Zoning Hearing Board
Overview
Seven Valleys has a 3-member Zoning Hearing Board appointed by Borough Council for 3 year staggered terms.
They meet as needed on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm at 11 Main Street.
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968 and subsequent amendments) requires that any community which administers and enforces a zoning ordinance have a Zoning Hearing Board in place.
The primary purpose of the Zoning Hearing Board is to help assure fair and equitable application and administration of the zoning ordinance by hearing appeals from the Zoning Officer’s interpretation of the ordinance and hearing requests from residents and property owners for variances and notable exceptions.
Where they feel justified, the Zoning Hearing Board may grant relief from the literal enforcement of the zoning ordinance where they think the applicant has met his burden of proof to show that the literal interpretation of the ordinance creates a genuine hardship on the property owner. The decision of the Zoning Hearing Board is binding on all parties involved and can only be appealed to Common Pleas Court.
Since the Zoning Hearing Board is a quasi-judicial body, all Zoning Hearing Board meetings are conducted professionally with a Solicitor present to advise the Board and a court reporter present to make a stenographic record of the proceedings.
Members
- Beth Kinard
- Beverly Kunkle
- Jolene L. McDonald
- Devon Myers, CGA, Solicitor
Ordinances & Documents
What's the Difference?
Zoning Codes vs. Building Codes
What is a Zoning Code?
What is a Zoning Code?
Municipalities use zoning codes to separate land under their jurisdictions into zones of allowable development. In some cases, a municipality will publish a zoning map.
Essentially, zoning laws determine which types of properties can coexist in different areas of the city.
What is a Building Code?
What is a Building Code?
Generally, the building code applies to dimensional standards and best practices for the construction phase of a project.
Refer to this body of information during the application process to become familiar with the criteria against which your plans will be evaluated.
Zoning codes are land use regulations that define what is allowed to be built and where it can be built.
Municipalities use zoning codes to separate land under their jurisdictions into zones of allowable development. In some cases, a municipality will publish a zoning map.
Essentially, zoning laws determine which types of properties can coexist in different areas of the city.
Unlike the Zoning Code, which applies different rules to different types of properties, the Building Code applies to all properties equally.
Generally, the building code applies to dimensional standards and best practices for the construction phase of a project.
Refer to this body of information during the application process to become familiar with the criteria against which your plans will be evaluated.