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

Martic Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New home or adding a bedroom inside Martic township

  • A building permit is issued only after the sewage permit issues; the page says a copy of the sewage permit is required to receive a building permit.

  “a copy of the sewage permit is a requirement, to receive a building permit.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Martic township's limits: Martic Township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Martic Township Zoning Ordinance, amended 2-4-19 and 9-5-23).

  • The ordinance divides the township into districts (rc, a, rld, sr, nc, hc); use and dimensional rules depend on the district.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the township is hereby divided into the following districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Martic township's limits

  • The district list is in the zoning ordinance; the zoning map is on file at the township office and is referenced on the zoning page.

  “rc – rural conservation district a – agriculture district rld – residential low density district sr – shoreline recreational district nc – neighborhood commercial district hc – highway commercial district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agriculture (a) district inside Martic township

  • Residential lots in the agriculture district have a maximum lot area of three (3) acres for any lot used principally for residential purposes; a separate rule requires a 10-acre minimum for farming.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 square feet

  “1. lot requirements: a. minimum lot area – forty-three thousand, five hundred sixty (43,560) square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential low density (rld) district, the main single-family residential district, inside Martic township

    “1. lot requirements: a. minimum lot area – one (1) acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agriculture (a) district inside Martic township

  • Fence and small-animal setbacks are separate rules.

  front yard depth: >= 50 feet · side yard depth: >= 20 feet · rear yard depth: >= 50 feet

  “2. yard requirements: a. front yard depth – fifty (50) feet. b. side yard depth – twenty (20) feet. c. rear yard depth – fifty (50) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential low density (rld) district, the main single-family residential district, inside Martic township

    “a. front yard depth – forty (40) feet. b. side yard depth – fifteen (15) feet. c. rear yard depth – forty (40) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Residential low density (rld) district inside Martic township

  • The agriculture district list shows no lot-coverage limit; agriculture coverage was not confirmed as unrestricted.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent

  “c. maximum lot coverage – twenty-five (25%) percent.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agriculture (a) district inside Martic township

  • Exceptions to height regulations are in Section 506 of the zoning ordinance; not read.

  principal building height: <= 35 feet · accessory building height: <= 25 feet

  “a. principal building – thirty-five (35) feet. b. accessory building – twenty-five (25) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential low density (rld) district inside Martic township

    “3. building height: a. principal building – thirty-five (35) feet b. accessory building – twenty-five (25) feet”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile or manufactured home parks in the residential low density (rld) district inside Martic township

  • Mobile home parks are a special exception needing a zoning hearing board permit (section 614).
  • An accessory dwelling unit that is a mobile home needs a minimum one (1) acre lot and must be removed within three months after it is no longer occupied by a qualifying person (section 515).

  “two-family dwelling, subject to section 613 townhouse, subject to section 613 apartment, subject to section 613 mobile home park, subject to section 614”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on single-family lots inside Martic township, in districts that allow single-family detached dwellings

  • Zoning hearing board special exception required.
  • Occupants limited to family members related by blood, marriage or adoption to the landowner.
  • One off-street parking space in addition to the principal dwelling's spaces.
  • Shares the sewage disposal and water supply systems with the principal dwelling; sewage review by the township SEO.
  • Standards in section 515 of the zoning ordinance (amended text read; full list not confirmed).

  minimum lot size for mobile-home accessory dwelling: >= 1 acre (applies only when the accessory dwelling unit is a mobile home)

  “within any zoning district providing for single family detached dwellings by right, and when approved by the zoning hearing board as a special exception, an accessory residential dwelling unit shall be permitted for one or more family members related by blood, marriage or adoption to the landowner of the lot, subject to the following standards and criteria:”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-lot sewage (septic) matters inside Martic township

  • The township sewage enforcement officer (SEO) handles perc and probe tests, sewage permits and inspections.

  “contact the seo with any sewage related questions, to schedule perc & probe tests, sewage permits and sewage inspections.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New home or added bedroom inside Martic township

  • No building permit issues before a sewage permit is issued.

  “please note: if you planning a new home or just adding a bedroom, no building permit will be issued prior to a sewage permit being issued!”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land subdivision and land development inside Martic township

  • The township subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO) is listed on the ordinances page; its text was not opened.

  “floodplain ordinance (03-07-16 a) subdivision and land development ordinance (saldo) (03-07-16 b)”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways that connect to township roads inside Martic township

  • A driveway application is needed for township roads; the driveway ordinance (5-2-92, amended 9-3-96) was not opened.

  “driveway application (township roads only) road occupancy application”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in mapped floodplain areas inside Martic township

  • A township floodplain ordinance (03-07-16 a) exists; its permit terms were not read, so the requirements are not confirmed.

  “floodplain ordinance (03-07-16 a) subdivision and land development ordinance (saldo) (03-07-16 b)”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals inside Martic township

  • Granted only after zoning hearing board approval (short-term rental use allowed as a special exception in the rld district, section 619).
  • Requires a posted notice with a 24-hour local contact who lives within five (5) miles, a maximum occupant count, and a parking and trash notice.
  • Short-term rental ordinance adopted 09-05-23 (ordinances page); full section 619 text not read.

  “short-term rentals (please contact the zoning officer at 717-844-3065) only granted after zoning hearing board approval”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Township zoning and building permit fees inside Martic township

  • The page says payment is due with the application and that the fee amount must be obtained from the office; it links a 'township fee schedule' that was not opened, so amounts are not recorded.

  “please note: payment to the township must be received with the application.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning, building and sewage permit applications inside Martic township

  • The page publishes application forms and a submission route; step-by-step review timing is only partly stated (planning commission deadline is the 4th Thursday of the month).

  “all applications, are submitted to the township office for processing. if you have any land use or permitting questions, please feel free to contact the zoning officer at (717) 844-3065”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building inside Martic township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Martic township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Martic township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Martic township
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Martic 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.