Lower Paxton, PA Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)

Section 203-314(C)(2) of the Lower Paxton Township zoning chapter states that no part of an accessory garage shall be occupied as a residential living area. That sentence is the rule a garage conversion runs into, and it sits in the specific standards for accessory uses and structures in every district except TND and NDD.

The rest of the garage subsection shapes what a detached garage can be. All detached private garages must sit a minimum of five feet from any property line, and Table 13 sets structure height at 15 feet on lots of one acre or less, and 20 feet on lots over one acre up to two acres and on lots over two acres. A private garage can include storage of one private vehicle not registered to family or individuals living within the permitted principal use.

Attached garages follow a different path. Section 203-313(B) says an accessory structure or building attached to the principal structure is considered part of the principal structure and is subject to all requirements relating to the principal structure. The prohibition in § 203-314(C)(2) is written for an accessory garage, and the Zoning Officer decides how it applies to a particular attached garage.

Permits: § 203-1202(A) requires a zoning permit before a change in use of a structure or the erection, construction, improvement, or alteration of any structure. The Zoning Officer must grant or refuse the application within 60 days, and the permit expires one year after issuance. A conversion that creates a separate unit goes through the accessory dwelling unit process in § 203-314(A): a building permit application, a certificate of use and occupancy application, and the inspections the Codes Department requires.

The same living-area ban applies to sheds under § 203-314(H)(1) and accessory storage buildings under § 203-314(J)(2), so converting any detached outbuilding to living space meets the same wall.