by Jones Township

  • Administered by Jones Township (Elk County) for all seven Cameron County municipalities, including Driftwood.

  “jones township administers the uniform construction code for all seven municipalities within cameron county. including the boroughs of emporium and driftwood”

• Who permits septicLocal

  On-lot sewage permitting for sites inside Driftwood borough (Cameron County), handled by the sewage enforcement officer working through Jones Township

  • Page lists a Driftwood borough sewage options page for camps and cabins; Driftwood borough secretary is a contact.

  “once an application is obtained, contact the sewage enforcement officer, mr. russ braun at (814) 781-3663 or (814) 594-6194 to schedule any necessary soils testing or inspections.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings in Driftwood borough not served by public sewer

  • Required before zoning approval and the building permit.
  • Areas served by public sewer use the Mid Cameron Municipal Sewer Authority instead.

  “each municipality in cameron county requires a valid sewage and a pa. uniform construction code (ucc) building permit prior to the installation or construction of any dwelling”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Building sites using existing on-lot systems in Driftwood borough

  • Applies to new or replacement dwellings served by an existing on-lot system.

  “building sites for new or replacement dwellings to be served by an existing individual onlot sewage disposal (septic) systems, including privies and holding tanks, must be tested, field verified and approved by the municipal sewage enforcement officer prior to making an application for a zoning or building permit.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Lots subdivided from a larger tract in Driftwood borough, as it bears on sewage permits

  • Page speaks generally for the Cameron County municipalities it serves; it does not cite the subdivision ordinance itself.

  “if the lot is proposed to be subdivided from a larger tract of land, both local and state subdivision approval is required prior to the issuance of any permits.”

• Permit processPartial

  New construction in Driftwood borough

  • Sewage permit, then county zoning approval, then UCC building permit through Jones Township.
  • Applications are submitted to the Jones Township building code official.

  “in most all circumstances, three separate types of permits are required for new construction. these permits are sewage, zoning, and building and must be obtained in this order.”

Rules another office applies inside Borough of Driftwood

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

• Driveway accessLimited

  New driveway entrances onto state-maintained roads in Driftwood borough

  • Applies only to state-maintained roads.

  “in some instances, a state highway occupancy permit must also be obtained from penndot prior to constructing a new driveway entrance to a state maintained road.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Floodplain approval for projects in Driftwood borough, handled by the Cameron County zoning officer

  • Only Emporium borough is stated to do its own zoning approval, so Driftwood projects go to the county.

  “once a valid sewage or sewer permit is obtained, you may apply to the cameron county zoning officer, michelle reed, for zoning and floodplain approval.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Driftwood borough
• Inspections — Driftwood borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Driftwood borough
• Local zoning — Driftwood borough
• Zoning districts — Driftwood 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.