Cameron County
Jones Township administers the Uniform Construction Code for all seven municipalities within Cameron County. Including the Boroughs of Emporium and Driftwood, and the Townships of Shippen, Lumber, Grove, Portage, and Gibson.
The following Permit Applications are for use in all municipalities.
Residential Building Permit Application
Non-Residential Building Permit Application
Recreational Cabin Permit Application
Note: The Affidavit must be submitted along with the Cabin Permit Application.
Please CLICK HERE for permit requirements, information and instructions for the above forms.
All of the above forms and documentation must be submitted to:
Mr. Russ Braun, Building Code Official
JONES TOWNSHIP
P.O. BOX 25
WILCOX, PA 15870
Introduction
The
following guide is intended to assist in the proper flow of paperwork required
to construct, install, replace or relocate a new dwelling or other buildings
including camps cottages, industrial and commercial buildings in which a
Building Permit is required.
Before You Apply
We suggest that you sit down with your contractor or architect and
discuss just exactly what your building plans are.
You or your contractor or architect must prepare a set of plans or
drawings indicating exactly what you are planning to build.
It is very important that these plans contain all the required details
when submitting them to Jones Township for review.
Incomplete plans can add weeks or even months to getting your Permit
Application approved.
Each municipality in Cameron County requires a valid Sewage and a Pa. Uniform Construction
Code (UCC) Building Permit prior to the installation or construction of any
dwelling, including mobile homes, and other structures utilized as a recreational
cabins. In addition, Cameron County also requires an approved Zoning Permit prior to any work being
done.
In most all circumstances, three separate types of permits are required
for new construction. These permits
are sewage, zoning, and building and must be obtained in this order.
In other words, a sewage, or sewer, permit is required prior to receiving
zoning approval, and zoning approval is required before a UCC building permit is
issued. In some instances, a State
Highway Occupancy Permit must also be obtained from PennDOT prior to constructing a
new driveway entrance to a state maintained road.
In areas not served by a municipal public sewer, you should contact the municipal office or Secretary your project is located and obtain an Application for an On-lot Sewage Disposal System. Contact information is located at the bottom of this page.
Once an
Application is obtained, contact the Sewage Enforcement Officer, Mr. Russ Braun
at (814) 781-3663 or 929-5138 to schedule any necessary soils testing or inspections.
To obtain a permit
for an on-lot sewage system the following steps must be followed:
If the lot is in a subdivision, the lot owner should first ensure that
all other state, county and local planning, zoning and land use requirements
have been met by checking with municipal officials. If the lot is proposed to be
subdivided from a larger tract of land, both local and state subdivision
approval is
required prior to the issuance of any permits.
The SEO will conduct a site investigation and will determine lot slope
and conduct soil profile examinations and percolation tests to determine if the
site is suitable for an on-lot system. If suitable, the SEO determines which
type of on-lot system will work best. If
the slope of the site is too steep (greater than 12% - 25%) or if unsuitable soils are found an on-lot
systems cannot be used. The on-lot system also must be isolated away from
certain natural and man-made features.
If the site is suitable, the SEO informs the lot owner or agent to
proceed with the system design. The system must be designed with certain factors
in mind, including site conditions, isolation distances, percolation test
results and the number of bedrooms in the home.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Building sites for new or replacement dwellings to be served by an existing individual onlot sewage disposal (septic) systems, including privies and holding tanks, must be tested, field verified and approved by the municipal Sewage Enforcement Officer PRIOR to making an application for a Zoning or Building Permit. Please click here for additional information.
·
In areas served by public sewers, the Mid Cameron Municipal Sewer
Authority must be contacted by calling (814) 486-0481.
Any tap and connection fees must be paid prior to approval to utilize the
public sewer system.
2.
ZONING APPROVAL
·
Once a
valid sewage or sewer permit is obtained, you may apply to the Cameron County
Zoning Officer, Mr. Richard Bauer, for zoning and floodplain approval.
Mr. Bauer may be contacted at the Cameron County Courthouse at (814)
486-0723, ext 6.
·
Projects
located in the Borough of Emporium must obtain zoning approval from the Borough,
not the County. Please contact the
Borough Office at 814-486-3617
3.
UCC BUILDING PERMITS
· Once both sewage and zoning approvals have been secured, you may then submit an application for a Building Permit or apply for a “recreational cabin” exclusion under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Pa. UCC) through Jones Township. The Building Official, Mr. Russ Braun can be contacted by calling (814) 781-3663 or (814) 929 5138.
Municipal Contact Information:
Sewage Enforcement Officer: Mr. Russ Braun, Phone: 814-781-3663
Mailing Address: 426 W. Theresia Road
St. Marys, PA 15857
Cameron County Zoning Officer: Mr. Rick Bauer Phone: 814-486-9366
Fax: 814-486-9399
Emporium Borough Manager and Zoning Officer:
Donald G. Reed (Stretch)- Interim Borough Manager
Phone: 814-486-0768 Ext # 22
Driftwood Borough Secretary: 814- 546-9198
Shippen Township Secretary:
Marsha Patros: Phone: 814-486-0727
Lumber Township Secretary:
Sandy Hauss, Phone: 814-486-1788
Gibson Township Secretary:
Roger Knisley, Phone: 814-546-2842
Portage Township Secretary:
Wanda Jordan, Phone 814-486-0481
Grove Township Secretary:
Mary Hardinger, Phone: 814-546-2408
Click here to visit the Cameron County Official Website
All codes, permit applications, and guidelines are subject to change. Please contact the Jones Township Office for information on your specific project at: 814-929-5138.