Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

Borough of Bryn Athyn’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Bryn Athyn borough

  • Ordinance amended August 3, 2020 and September 9, 2024

  “it shall become effective on december 3, 2018, at which time "the bryn athyn zoning ordinance of 1982" is repealed.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Bryn Athyn borough

  • Districts: A, B, C low/medium/high density single family; MD; E commercial; LI; IN institutional; NP; CL cluster; SS steep slope; FP repealed

  “article 5 "a" - low density single family residential districts 13 article 6 "b" - medium density single family residential districts 15”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A low density single family residential district, Bryn Athyn borough

  • Other districts (B, C, MD etc.) not extracted

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width at building line: >= 150 feet

  “502.1 minimum lot area and width. a lot area of not less than one acre, and a lot width of not less than one hundred and fifty (150) feet at the building line shall be provided”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A low density single family residential district, Bryn Athyn borough

  • Interior lot side yards total at least 70 ft, neither less than 30 ft
  • Corner lot street-side yard at least 50 ft

  front yard: >= 50 feet · rear yard: >= 30 feet

  “502.2 front yard. there shall be a front yard on each lot which shall not be less than fifty (50) feet in depth from the street line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A low density single family residential district, Bryn Athyn borough

  building coverage: <= 15 percent of lot · impervious coverage: <= 30 percent of lot

  “502.5 building coverage. not more than fifteen (15) percent of the lot area shall be occupied by buildings.”

• Building heightSpecified

  A low density single family residential district, Bryn Athyn borough

  • Detached garage max 20 ft; other accessory structures max 15 ft

  principal building height: <= 35 feet

  “501.1 no principal building shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height. 501.2 a detached garage shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height and all other accessory structures shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Farming in A district, Bryn Athyn borough (zoning use allowance, not a permit exemption)

  • Minimum lot area 5 acres
  • No farming within 100 ft of any property line
  • Not within 200 ft of abutting residential lots
  • Farm animals: 5 acres, max five animals, enclosed 100 ft from property lines

  “farming (agriculture), provided the following criteria are met: 1. minimum lot area five (5) acres. 2. no farming activity may take place within one hundred (100) feet of any property line; no farming activity shall take place within two hundred (200) feet of any abutting lot zoned for or used for residential purposes.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside Bryn Athyn borough

  • Zoning permit only; building (UCC) permit process not verified
  • Percolation tests per Montgomery County health department if on-site sewage planned

  “no building shall be constructed or altered in the borough, or the use of any building changed, or vacant land occupied until a zoning permit is secured from the zoning officer.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Borough of Bryn Athyn or Montgomery County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Bryn Athyn borough
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Bryn Athyn borough
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Bryn Athyn borough
• Inspections — Building inspection inside Bryn Athyn borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Bryn Athyn borough

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.