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

Rules another office applies inside Lackawannock Township

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots created by subdivision or land development inside Lackawannock township under the Mercer County SALDO

  • Applies to subdivision plans, not to an existing lot; lots with community water and sewer or community sewer are smaller.
  • The MCRPC agenda shows a Lackawannock lot consolidation that did not meet the 1-acre on-lot sewage standard.

  minimum net lot area with approved on-lot sewer: 1 acre (100 ft minimum lot width; 7,500 sq ft with both community water and sewer; 10,000 sq ft with community sewer)

  “503.2: the following table 503.2 specifies minimum requirements for proposed lots: table 503.2: lot requirements lot requirements minimum net lot area minimum lot width minimum front setback (from row) with both community water and sewer 7,500 square feet 60 feet 10 feet with community sewer 10,000 square feet 75 feet 25 feet with approved onlot sewer 1 acre 100 feet 35 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Lots created by subdivision inside Lackawannock township with approved on-lot sewer, under the Mercer County SALDO (front setback from street row)

  • Front setback under the county SALDO lot table, not a zoning setback; applies to subdivision lots only.
  • Setback is increased 20% for lots abutting an arterial road under SALDO section 503.5 (not verified on this page).

  minimum front setback from row, on-lot sewer lot: 35 feet (10 feet with community water and sewer; 25 feet with community sewer)

  “with approved onlot sewer 1 acre 100 feet 35 feet”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Subdivisions and land developments inside Lackawannock township under the Mercer County SALDO (county ordinance applied to Lackawannock lots); not a rule for a single new home on an existing lot

  • Connection to public sanitary sewer is required or must be justified when public sewer is within 2,000 feet, per the county SALDO.
  • Where public sewer is not in place or cannot be extended, an on-lot system approved by the municipal SEO and/or DEP is required.
  • No public water connection requirement was found in the excerpts reviewed.

  distance to existing public sanitary sewer: <= 2000 feet (adequate justification must be provided if not connecting)

  “if a public sewer system is not in place or cannot be extended, the developer must provide an individual on-lot sewage disposal system as approved by the municipal sewage enforcement officer and/or department of environmental protection.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land subdivisions and lot consolidations inside Lackawannock township

  • Mercer County Regional Planning Commission reviews plans under the county SALDO; the agenda shows a Lackawannock lot consolidation and subdivision plan reviewed under SALDO.

  “lackawannock does not have zoning parcel square footage currently does not meet the saldo requirements of 1 acre lot with on lot sewage- 503.2”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes inside Lackawannock township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing rules inside Lackawannock township
• Building code adopted — Whether the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code is administered inside Lackawannock township and by whom
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Lackawannock township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Lackawannock 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.