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

Colley Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Uniform Construction Code enforcement for construction inside Colley Township, Sullivan County.

  • The Commonwealth list identifies Colley Township as an UCC opt-in municipality and shows no pre-July 1, 1999 amendments.
  • The listed effective date is April 9, 2004.

  “SULLIVAN | COLLEY | TOWNSHIP | OPT-IN | 4/9/2004 | NO AMENDMENTS”

• InspectionsRequired

  Projects issued a construction permit through Colley Township's listed UCC building-code official.

  • The construction-permit material states inspections must be completed for the applicable phase of the building project.
  • The Township's UCC listing identifies Frank Tourscher at (570) 928-9208 as building code official.

  “These inspections must be completed in conjunction with that particular phase of your building project.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  New construction submitted on Colley Township's Land Use Permit form.

  • The form also requires a rough draft showing property lines and estimated measurements from property lines to new construction.
  • The form contains no district designation or stated exception.

  minimum property-line setback: 15 ft

  “15 ft minimum property line set back requirements”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Colley Township Land Use Permit applications.

  • The stated payment is payable to Colley Township.
  • The form does not state whether other permits or inspections have additional fees.

  land use permit payment: 25 USD

  “$25.00 check made payable to Colley Township”

• Permit processPartial

  Colley Township Land Use Permit applications for new construction.

  • The form requests owner, parcel, property location, structure use, dimensions, square footage, contractor, and start/end dates.
  • It requires information on UCC construction, setback compliance, sewage requirements, driveway type, a rough draft, and Township approval.

  “rough draft of new construction showing property lines”

Rules another office applies inside Colley Township

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

• Septic permitRequired

  Individual or community onlot sewage systems and buildings served by those systems inside Colley Township.

  • Exceptions are those in 25 Pa. Code § 72.22(c)-(e).
  • A permit is not required for an unaltered existing onlot system when installing a recycling, incinerating, composting, or other water-conservation toilet.
  • The 10-acre owner/family exemption applies only when the owner was owner of record on January 10, 1987, unless a local agency or municipality requires a permit by ordinance.
  • Replacement-dwelling exemption and siting/notice conditions are stated in § 72.22(f)-(i).

  “obtaining a permit from the local agency”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Individual or community onlot sewage systems installed inside Colley Township.

  • No part of the system may be covered until final inspection and final written approval by the local agency.
  • The system must be inspected, approved, and covered before the structure is occupied.
  • The applicant must notify the local agency when installation is complete and ready for inspection.

  “No part of an individual or community onlot sewage system may be covered until a final inspection is conducted and final written approval is given by the local agency.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Onlot sanitation systems and certain water-conservation toilets inside Colley Township.

  • A permit is not required for a recycling, incinerating, composting, or other water-conservation toilet only where the existing onlot system will not be altered.
  • Other onlot systems require a permit unless an enumerated exception applies.

  “A permit is not required for the installation of a recycling toilet, incinerating toilet, composting toilet or other type of water conservation device where the existing onlot system will not be altered.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential building work inside Colley Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Colley Township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Colley Township, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Colley Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Colley 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.