Venango Borough Planning Commission
Zoning & Permits
The Venango Borough Planning Commission was formed in 2023 as an advisory board appointed by the Venango Borough Council that is responsible for helping direct the growth and development of the community by providing research and recommendations for the borough’s maintenance, service, and zoning policies.
More information coming soon; new zoning ordinance coming in September 2026.
Members: Marcus Masternak, Robert Thayer, Jeremy Chaffee, Dean Zimmerman, Michael Confer
Building Our Future Together
Venango Borough is preparing to adopt an updated Zoning Ordinance. The previous ordinance was written in 1974 and amended briefly in 1975, 1997, and 2011.
The Borough Planning Commission worked with Zoning Officer Gary Johnson to update this 52-year-old document to align with modern considerations.
The Planning Commission offers this most recent draft for public review and invites the public to comment at the Commission's next meeting on October 13, 2026, at 6:30 pm at the Borough Building, 21622 Erie Street, Venango, PA.
A hard copy is available for review at the Borough Office Mondays and Wednesdays 9 am to 11 am or by appointment by calling 814-807-5821 or by emailing venangoborough@hotmail.com.
Following this session, the zoning ordinance will be reviewed by the Council, our attorney, and the county. There will be another opportunity for the public to engage at a later date.
This is a robust document, and the planning commission engaged in months of discussion to arrive at a solution that seemed to best balance the interests of our residents.
Highlights of the updates include the following:
An extensive section now exists to address the parameters that must be met for a solar farm to be built in the borough.
Updates to signing requirements, particularly with limits on blocking lines of sight in intersections and various methods of illumination.
Specific requirements for parking and access accommodations to a variety of types of structures.
Side and rear fence limits increased from 6 feet to 8 feet.
The flood zone map is removed as FEMA now covers this function.
The planning commission looks forward to the opportunity for public comment on October 13.