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

Borough of Waymart’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, adding to or altering buildings inside Waymart borough (zoning permit)

  • Includes accessory buildings of 100 sq ft or more
  • No zoning or building permit for normal maintenance (painting, siding, new roofing) or minor repairs that do not structurally change the building or its use
  • No permit for removal of part of a structure rebuilt on the same foundation with same dimensions and height, completed within two years
  • Portable accessory uses under 100 sq ft are exempt; fences and permanently affixed accessory structures need permits
  • Quote establishes the zoning permit; the UCC building permit itself was not separately quoted

  accessory building threshold: >= 100 square feet (portable accessory uses exempt)

  “a zoning permit shall be required prior to the erec on, addi on or altera on of any building or por on thereof (including accessory buildings of 100 square feet or more in size)”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Waymart borough

  • Borough elects to administer and enforce the PA Construction Code Act
  • Administration may be by employee, third-party agency, intermunicipal agreement, or contract, as set by council resolution
  • Ordinance no. 3-2004, adopted June 1, 2004

  “the uniform construc on code, contained in 34 pa. code, chapters 401 - 405, as amended from me to me, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of waymart borough.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Waymart borough, Wayne County, PA

  • Chapter 125 adopted August 8, 1988, as amended through July 9, 2013 and recodified; text is hosted by the borough's code publisher, not a borough domain

  “§ 125-11. use regula ons. a. use regula ons and statements of intent for each district are provided in the schedule of district regula ons, § 125-13.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Waymart borough

  • Seven districts: R-R rural residential, R-1 low density residential, R-2 high density residential, C-G commercial-general, C-N commercial-neighborhood, C-R commercial-recreational, I industrial
  • Plus a floodplain overlay classification
  • Intent and regulations per district are in the § 125-13 schedule

  “a. waymart borough shall consist of seven zoning districts as follows: r-r r-1 r-2 c-g c-n c-r i”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Individual mobile homes placed outside a licensed mobile home park inside Waymart borough

  • Must have an adequate supply of pure water and a sewage disposal system meeting borough ordinances
  • Skirting of durable material required around the perimeter
  • District-by-district permission is in the § 125-13 schedule, not extractable

  max occupied mobile homes per parcel outside a park: <= 2 homes

  “b. not more than two (2) occupied mobile homes shall be placed or parked on any parcel of land which is located outside a licensed mobile home park.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  New improved property or development inside Waymart borough proposing an on-lot sewage system

  • Must first contact the authority about feasibility of connecting to municipal sewer
  • Must provide an economic and environmental analysis showing the on-lot system is preferable

  “any future improved property and/or development within the borough that may consider on-lot sewage system(s) must rst contact the authority as to the feasibility of connec ng sewage into the municipal sewage system and must provide an economic and environmental analysis showing that the proposed on-lot system is preferable to connec ng to the municipal sewer system.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Improved property inside Waymart borough served by the Waymart Area Authority sewer system

  • Connection within 45 days after notice from the authority
  • Subject to limitations and restrictions set by the authority
  • Septic tanks and cesspools on a connected property must be abandoned
  • Owner bears all costs; tapping fee may apply

  connection deadline after notice: <= 45 days

  “the owner of any improved property bene ed, improved or accommodated by a sewer shall connect such improved property with such sewer in such manner as the authority may require, within 45 days a er no ce to such owner from the authority to make such connec on”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings and UCC permit requirements inside Waymart borough

  • Council may grant exemptions only for good cause
  • Applicant must affirmatively demonstrate entitlement by evidence of income, receipts or advertising, or an affidavit under penalty of perjury

  “the governing body may also, for good cause, grant exemp ons from fees and such permit requirements as provided for under the uniform construc on code, provided that the applicant, in the case of agricultural buildings, shall a rma vely demonstrate through evidence of income, receipts or adver sing, etc. or an a davit under penalty of perjury that it is en tled to such exemp on.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land development inside Waymart borough

  • Borough has a separate Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 100)
  • Mobile home parks, RV parks and campgrounds must comply before building or zoning permits issue
  • Chapter 100 itself was not opened

  “b. recrea onal vehicle parks and campgrounds shall be considered recrea onal land developments and shall comply fully with the applicable requirements of the waymart borough subdivision and land development ordinance (§ 100) prior to issuance of any building or zoning permits rela ng to the same.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Special flood hazard areas (Zone A) inside Waymart borough

  • Overlay district; underlying district rules still apply
  • Development must comply with the borough floodplain ordinance (Chapter 20)

  “the district shall be an overlay zone in which the normal provisions of the district indicated on the o cial zoning map shall apply except that no development shall be permi ed which is not completely in accord with the provisions of the waymart borough floodplain ordinance (§ 20).”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building and UCC permit fees inside Waymart borough

  • Fees set by council resolution; no schedule found in the code

  “fees assessable by waymart borough for the administra on and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this chapter and the code shall be established by the governing body by resolu on from me to me.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits inside Waymart borough

  • Conditional-use permits issue only on written order of the planning agency and council
  • Variance permits issue only on written order of the zoning hearing board
  • Principal permitted and accessory uses issue as a matter of right if standards are met (§ 125-11)

  “permits for construc on and uses which are condi onal uses shall be issued only upon wri en order of the planning agency and the borough council. permits for construc on and uses which are variances to requirements of this chapter shall be issued only upon wri en order of the zoning hearing board.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Waymart borough
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Waymart borough
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy/use inside Waymart borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in R-R and R-1 districts, Waymart borough
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in R-1 and R-R districts, Waymart 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.