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

Borough of Berwick’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Berwick borough, Columbia County PA

  • Ordinance 2003-11 adopted December 15, 2003; later amendments not located online.

  “borough of berwick columbia county pennsylvania 2003 zoning ordinance o r d i n a n c e n o. 2 0 0 3 - 1 1 adopted: december 1 5, 20 0 3”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Berwick borough

  • Districts R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1 to C-4, I-1, I-2 and OS conservation, per the ordinance table of contents; official zoning map is separately posted.

  “501 - r-1 low density residential district 502 - r-2 medium density residential district 503 - r-3 high density residential district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District (first dimensional table in Article 5, Section 501) inside Berwick borough

  • Lot area depends on whether on-lot or centralized sewage and water serve the lot.
  • Stricter state/federal and Article 7/8 standards may apply.

  min lot area, on-lot sewage and/or water: >= 1 acre · min lot area, centralized sewage and water: >= 7200 sq ft · min lot width, 1-acre lots: >= 150 ft · min lot width, 7,200 sq ft lots: >= 60 ft

  “one (1) acre when serviced by an on-lot sewage disposal and/or an on-lot water supply. (2) 2. seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet when serviced by a centralized sewage disposal system and a centralized water supply system.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Berwick borough

  • Setbacks depend on lot size category (1-acre vs 7,200 sq ft lots).
  • Side yard setback text was truncated in retrieval.

  front yard, 1-acre lots: >= 50 ft · front yard, 7,200 sq ft lots: >= 20 ft · rear yard, 1-acre lots: >= 50 ft · rear yard, 7,200 sq ft lots: >= 20 ft

  “a minimum of fifty (50) feet in depth as measured from the front lot line, for lots requiring a minimum lot area of one (1) acre. (2) a minimum of twenty (20) feet in depth as measured from the front lot line, for lots requiring a minimum lot area of seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes placed inside Berwick borough

  • Mobile home parks are a conditional use under Article 7 (Section 712); district permissions not reviewed.

  “the placement and/or use of a mobile home shall be constructed and anchored to a permanent foundation as defined in article 2 of this ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Berwick borough
• Owner-builder exemption — Berwick borough
• Building code adopted — Berwick borough
• Inspections — Berwick borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Berwick 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.