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

Penn Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residential and agricultural structures in Penn township, after the subdivision, sewage and driveway steps

  • Permit comes after approved subdivision or land development plans, the sewage permit and the driveway application.
  • On-lot earth disturbance over 1,000 sq ft from January 1, 2020 requires a stormwater management plan.
  • Commercial and industrial structures need plans from a Pennsylvania licensed engineer or architect.

  “after subdivision or land development plans are approved, sewage permit is obtained, and driveway application is approved, a building/land use permit must be secured.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Penn township (Newville, Cumberland County, PA): the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

  • Ordinance 2021-05 is listed on the township code page with amendments 2023-03, 2023-07 and 2023-09; the amendment texts were not opened.

  “ordinance 2021-05 – penn township zoning ordinance”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Penn township: the zoning ordinance names its districts (Conservation, Agricultural, Residential, Commercial, Industrial)

  • Map is linked from the township code page as the Penn Township zoning map; not opened.

  “article vii residential district (r) section 700. purpose of the residential district”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family and other uses in the Residential (R) district, Article VII, inside Penn township

  • 44,000 sq ft applies when the use is on on-site water and sewage (no public water or sewer).
  • 20,000 sq ft applies if the use is connected to a public sewerage or public water system.
  • 10,000 sq ft applies if the use is connected to both public water and public sewerage.
  • Lot width at the street right-of-way line: 150 ft (44,000 sq ft tier), 125 ft (20,000 sq ft tier), 80 ft (10,000 sq ft tier).
  • Lot area must also meet DEP requirements for on-site water supply and sewage facilities, including replacement system location.

  minimum lot area, no public water or sewer: 44000 sq ft · minimum lot area, connected to public sewer or public water: 20000 sq ft · minimum lot area, connected to both public water and public sewer: 10000 sq ft

  “the minimum lot area and lot area per dwelling unit shall be twenty thousand (20,000) square feet if the use is connected to a public sewerage or public water system.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — All uses in the Agricultural (A) district, Article VI, inside Penn township

    “a. lot area requirements unless otherwise specified, all uses within the zone shall contain a minimum lot area of forty-four thousand (44,000) square feet; however, the minimum lot size may be required to be increased to accommodate an on-lot sewage disposal site as determined by the pa dep as well as an alternate site. b. minimum lot width fifty feet (50’) at the street right-of-way line.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the Residential (R) district, Article VII, inside Penn township

  • Figures are for lots under Section 704.a.1 and 704.a.2 (front 50 ft, side 20 ft, rear 30 ft).
  • For lots under Section 704.a.3 (10,000 sq ft tier): front 30 ft, side 20 ft, rear 20 ft.
  • Animal-raising structures and manure storage must be 100 ft from any dwelling; non-residential conditional uses must be 100 ft from adjoining residential lots.

  front yard, 704.a.1 and 704.a.2 lots: 50 ft · side yard, 704.a.1 and 704.a.2 lots: 20 ft · rear yard, 704.a.1 and 704.a.2 lots: 30 ft · front yard, 704.a.3 lots: 30 ft · side yard, 704.a.3 lots: 20 ft · rear yard, 704.a.3 lots: 20 ft

  “1. front yard – depth a. under 704.a.1 and 2 – fifty (50) feet b. under 704.a.3 – thirty (30) feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal uses in the Agricultural (A) district, Article VI, inside Penn township

    “1. principal uses: a. front yard – thirty-five feet (35’) from street right-of-way line. b. side yards – thirty feet (30’) each side. c. rear yard – forty feet (40’).”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on residential dwelling lots inside Penn township

  • One recreational vehicle may be stored on a residential dwelling lot.
  • The RV may not be used for sleeping, recreational, or living purposes.
  • Commercial vehicles over 26,000 lbs GVW are prohibited on a residential lot.

  “on a residential dwelling lot, one (1) recreational vehicle is permitted for storage purposes only, and is not to be used for sleeping, recreational, or living purposes at any time or in any way, shape or form.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Modular and mobile homes used as dwelling units inside Penn township

  • Must meet or exceed state and local building, housing, electrical and plumbing codes.
  • Wheels, tow bars and other means of propulsion must be removed when used as a dwelling.
  • Permanent masonry supports on footers set below frost line, oriented to the frame.
  • Continuous 4-inch reinforced concrete pad beneath the home, and the home must be secured (Section 1218).

  “a. all modular and mobile homes used as dwelling units shall meet or exceed minimum standards of all local and state building, housing, electrical, plumbing and other codes.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  New and repaired on-lot sewage systems inside Penn township

  • The township sewage enforcement officer (SEO) issues the sewage permit.
  • New systems also require PA DEP approval of the sewage planning module.
  • The county planning department reviews the planning module.

  “all sewage planning modules (proposed new septic systems with the exception of 10-acre exemptions) must be reviewed by the cumberland county planning department, the penn township planning commission, the penn township board of supervisors and pa department of environmental protection (dep).”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems and repairs to malfunctioning septic systems inside Penn township

  • Requires DEP approval of the planning module first.
  • The $250 permit fee is paid before the SEO issues the sewage permit.
  • Exception for 10-acre exemptions in the planning-module review.

  sewage permit fee: 250 USD (payable after DEP approval)

  “upon receipt of dep approval and payment of the $250 permit fee, the applicant may request the seo to issue the sewage permit.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Penn township

  • Plans go to the Cumberland County Planning Commission, the township planning commission, the board of supervisors and, where sewage is involved, PA DEP.
  • Plans are governed by Ordinance 2021-04, the subdivision and land development ordinance.
  • A surveyor prepares the plan and a fee schedule applies; the township may bill engineer and solicitor review costs.

  “b. subdivision or land development obtain a surveyor who should draw up a subdivision or land development plan.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways that access a lot from a township road inside Penn township

  • Application includes a sketch plan of the driveway location, dimensions, intersecting roads, improvements and work dates.
  • State-road access goes to PennDOT, not the township.
  • New subdivision driveways must be surfaced with the same material as the road they access.

  driveway permit fee: 40 USD

  “c. driveway permit – $40.00 a township driveway application is required if the driveway will access the lot from a township road.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Township permit fees for work inside Penn township

  • Driveway fee applies to a township road access.
  • Residential building/land use fee is in addition to MDIA review and inspection costs.
  • Commercial/industrial building permit fee is listed separately.
  • Fee schedule is posted by the township and may have been revised; the full fee schedule document was not opened.

  residential building/land use permit: 60 USD · driveway permit: 40 USD · sewage permit fee: 250 USD (after DEP approval) · commercial/industrial building/land use permit: 250 USD

  “e. building/land use permits for residential & agricultural structures – $60.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Sequence of permits for new construction and land development inside Penn township

  • Steps run in order: sewage approval, subdivision/land development, driveway, then building/land use permit.
  • Building plans go to the MDIA for review before the building permit is issued.
  • Township office: (717) 486-3104.

  “once the building/land use application has been obtained from the township, you’ll be directed to west pennsboro township to drop off your application for the building inspection agency (mdia) review.”

Rules another office applies inside Penn Township

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

• InspectionsRequired

  Building construction inside Penn township; inspections run through the building inspection agency (MDIA), with plan review and inspections billed by West Pennsboro Township staff

  • Plans are reviewed by the building inspection agency (MDIA) before the building permit is issued.
  • Inspection cost is announced by West Pennsboro Township staff; the permit is picked up and inspection paid at that time.
  • The builder must call the building inspector for each inspection as required.

  “you may then begin to build and call the building inspector for each inspection as required.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Penn township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Penn township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Penn township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Penn township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in the Residential and Agricultural districts inside Penn 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.