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

Wharton Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Wharton township's limits: the township administers its own zoning ordinance rather than the county.

  • The Fayette County Planning and Zoning Office does not administer zoning in Wharton township; the county lists it among the 11 Fayette County municipalities that administer their own zoning and planning.
  • Zoning districts and dimensional rules below come from the township zoning ordinance PDF.

  “the 11 municipalities that are not administered by this county office but instead administer their own zoning and planning are: the boroughs of perryopolis and ohiopyle the cities of uniontown and connellsville henry clay township menallen township south union township springhill township (zoning only) stewart township washington township wharton township”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Wharton township

  • The zoning ordinance names R-1, R-2, A-1, B-1, B-2 and F-1 district sections; only R-1, R-2, A-1 and F-1 were read.

  “502 r-1 residential district, single family dwellings 502.a purpose the purpose of the r-1 residential district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 residential district (section 502) inside Wharton township

  • The 20,000 sq ft figure applies only with centralized water and centralized sewage service.
  • Without off-site water and sewage service, the lot must be one acre.

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit with centralized water and sewer: >= 20000 sq ft (one acre (43,560 sq ft) without off-site water and sewage services)

  “(a) the lot area per dwelling unit shall not be less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet per lot with the provision of a centralized water service and centralized sewage service. (b) without off-site water and sewage services, lots shall be required to be one (1) acre.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings in the A-1 agricultural district (section 501) inside Wharton township

    “(a) the lot area per dwelling unit shall not be less than one acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 residential district (section 502) inside Wharton township

  • The front yard is 30 feet or a greater depth needed to give a 125-foot lot width at the setback line.
  • The ordinance also sets a minimum 125-foot lot depth.

  minimum side yard: >= 15 feet · minimum front yard: >= 30 feet (or greater depth to provide 125 ft lot width at setback line) · minimum rear yard: >= 30 feet

  “1) minimum side yard - 15 feet. 2) minimum front yard - 30 feet, or such greater depth as will provide a lot width of one hundred twenty-five feet (125') at the setback tine. 3) minimum rear yard - 30 feet 4) minimum depth - 125 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings in the A-1 agricultural district (section 501) inside Wharton township

    “(2) minimum side yard -25 feet. (3) minimum front yard - 50 feet. (4) minimum rear yard - 35 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the A-1 agricultural district (section 501) inside Wharton township

  • Buildings devoted to agricultural use are exempt from height regulations.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (agricultural buildings exempt)

  “(c) buildings devoted to agricultural use shall be exempt from height regulations.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings in the R-1 residential district (section 502) inside Wharton township

    “(a) the height of a building shall not be greater than thirty-five feet (35 '). (b) the height of a dwelling shall not be less than one (1) story.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes on lots in the R-1 single-family residential district inside Wharton township

  • Single-family detached dwellings in R-1 exclude mobile homes except as provided in the R-1 section.
  • A mobile home is permitted in R-1 only if an immediately adjacent R-1 lot bordering it has had a mobile home legally erected on it continuously since a date before December 21, 1992.

  grandfather cutoff date for adjacent R-1 mobile home: < December 21, 1992 (adjacent lot condition)

  “mobile homes, but only if an immediately adjacent r-1 lot bordering thereon has had a mobile home legally erected thereon continuously since a date prior to december 21, 1992.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Allowed — Mobile homes on lots in the A-1 agricultural district (section 501) inside Wharton township

    “(d) single family detached dwellings, and seasonal residences. (e) accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to the above uses. (f) mobile homes.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage (septic) permitting for land inside Wharton township

  • The township's sewage enforcement is performed through a sewage enforcement officer; the primary officer named on the township page is K2 Engineering, Inc., with McMillen Engineering, Inc. as alternate.
  • The township page does not say which statute the officer acts under; the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act was not opened.

  “sewage enforcement issues sewage permits, and performs dye & perc tests.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning and development permit process for land inside Wharton township

  • The township says the zoning/code office determines case by case which permits or approvals are required.
  • No published step-by-step process was found.

  “zoning and code enforcement issues zoning permits and oversees the development plan review process.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new homes inside Wharton township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes inside Wharton township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for new construction inside Wharton township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Wharton township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Wharton 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.