Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Borough of Portland, Pennsylvania

Borough of Portland’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Portland borough (Northampton County, PA)

  • Administered by a zoning official (Keller Zoning & Inspection Services) per the borough code page

  “zoning official portland borough bettina "tina" serfass, keller zoning & inspection services nazareth, pa”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Portland borough

  • A 2015 zoning map is also linked on the borough ordinances page
  • Floodplain overlay district in addition

  “405.1 r-1 - low density residential district 405.2 r-2 - medium density residential district 405.3 b - business district 405.4 mc - mixed commercial district 405.5 ro - recreation, open space preservation district 405.6 rs - retail-service district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, Portland borough (all uses except cottage housing and multi-family)

  • Per dwelling unit; nonresidential uses see §502.1

  minimum lot area: >= 10000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 75 ft

  “minimum lot area 10,000 square feet per dwelling unit (see §502.1 for nonresidential uses) minimum lot width 75 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 Medium Density Residential District, Portland borough (all uses except cottage housing and multi-family)

    “minimum lot area 7,500 square feet per dwelling unit (see §502.1 for nonresidential uses) minimum lot width 65 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 and R-2 residential districts, Portland borough (identical in both); other districts differ

  • Nonconforming lots: 25% reduction for front and rear setbacks
  • Corner lots see §502.2

  front setback: >= 25 ft · side setback: >= 5 ft (15 ft combined) · rear setback: >= 30 ft

  “minimum setbacks - front setback (see §502.2 for corner lots) 25 feet measured from front line - side setbacks 5 feet 1 side, 15 feet combined, measured from each side line - rear setback 30 feet measured from rear line”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 and R-2 residential districts, Portland borough (identical in both)

  maximum building coverage: <= 35 % of lot · maximum total impervious coverage: <= 50 % of lot

  “maximum building coverage 35% of the lot area maximum total impervious coverage 50% of the lot area”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 and R-2 residential districts, Portland borough (identical in both)

  • See §501.4 for height exceptions

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft · maximum unattached accessory building height: <= 21 ft

  “maximum building height 35 feet maximum unattached accessory building height 21 feet”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes on individual lots outside mobile home parks, Portland borough

  • Must meet single-family lot area, setback and height requirements
  • Must sit on a permanent frost-free foundation meeting the PA Uniform Construction Code
  • Which districts allow them as a use was not confirmed

  “mobile homes not located in a mobile home park shall be placed upon and be permanently attached to a complete, permanent, frost-free foundation meeting the requirements of the pa uniform construction code.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and land development inside Portland borough

  • Separate Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance 2015-2 (SALDO) listed on borough ordinances page; not opened

  “any area divided into parcels or developed according to the definition of subdivision and land development in article iii shall also be subject to the borough subdivision and land development ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Portland borough
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Portland borough
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Portland borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Portland borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Portland 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.