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

Harborcreek Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction regulated inside Harborcreek Township.

  • The code chapter identifies its Uniform Construction Code adoption section; specific code editions and local amendments were not extracted within the research budget.

  “is hereby adopted as the Building Code of Harborcreek Township.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Harborcreek Township.

  • Land use remains subject to the Township zoning ordinance and district-specific controls.

  “Chapter 490 Zoning (§ 490-1 – § 490-146)”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Permitted sewage holding tanks inside Harborcreek Township.

  • The annual inspection requirement is limited to sewage holding tanks.
  • The annual inspection fee is $100 for each holding tank and may be changed by Board resolution.

  annual holding tank inspection fee: 100 USD (for each sewage holding tank; fee may be changed by Township Board resolution)

  “Any application for a sewage holding tank shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application and review fee of $100 made payable to Harborcreek Township, and each year thereafter the owner of lands in which a sewage holding tank is located shall pay to Harborcreek Township an annual inspection fee of $100 for each sewage holding tank on the owner's property in order to reimburse Harborcreek Township its costs for the annual holding tank inspections required of Harborcreek Township.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Use of sewage holding tanks for sewage disposal inside Harborcreek Township.

  • Holding-tank use is a temporary measure when alternate sewage-disposal methods are not feasible.
  • A County on-lot sewage disposal permit and Township approval are required before installation or operation.

  “It should be further stated that the use of holding tanks shall be considered to be a temporary measure taken for the disposal of sewage when, at the time of application, alternate methods for sewage disposal are not feasible.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses, buildings, and structures in Harborcreek Township that abut a street, highway, easement, or right-of-way containing a sanitary sewer.

  • Connection follows official notice and must occur within 60 days.
  • A structure more than 150 feet from the public sanitary sewer is not required to connect; connection is required if any portion lies within 150 feet.
  • A new, altered, or reconstructed building may not be occupied until its sanitary facilities and industrial-waste outlets are properly connected to the public system.

  connection-distance threshold: <= 150 feet (connection is required if any portion of the structure lies within this distance of the sanitary sewer) · connection deadline after official notice: 60 days

  “The owner of each and every house, building or structure located in Harborcreek Township which is used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purpose and abuts on any street, highway, easement or right-of-way in which there has been constructed a sanitary sewer shall, at the owner's sole expense, install suitable sanitary sewer facilities therein and connect such facilities and industrial waste outlets directly with the public sanitary sewer system in accordance with the provisions of this article and with the rules and regulations adopted by the Authority governing use and operation of the sanitary sewer system within 60 days after the date of official notice to do so given in the manner provided by law.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Harborcreek Township.

  • The adopted chapter includes procedures for preliminary and final plans, plats, land development, and minor subdivisions; specific submission and approval conditions were not extracted.

  “Chapter 405 Subdivision and Land Development”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Temporary and permanent driveways leading from Township roads that cross the roadside drainage ditch.

  • The opened ordinance text establishes applicability to these Township-road driveways but did not establish a permit requirement.
  • Driveways must not obstruct drainage or maintenance-vehicle passage.

  “All driveways, whether temporary or permanent, which lead from Township Roads”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Township applications and annual inspections for sewage holding tanks inside Harborcreek Township.

  • The application and review fee is nonrefundable.
  • The Board of Supervisors may review and change the fees by resolution at a regularly scheduled public meeting.
  • No Township approval is granted until all fees are paid and the owner or tenant has an Erie County Department of Health on-lot sewage disposal permit.

  holding tank application and review fee: 100 USD (nonrefundable) · annual holding tank inspection fee: per 100 USD (for each sewage holding tank)

  “a nonrefundable application and review fee of $100”

• Permit processPartial

  Sewage holding-tank approval inside Harborcreek Township.

  • The owner or tenant must secure the County on-lot sewage disposal permit before installation or operation.
  • Township approval is not granted until all applicable Township fees are paid and the County permit has been issued.

  “No approvals hereunder shall be granted by the Township until all fees under this article have been paid to Harborcreek Township and the owner or tenant has been issued an on-lot sewage disposal permit by the County of Erie Department of Health.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Harborcreek Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Harborcreek Township.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Harborcreek Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Harborcreek Township.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Harborcreek 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Harborcreek Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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