Pennsylvania Association of Zoning Officials (PAAZO) Zoning Pro Tips

As the 2025 Pennsylvania Association of Zoning Officials (PAAZO) sponsor, Strategic Solutions contributes monthly pro tips to The Zoning Official, the PAAZO monthly newsletter. Here's a rundown:

march 2025 ZONING pro tip

Zoning ordinances and subdivision and land development ordinances (SALDOs) are not the same thing. Zoning ordinances regulate the use of land of buildings; SALDOs regulate the subdivision of land or its development. There are important differences between these two types of ordinances. One key difference is how an applicant applies for relief from the ordinance requirements. For relief from a zoning ordinance requirement, the applicant will need a variance approved by the zoning hearing board. For relief from a SALDO requirement, the applicant will need a modification or waiver approved by the township’s board of supervisors.

Municipalities Planning Code Section 512.1 states that a request for a modification from a SALDO requirement must be in writing and must accompany an application for land development; it cannot be submitted as a stand-alone request.

April 2025 ZONING pro tip

Official Map vs. Official Zoning Map
Your Township’s “Official Zoning Map” is not the same as an “Official Map”. The Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) allows for creation of an official map. This document identifies properties that may be acquired for public use – roads, parks, etc. It gives a Township an opportunity to purchase property for public infrastructure before it is acquired or developed privately. This is not a zoning map. Unfortunately, many zoning ordinances use the term “official zoning map” and that term is not found in the MPC. The similar terms cause confusion because the two things aren’t related. The zoning map identifies the location of zoning districts and the official map identifies the location of possible future public infrastructure. Keep them separate.

Don’t refer to your Township’s zoning map as the Official Zoning Map. It’s the Township Zoning Map.

may 2025 ZONING pro tip

What hat are you wearing?

Zoning Officers often wear many “hats”. Are you also the code enforcement officer or parking enforcement officer? Maybe you also serve as the sewage enforcement officer? Well, hats off to you for tackling so many roles for your community! But please remember to keep the activities required for each of these important positions separate from each other. When you are enforcing the Township’s zoning ordinance, you are the Zoning Officer and that’s it. All zoning-related correspondence or notices of zoning violation that you issue must be signed by you as the Zoning Officer, not by you in any other capacity or with any other position title you may hold. Per the Municipalities Planning Code, only the appointed zoning officer can enforce the zoning ordinance. Using any other title can lead to confusion and even worse, successful challenges to your zoning enforcement actions. So if you want your enforcement of the zoning ordinance to stand, make sure it is clear that you’re only wearing your Zoning Officer hat when you issue it.

june 2025 ZONING pro tip

The shoehorn should not be a tool in the zoning officer’s toolbox. The definitions in your zoning ordinance are important, particularly from an enforcement standpoint. At the most basic level, zoning ordinances tell the world what uses can go where in your community. Sometimes this primary purpose of zoning gets lost in the shuffle of land use hot topics, model ordinances, and big development proposals. If the zoning officer cannot easily determine how a proposed use is defined according to the zoning ordinance, then how can they tell folks where in the community that use is allowed? Be sure that your zoning ordinance includes many and clear definitions, particularly for each and every land use permitted by the ordinance. That way, the zoning officer doesn’t have to reach for the shoehorn to force a proposed use into a definition or term in the zoning ordinance where it really doesn’t fit.

july 2025 ZONING pro tip

Sweat the small stuff. The PA Municipalities Planning Code is very specific about notice and advertising requirements for things like conditional use applications, rezonings and zoning amendments. So are the city, borough, and township codes. And if your community is home rule, that adds another wrinkle. All of these may have different and sometimes overlapping requirements for property posting, newspaper advertisements, letter mailing or other notice requirements. While the substance of the issue requiring the notice may be simple or complicated, following the notice requirements should be routine. Track all requirements for each application, every time. Miss one hearing ad and you may wish you’d sweated the small advertising requirement instead of sweating out the legal challenge or potential for deemed approval.

August 2025 ZONING pro tip

New land use coming your Township’s way? Worried your Township isn’t ready for data centers, warehouses, solar farms or any other “hot” development type? Don’t panic. Remember that Pennsylvania Townships have the authority to regulate land use and a long history of doing so.

Managing these “new” uses is no different than the others. To do so successfully, ask and answer three important questions: What is it? Where does it go? How is it regulated? In other words: What is the use and how does our zoning ordinance define it? What zoning districts allow the use? Is the use permitted as a use by right, conditional use, or special exception and what requirements apply? If you can’t clearly answer these questions, your zoning ordinance needs an update. If you can, you’re ready for whatever comes your way!