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

Benezette Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Dwellings and other structures inside Benezette Township; Pa. UCC permits are administered by the Jones Township Building Code Dept. for Benezette

  • Administered by Jones Township's building code official, not a Benezette office.
  • Recreational cabins use a UCC affidavit/exclusion route.

  “the township requires a valid sewage and a pa. uniform construction code (ucc) building permit prior to the installation or construction of any dwelling, including mobile homes, or other structures utilized as a recreational cabin.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Recreational cabins inside Benezette Township (explicit inspection requirements found only for cabins and electrical service)

  • Electrical service entrance inspection required for new or altered service entrance work.
  • Inspection scheduled through Jones Township office.
  • General dwelling inspection schedule not found.

  “an electrical service entrance inspection is required for all new or altered service entrance work as required by the utility company.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New, reconstructed, altered, moved or vacant structures and lots inside Benezette Township (zoning occupancy permit)

  • Zoning officer examines within 10 days of notice and fee payment; deemed issued if no action.
  • Temporary occupancy permit valid up to 3 months.

  “if the zoning officer does not act within the required time period, then the permit shall be deemed to be issued.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land uses, lots and structures within Benezette Township, Elk County, PA

  • Excludes property owned by the township itself.
  • Four districts: R, C, AG and a fourth shown on the map.

  “this ordinance regulates all land uses, lots and structures within benezette township except those that are the property of the township itself.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Benezette Township zoning districts (R Residential, C Commercial, AG Agricultural, plus map)

  • Official zoning map is in the ordinance appendix.

  “section 215: the r residential district a. district purposes: the residential zoning district was drawn around benezette's largest residential neighborhoods”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R Residential District of Benezette Township (lots without a gas station)

  • Table column assignment read from extracted text; AG district value not legible and left for follow-up.

  minimum lot area R district: >= 4000 sq ft

  “minimum lot area for lots that do not contain a gas station r 35 ft. 15 ft. 4,000 sq. ft. c 35 ft. 30 ft. 2,500 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Lots where abutting principal structures set the yard averaging rule, all districts, Benezette Township

  • Proposed structure yards equal the average of abutting structures' yards.
  • Table setbacks per district not legible; follow-up.

  minimum side yard under averaging: >= 5 ft · minimum rear yard under averaging: >= 10 ft

  “however, no side yard shall be reduced to less than 5 feet and no rear yard to less than 10 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R Residential District of Benezette Township

  • Principal 35 ft; accessory 15 ft.
  • AG district value not legible; follow-up.

  max height principal use R: <= 35 ft · max height accessory use R: <= 15 ft

  “minimum lot area for lots that do not contain a gas station r 35 ft. 15 ft. 4,000 sq. ft. c 35 ft. 30 ft. 2,500 sq. ft.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RV trailers parked on lots served by public sewer inside Benezette Township

  • Zoning use-table treatment of RVs not legible in the extracted text.
  • R district bars overnight RV parking on public rights-of-way.

  “in areas served by public sewers, it is mandatory for all dwellings, both full-time and part-time to connect to the public sewer system. this is also required for rv trailers parked on a lot served by the sewer system.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Residences including mobile homes in the R Residential District of Benezette Township

  • Must meet township and state building code requirements (Section 550).
  • Ventilation openings in foundation allowed for mobile homes.

  “manufactured and mobile homes are subject to applicable township and state building code regulations and enforcement by the township's building code official.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  R Residential District of Benezette Township

  • Only one residential house or building per lot in this district.

  “within this district, no more than one residential house or building may be established on a single lot.”

• Who permits septicLocal

  On-lot sewage systems for dwellings inside Benezette Township; municipal sewage enforcement officer (Jones Township building code/SEO office serves Benezette)

  • Municipal SEO approval precedes building permit application.

  “must be tested, field verified and approved by the municipal sewage enforcement officer prior to making an application for a building permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings and cabins inside Benezette Township

  • Public sewer connection approval substitutes where sewers serve the lot.

  “the township requires a valid sewage and a pa. uniform construction code (ucc) building permit prior to the installation or construction of any dwelling, including mobile homes, or other structures utilized as a recreational cabin.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Building sites for new or replacement recreational cabins and camps on on-lot septic inside Benezette Township

  • Site testing/field verification by sewage enforcement officer; periodic pumping/inspection rules not found.

  “building sites for new or replacement recreational cabins & camps served by individual onlot sewage disposal (septic) systems, including privies, must be field verified and approved by the municipal sewage enforcement officer (seo).”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Dwellings in areas served by public sewers inside Benezette Township

  • Applies only in areas served by public sewers; no distance rule found.
  • New sewer connections need advance written approval from the Benezette Township sewer authority.
  • No public water connection rule found.

  “in areas served by public sewers, it is mandatory for all dwellings, both full-time and part-time to connect to the public sewer system.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  New driveway entrances to state-maintained roads inside Benezette Township

  • PennDOT highway occupancy permit required only in some instances.

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

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Structures within the floodplain in Benezette Township

  • Stricter of township, state or federal floodplain rule governs.
  • Separate floodplain ordinance not opened.

  “all structures and plans for structures within the township's floodplain as defined by the township and/or its relevant ordinances are subject to the floodplain regulations enacted by the township and/or these ordinances.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside Benezette Township

  • Fee amounts set by board of township supervisors; schedule not found.

  “applications for a zoning permit shall be submitted in writing on a form prescribed by the zoning officer along with payment of the required fees set by the board of township supervisors.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside Benezette Township

  • Permit not issued unless all other township, county, state and federal approvals obtained.
  • Deemed issued if officer fails to act in 30 days.

  zoning permit decision period: <= 30 days

  “if the zoning officer does not act within the required time period, then the permit shall be deemed to be issued.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Benezette Township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Benezette Township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Benezette Township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Benezette Township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Benezette 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.