Community Development
The Community Development Department's primary responsibility is the enforcement and administration of land use regulations such as subdivision and land development, zoning, and building codes. The department also enforces other Township regulatory ordinances relating to inoperable vehicles, property maintenance, sidewalk snow removal, parking tax, and outdoor burning.
The department consists of a Director (Edward Small), an Assistant Director (Charles Emerick), two Code Enforcement Officers (Scott Ream and Don Fure), and two Secretaries (Marisa Weldon and Jenelle Stumpf).
The department also provides assistance to and acts as the Township liason for the Uniform Construction Code Appeals Board; the Design Review Board; the Zoning Hearing Board; and the Planning Commission. These boards are made up of Township residents or business owners appointed by the Board of Supervisors.
Adopted Codes
- 2009 International Building Code
- 2009 International Plumbing Code
- 2009 International Mechanical Code
- 2009 International Fuel Gas Code
- 2009 International Fire Code
- 2009 International Energy Conservation Code
- 2009 International Existing Structure Code
- 2003 Property Maintenance Code
- 2003 Accessibility Code, ANSI A117.1
- 2009 International Residential Code (for a list of some of the significant changes to the IRC, click here)
- 2009 National Electrical Code
- 2009 National Fire Code (NFPA)
Building/Demolition/Sign Permit Information
Click here for the Building/Demolition/Sign Permit Application
(If you have an active building permit and propose changes to the existing drawings, click here for the Building Permit Amendment application)
Click here for the Residential Building Permit Checklist
Click here for the Commercial Building Permit Checklist
Click here for the Building/Demolition Permit Fee Schedule
Click here for the Workers Compensation Exemption Form
Click here for sign permit information (including documents required to be submitted and a fee schedule)
Open Burning Permits
These permits are free of charge and are issued to regulate outdoor open burning. Click here to view Chapter 78 (Burning, Outdoor) of the Derry Township Code of Ordinances
Click here for the open burning permit application.
NOTE: When completing the application, be specific about the description of materials to be burned and include TWO dates for burning - a main date and a backup date in case of inclement weather. Open burning is not permitted on Sundays, Mondays, or holidays (see Chapter 78 for details).
Property Maintenance Laws
The Derry Township housing codes and zoning laws were adopted to benefit everyone in the community. In particular, the Township adopted the International Property Maintenance Code of 2003 (IPMC). According to IPMC Section 101.3, the IPMC's purpose is "to ensure public health, safety and welfare insofar as they are affected by the continued occupancy and maintenance of structures and premises."
Proper home maintenance preserves the value of the home in question and all the homes in the area. A basic public policy principle, the "broken windows theory" holds that ignoring the little problems -- graffiti, litter, shattered glass -- creates a snowball effect of continuing decline and neighborhood decay.
Thus, it is important to fix problems when they are small. Repair the broken windows within a short time, say, a day or a week, and the tendency is that vandals are much less likely to break more windows or do further damage. Clean up the sidewalk every day, and the tendency is for litter not to accumulate (or for the rate of littering to be much less). Problems do not escalate.
Identifying Property Maintenance Issues
Like most other local governments, Derry Township realizes it would not be cost-effective to pay a staff person to drive around town looking for problems. Thus, we rely on residents to contact the Township when they first notice problems. We understand that you may want your report to be anonymous, however; if we have a problem locating the situation that you reported, we will be unable to contact you for more information or to keep you informed of what progress has been made.
If you are a member of a Home Owners' Association (HOA) and notice a property maintenance issue in your neighborhood, you should also contact your HOA as some HOAs are responsible for property maintenance.
Enforcement of Property Maintenance Laws
Once the Township has received a report, a code enforcement officer will inspect the situation within three business days.
If the officer determines there is a potential violation of the IPMC, the staff will attempt to contact the property owner and obtain their agreement to remedy the situation. This effort may take several days.
If the staff is unable to resolve the problem via the telephone within 10 business days, the staff will send a certified letter to the property owner with specific details as to what actions are required. The letter notes that if the issues are not resolved within the specified time limit (usually 30 calendar days), the Township may file a complaint with the District Justice. The outcome of the complaint may be fines levied against the responsible party until the problems are corrected. Furthermore, in certain circumstances, the Township can put a lien on the property if the property owner does not pay the fines. In extreme cases (e.g., situations involving health and safety), the Township may make the repairs and bill the property owner. Again, if the property owner does not pay for the repairs, the Township puts a lien on the property.
Additional resources available for viewing and/or purchasing at the Community Development office
Zoning Map- Illustrates the various zoning districts in Derry Township - $4.00 + tax. Click here to view a PDF image of the Zoning Map.
Dauphin County Tax Maps - Maps representing land parcels and providing property lines and lot dimensions - $2.00 + tax.
Topographic Maps - Visual representation of physical features of locations within the Township - $10.00 + tax each page.
Comprehensive Plan - $40.00 + tax.
Comprehensive Plan Appendix - $24.00 + tax
Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance - $10.65 + tax (or click here to view online). NOTE: The subdivision/land development plan filing fee schedules [Derry Township and Dauphin County] are not included in the ordinance. Click here to view a PDF image of the fee schedules.
Zoning Ordinance - $15.00 + tax (or click here to view online).
PA elibrary Planning Department provides Comprehensive Plans, Zoning Ordinances, and Subdivision and Land Development Plans for municipalities in Pennsylvania. Click here and click on the county and the + by the name of the municipality.
Click here for free download of Acrobat Viewer.
Township of Derry Municipal Complex
Community Development
600 Clearwater Road
Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033
Phone: (717) 533-2057, option 2 FAX: (717) 838-7148
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
