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

Borough of Philipsburg’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures not requiring a permit under the PA Construction Code Act (e.g. sheds, carports, garages under 1,000 sq ft, agricultural buildings) inside Philipsburg borough

  • Local land use and zoning permit, issued by the borough, applies to structures subject to Part 2
  • Application on borough forms with site plan showing setback dimensions
  • Fee set by council from time to time
  • UCC permits for other construction are administered under Part 1

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to undertake or cause to be undertaken the construction or renovation of any building or structure subject to this part unless a land use and zoning permit has first been obtained from the borough.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Philipsburg borough

  • Administration may be by borough employee, third-party agency, intermunicipal agreement or contract, as set by council resolution
  • Board of appeals: Centre County Council of Governments UCC board of appeals by agreement (editor's note)

  “the borough hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the pennsylvania construction code act”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Philipsburg borough, Centre County

  • Borough code Chapter 27 Zoning, listed on the borough's own site; PDF text dated 4/9/2007 revision stamps

  “chapter 27. zoning part 1- general provisions part 2- zoning district provisions part 3- special exceptions and conditional uses”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Philipsburg borough zoning districts

  • Borough site also publishes a zoning map PDF
  • Table columns: R1A, R1B, R2, R3, C1, C2, I, RC

  “regulation r1a r1b r2 r3 c1 c2 i rc minimum front setback for non-corner lot”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R1A district (first column of the dimensional table) inside Philipsburg borough

  • Table text is flattened in extracted PDF; column assignment to R1A is the first value and should be verified against the layout
  • Districts: R1A, R1B, R2, R3, C1, C2, I, RC
  • Different minimum for lots containing a gas station

  minimum lot area (R1A): >= 5000 sq ft · minimum lot frontage (R1A): >= 50 ft

  “minimum lot area for lots that do not contain a gas station 5,000 sq. ft. 1,000 sq. ft. 1,000 sq. ft. 2,500 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R1A district (first column) inside Philipsburg borough

  • Flattened table; verify column assignment
  • Exceptions in subsection (2) for certain structures, antennas and signs
  • Corner lots have different setbacks

  minimum front setback, non-corner (R1A): >= 20 ft · minimum side setback, non-corner (R1A): >= 8 ft · minimum rear setback, non-corner (R1A): >= 10 ft

  “regulation r1a r1b r2 r3 c1 c2 i rc minimum front setback for non-corner lot 20 ft. 7 ft. 15 ft. 10 ft. 6 ft. 15 ft. 15 ft. 30 ft. 15 ft. 40 ft.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Districts R1A, R1B, R2, R3, C1, C2, I, RC inside Philipsburg borough; R1A appears to be 50%

  • Flattened table; verify column assignment
  • In R1A and R2 coverage counts buildings or parking spaces; other districts count buildings only

  maximum lot coverage (R1A): <= 50 percent

  “maximum lot coverage 50% 80% 80% 40% 95% 70% 80% 30%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Districts inside Philipsburg borough; R1A appears to be 35 ft principal, 20 ft accessory

  • Flattened table; verify column assignment

  maximum height principal use (R1A): <= 35 ft · maximum height accessory use (R1A): <= 20 ft

  “maximum height for permitted principal uses 35 ft. 50 ft. 75 ft. 35 ft. 100 ft. 60 ft. 75 ft. 50 ft.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Structures inside Philipsburg borough

  • Applies to structures within 150 feet of a sewer main that use a water supply, use a non-public waste system, or generate sanitary or industrial wastes
  • Structures farther than 150 feet are permitted but not required to connect
  • Connection within 45 days after borough notice (§18-111(1))
  • Septic tanks and cesspools may not be used on property connected or required to connect (§18-114)
  • Public water connection rule not reviewed (Chapter 26)

  connection distance: <= 150 feet (structures beyond 150 ft may connect voluntarily)

  “a property owner must connect or keep connected any structure that is located within 150 feet of any sewer main or any other portion of the system and that:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision inside Philipsburg borough

  • Chapter 22 listed in the ordinance index; text not opened

  “chapter 22. subdivision and land development chapter 23. swimming pools part 1- general regulations”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder inside Philipsburg borough
• Inspections — Inspections inside Philipsburg borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates inside Philipsburg borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling size inside Philipsburg borough
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Philipsburg 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.