New Berlin Zoning Permits
New Berlin Zoning is regulated through two components – an ordinance of the regulations and an associated zoning map of the district boundaries. Both documents can be accessed electronically on this page or in hard copy format upon request. Hard copies are available for a nominal fee as established by Borough Council as part of the Right-to-Know Request Fee Schedule.
Zoning Permits are not currently available in electronic format as they are a carbon copy form. Please contact the Borough Office at 570-966-4705 or email [email protected] to get in contact with the New Berlin Zoning Officer to obtain a permit or for inquiries about regulations.
Please click here for New Berlin’s V-1 and V-2 regulations as mapped above
Please click here for New Berlin’s complete Zoning Ordinance
Variances and Special Exceptions
Occasionally, the Zoning Officer will determine that your request is not within the permitted use or other perimeters set forth within the Zoning Ordinance. Those requests may then go to the New Berlin Zoning Hearing Board for consideration. The Zoning Hearing Board has several functions One of the more frequent functions is to act on applications for variances and special exceptions. If you choose to take a hearing asking for a variance or special exception, the Zoning Hearing Board will review your case and decide if your request should be granted.
Variances
A variance grants the property owner or applicant a means of adjusting the literal terms of the Zoning Ordinance to fit the land which it regulates. It enables a property owner to use his land which, due to specific location or size, would otherwise not be suitable for development under the interpretation of New Berlin’s Zoning Ordinance.
Special Exceptions
A special exception is permission or approval granted to an applicant to use their land for a purpose other than what is generally permitted within New Berlin’s V-1 or V-2 District. A special exception is one that is permitted by the ordinance if certain standards and conditions are met. The function of the Zoning Hearing Board is to determine whether the application is consistent with the public interest as defined by the specific standards in the ordinance.
All special exceptions for each Zoning District are specifically listed under the provisions for each V-1 or V-2 District.
Limitations
Since the board has no legislative power, it can neither make nor modify the Zoning Ordinance. Those powers are reserved to the governing body, Borough Council. The Zoning Hearing Board does not have enforcement powers. The Zoning Hearing Board schedules hearings on applications and appeals that come before it on an as-needed basis.
New Berlin Building Permits
New Berlin Building Permits are administered by Central Keystone Council of Governments located in Lewisburg, PA
Information from the Central Keystone Council of Government’s website regarding Building Permits can be found here