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

Benner Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Benner Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania.

  • Uses remain subject to district, use, and general-regulation provisions of the Township zoning ordinance.

  “This Ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the “Benner Township Zoning Ordinance.””

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Benner Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, classified on the Benner Township Zoning Map.

  • District locations and boundaries are shown on the Benner Township Zoning Map, which is incorporated into the ordinance.
  • Buildings and land may be used, occupied, erected, moved, or altered only in conformance with regulations for the district where located, except as otherwise provided by the ordinance.
  • The listed overlay districts apply where delineated; the Spring Creek Canyon Conservation Overlay District is also identified as SCCC in Article 13.

  zoning districts: FC — Forested Conservation District; A — Agriculture District; RR — Rural Residential District; R-2 — Multi-Family Residential District; R-3 — High Density Residential District; MHP — Manufactured Home Park Residential District; C — Commercial District; I — Industrial District; Q — Quarry District; Spring Creek Canyon Conservation Overlay District (SCCC); Airport Overlay District

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance, Benner Township is hereby divided into districts, which shall be designated as follows:”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  New construction or development within flood-prone areas of Benner Township.

  • The applicable provisions may be in the Centre County and/or Benner Township Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

  “Any new construction or development within areas of the Township which are subject to flooding shall meet all applicable provisions of the Centre County and/or Benner Township Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Erection, addition, or alteration of a building; use or change in use of a building or land; and change or extension of a nonconforming use inside Benner Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania.

  • A building and zoning permit is required before the listed activities.
  • No person may commence erection or alteration work or a land-use change until a permit has been duly issued.
  • Applications must include duplicate, to-scale plans and the information necessary to determine compliance with this and all other ordinances.
  • Permits for construction or uses requiring a variance, conditional use, or special exception may issue only upon the respective written order specified in §21.2(B).
  • An occupancy permit cannot issue until the Zoning Officer and certified Building Inspectors certify compliance with this and all other applicable ordinances.
  • A permit becomes void 24 months after issuance unless an extension request is submitted to and approved by the Zoning Officer; the request must be filed at least 30 days before expiration.
  • Temporary permits may be authorized for a specified period no greater than six months and renewed once for an additional six months; the nonconforming structure or use must be removed on expiration without cost to the Township.
  • All applicable fees, charges, and expenses must be paid in full; otherwise an application or appeal is incomplete and no action will be taken.

  “A building and zoning permit shall be required prior to the following activities:”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building construction inside Benner Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Benner Township.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Benner Township.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Benner Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new or altered buildings inside Benner 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.