Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Otter Creek Township, Pennsylvania

Otter Creek Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Otter Creek township's limits, Mercer County, Pennsylvania: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

  • The copy located is the 2005 ordinance as hosted by the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission; the township's own website was not located and amendments since 2005 were not verified.
  • Zoning-only topics are answered from this ordinance; the ordinance itself cross-references Mercer County subdivision and land development regulations.

  “the "zoning ordinance" regulates and restricts within the boundaries of the township of otter creek, mercer county, pennsylvania:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Self-contained mobilehomes placed in Otter Creek township; a site-built single-family minimum floor area was not separately confirmed

  • Mobilehomes must also conform to all regulations applicable to single-family dwellings.
  • Table 401 R-1 block also shows a '750 sq. ft. minimum' entry whose row label did not extract cleanly; not relied on for site-built homes.

  minimum floor area, self-contained mobilehome: >= 750 sq ft

  “500.2: mobilehomes, provided: (a) self contained mobilehome unit must have a floor area of 750 square feet or more, provided they conform to all regulations applicable to single-family dwellings.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling lots in the R-1 zoning district inside Otter Creek township

  • Table 401 footnote: the department of environmental protection shall have approved the plan for adequate water supply and sanitary sewage facilities.
  • Two-family, multi-family, boarding-house and convalescent-home lots have larger or different minimums in the same table (40,000 / 24,000 / 24,000 / 40,000 sq. ft. as extracted).

  minimum lot area, single-family dwelling, R-1 district: >= 37500 sq ft (DEP approval of water supply and sanitary sewage plan required (table footnote)) · minimum lot width, interior lot, R-1 district: >= 150 ft · minimum lot width, corner lot, R-1 district: >= 170 ft

  “minimum lot area * - single-family dwelling - two-family dwelling - multi-family dwelling 1 - boarding, lodging, rooming house 2 - convalescent home 3 37,500 sq. ft. 40,000 sq. ft. 24,000 sq. ft. 24,000 sq. ft. 40,000 sq. ft. minimum lot width - interior lot - corner lot 150 ft. 170 ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal and accessory structures in the R-1 zoning district inside Otter Creek township

  • Table 401 footnote 4: minimum building setback shall be measured from street centerline (applies to the front and road setbacks).
  • Front-yard values in the extracted table (75 ft / 50 ft, accessory farm structures) are column-ambiguous and not recorded as a single figure.
  • B-1 and I district setbacks are not recorded in this claim.

  minimum rear yard setback, principal structure, R-1: >= 35 ft · minimum rear yard setback, accessory structure, R-1: >= 10 ft · minimum side yard, one side, interior lot, principal and accessory use, R-1: >= 10 ft · minimum side yard, street side on corner lot, R-1: >= 25 ft

  “minimum rear yard setback - principal structure - accessory structure 35 ft. 10 ft. minimum side yard - one side - principal & accessory use - interior lot - street side on corner lot 10 ft. 25 ft.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lot coverage by buildings in the R-1 zoning district inside Otter Creek township

  • The B-1 district uses different coverage limits (50% commercial, 25% residential, as extracted); not recorded here.
  • Coverage limit includes accessory structures.

  maximum lot coverage including accessory structures, R-1: <= 25 percent

  “maximum lot coverage (including accessory 25% structures)”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal and accessory structures in the R-1 zoning district inside Otter Creek township

  • Section 901 contains height measurement and exceptions to height requirements; not reviewed in this pass.
  • Industrial equipment may exceed 35 ft. if approved by the zoning hearing board (Table 401 footnote 3, I district).

  maximum structure height, principal structure, R-1: <= 40 ft · maximum structure height, accessory structure, R-1: <= 40 ft

  “maximum structure height - principal structure - accessory structure 40 ft. 40 ft.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Storage or parking of a recreational vehicle on a lot inside Otter Creek township

  • Must comply with height and area regulations for accessory structures.
  • Limited to one recreational vehicle and/or one non-agricultural commercially licensed vehicle.
  • Not to be used for human habitation.
  • Recreational vehicle parks are a separate use under Section 500.5 with Mercer County subdivision compliance and MCRPC-approved plans.

  maximum recreational vehicles stored per lot: <= 1 count (plus one non-agricultural commercially licensed vehicle)

  “503.5: storage or parking of a recreational vehicle or non-agricultural commercially licensed vehicle, provided: (a) it shall comply with the height and area regulations for accessory structures. (b) it shall be limited to no more than one recreational vehicle and/or one nonagricultural commercially licensed vehicle. (c) it shall not be used for human habitation.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Prohibited — Use of a recreational vehicle as a permanent residence or business inside Otter Creek township

    “no recreational vehicle shall be used as a permanent dwelling or business.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Cottage or tent camps inside Otter Creek township; general private tent camping was not addressed in the sections reviewed

  • Limited to public or semi-public non-profit organizations.
  • Site plan and permit request required.
  • Written PA DEP approval of sanitary and water facilities required.
  • No tent, campsite or building within 300 feet of any side or rear lot line; buffer of ten trees per 100 lineal feet.

  setback from side or rear lot line: >= 300 ft

  “(e) no tent, campsite, or building shall be located within 300 feet of any side or rear lot lines.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobilehomes placed on residential lots inside Otter Creek township

  • Solid skirting required on all mobilehomes.
  • Placed on a cellar foundation or a concrete pad or concrete piers.
  • Tie-downs must withstand 15 lbs. per square foot wind pressure on an exposed vertical surface; over-the-top and frame tie-downs required; strapping of 4700 lb. tensile strength.
  • Mobilehome parks must comply with Mercer County subdivision and land development regulations and have MCRPC-approved final plans before permit.

  minimum floor area: >= 750 sq ft

  “(c) solid skirting shall be provided on all mobilehomes. (d) mobilehomes shall be placed upon a cellar foundation or a mobilehome stand made of a concrete pad or concrete piers.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — Temporary occupancy of a mobilehome on a residential lot as an accessory structure for a property owner's hardship inside Otter Creek township

    “the permit shall be valid for thirty (30) days; however, this permit may be extended upon approval of the board if: (a) the particular circumstances warrant an extension, and (b) the extension is not considered detrimental to the public interest or the general purpose of this ordinance.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Adding one additional dwelling unit inside an existing one-family detached dwelling in a residential zoning district inside Otter Creek township

  • Authorized by permit under the section 1206 list (authorization language precedes the list); the quoted list is the conditions set.
  • Height and yard requirements may not be violated.
  • Minimum lot area per dwelling unit must meet section 401.
  • One parking space must be provided for the additional unit.
  • Must meet state boards of health and fire and panic laws of Pennsylvania.

  “1206.1: one-family detached dwellings for the alteration, change in intensity of use and uses of any existing one-family detached dwelling in any residential zoning district for one (1) additional dwelling unit and rooming unit provided: (1) the height regulations and yard requirements shall not be violated.”

Rules another office applies inside Otter Creek Township

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Mobilehome parks and recreational vehicle parks inside Otter Creek township; the township ordinance defers to Mercer County subdivision and land development regulations (county rule applying in the township, not a township ordinance)

  • Ordinance cross-reference only; the county regulations themselves were not opened.
  • Final park plans must be approved by the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission and submitted to the zoning officer before permit issuance.

  “500.3: mobilehome parks, provided: (a) they shall comply with all applicable provisions of the mercer county subdivision and land development regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new homes in Otter Creek township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for permits in Otter Creek township
• Building code adopted — Adoption of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code in Otter Creek township
• Inspections — Building inspection requirement in Otter Creek township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Otter Creek 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.