Franklin Township, PA Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

The Board of Supervisors regulates home occupations under Zoning Code § 27-1709 to keep agricultural and residential zones free of excessive traffic while still allowing residents to run a business from their dwelling. Two tiers exist. A no-impact home-based business is exempt from § 27-1709 entirely if it draws no more than one client or customer to the dwelling each week, makes no retail sales on site, shows no exterior sign or advertising, and limits supply deliveries to once a week. Any home occupation that draws more traffic than that must obtain a use and occupancy permit and comply with the full standard: no more than 12 clients or customers may visit each day, and the owner must provide one off-street parking space beyond what the dwelling itself requires, reserved for those visitors, with adequate maneuvering space.

m. To apply, a resident files with the Zoning Officer under §§ 27-2306 and 27-2308, submits a floor plan showing the business area and customer parking, and pays the filing fee; the Township notifies owners within 500 feet and holds the application 30 days before the Zoning Officer rules within 35 days. An approved permit runs one year and must be renewed annually with a written request and fee before it lapses.