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Some Pennsylvania towns have no zoning rules

2/21/2014 | Real Estate Blog

Many people throughout the state of Pennsylvania are well aware of the fact that municipalities on the Marcellus Shale would have to rely on zoning laws to limit natural gas development on their home turf. While this is possible in some areas of the state, some in the northern tier don’t care to take advantage of this power.

Generally speaking, industrial activities throughout the state are controlled by local governments. Using zoning laws, they are able to tell businesses what they can and cannot do in terms of the amount of noise they make, how close they can build in proximity to residential areas and much more. In the northeast corridor of the state, though, these types of laws do not necessarily exist.

In Susquehanna County, for example, zoning has come up in the past but those in the area have never been too excited about it. The county’s planning director said, “People are not rich in Susquehanna County, but what they do own is their land and they’re very proud of that.”

As the natural gas industry has grown in the area, the county did pass an ordinance to address loud compressor stations. Besides this, many residents in the county simply deal with the changes to the life they have always lived.

While some areas have zoning laws to protect residents, others do not. In the areas where these are not in place, many residents don’t care for a change.

In the event of a zoning dispute, a real estate attorney can be consulted with to determine which steps to take.

Source: StateImpact Pennsylvania, “Pa. towns with no zoning rules unlikely to limit gas drilling” Katie Colaneri, Feb. 11, 2014