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

Borough of Hunker’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or development anywhere within Hunker borough

  • Permit issued by the building permit officer (Ch. 8 floodplain chapter)
  • No building permit required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures
  • Borough also requires zoning permits for new construction, additions, sheds, pools, fences, decks, etc.
  • Chapter 8 §8-103 is the floodplain management ordinance; UCC permitting not separately verified

  “it shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business, or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the borough of hunker unless a building permit has been obtained from the building permit officer.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures and land uses inside Hunker borough

  • Agricultural and forestry uses are excepted
  • Certificate of compliance before erecting or structurally altering; certificate of occupancy before occupancy or change of use
  • Issued by the zoning officer; fee set by borough council resolution

  “no use of land, other than agricultural and forestry use, shall be made and no structure shall be hereafter erected or structurally altered until a certificate of compliance shall issue, nor shall such structure be occupied and land used until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the zoning officer.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Hunker borough (Westmoreland County, PA)

  • Ordinance 37 of 7/6/1970, amended by Ord. 2014-01 (10/2/2014)
  • Administered by a zoning officer; zoning hearing board hears appeals

  “hunker borough does have zoning. permits are required.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Hunker borough

  • Districts: R-1 Residential #1, R-2 Residential #2, C Commercial, M General Industrial
  • Community park area is set apart from the zoned districts (§27-801)
  • Boundaries are on the zoning district map, available from the zoning officer or borough secretary

  “the borough of hunker is hereby divided into four classes of districts for the purpose of applying the provisions of this chapter.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential #1 district, Hunker borough

  • Accredited substandard lots may be built on as special exceptions with smaller side yards (15 percent of lot width each side)

  minimum area per dwelling: >= 7500 square feet (accredited substandard lots) · minimum lot width: >= 75 feet

  “there must be a minimum of 7,500 square feet per dwelling. (1) minimum width of lot must be 75 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 Residential #2 (multiple family) district, Hunker borough

    “in multiple dwelling units, an off-street parking space at side or rear of dwelling unit of at least 8 feet by 20 feet must be provided per unit and a minimum of 2,000 square feet of lot area per family unit.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Residential #1 district, Hunker borough

  • Rear yard minimum 15 feet (§27-403(c))
  • Sheds and garages/carports in side or rear yards may sit 2 feet from the property line (§27-906)
  • Accredited substandard lots: side yard 15 percent of lot width each side

  front yard depth: >= 20 feet (porches cannot extend into it) · side yard width (each side): >= 10 feet (corner lot: not less than front yard depth) · rear yard: >= 15 feet

  “front yard depth-minimum of 20 feet. (porches are part of the house and cannot extend into the minimum front yard area.) b. side yard width-minimum of 10 feet on each side; or if a corner lot, not less than the depth of front yard.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Residential #1 district, Hunker borough

  • 45 feet / 3 stories only for 'other main buildings' by special exception
  • Accessory structures: 15 feet, one story
  • R-2 district has the same height limits (§27-502)

  maximum height, one- and two-family dwellings (not exceeding 2.5 stories): <= 35 feet · maximum height, accessory structure: <= 15 feet

  “thirty-five feet for units not exceeding 2½ stories and for one- and twofamily dwellings only.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Trailers (vehicles used for living or sleeping on wheels or rigid supports) in Hunker borough; trailer courts only in R-2 district

  • Ordinance defines trailer as a vehicle used for living or sleeping purposes; no separate RV rule located
  • Trailer courts must also meet R-2 requirements and provide electricity, water and sanitary sewerage connections
  • Single-lot RV use outside trailer courts not addressed in text reviewed

  minimum area per trailer unit: 30 feet by 100 feet

  “trailer courts provided: (1) there is a minimum area of 30 feet by 100 feet for each trailer unit.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural and forestry land use inside Hunker borough

  • Exemption is only from the zoning certificate of compliance/occupancy requirement in §27-1202
  • No agricultural district exists in the four zoning districts

  “no use of land, other than agricultural and forestry use, shall be made and no structure shall be hereafter erected or structurally altered until a certificate of compliance shall issue,”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction and development inside Hunker borough, including identified floodplain areas

  • Chapter 8 floodplain ordinance (Ord. 41, 11/3/1988; added by Ord. 2011-1, 3/3/2011)
  • No building permit for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures
  • Technical standards, special permits and variances in Parts 4-7 not reviewed in detail

  “it shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business, or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the borough of hunker unless a building permit has been obtained from the building permit officer.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning occupancy and compliance permits in Hunker borough

  • Amount set by borough council resolution; the fee amount was not located in the pages reviewed

  “a fee in an amount as established, from time to time, by resolution of borough council, shall be charged for each occupancy permit and each compliance permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits in Hunker borough

  • Application forms furnished by the zoning officer; a zoning permit application PDF is posted on the borough site (not opened)
  • Contact the borough office (open Thursdays 9:15 am-3:15 pm)

  “all application forms for occupancy and compliance permits shall be made on a printed form to be furnished by the zoning officer”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Hunker borough
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Hunker borough
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Hunker borough
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Hunker borough
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Hunker 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.