Erie, PA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

48 governs urban gardens and market gardens, the only zoning use category in Erie's code that specifically addresses rain barrels. Urban gardens are a permitted use by right on vacant lots in the R-2, R-3 and RLB Districts, while market gardens on the same lot types require a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board. Subsection (b), covering accessory structures for these uses, lists rain barrels among the features a garden operator may install alongside a single accessory structure. That accessory structure is capped at 100 square feet for an urban garden; a market garden may add 100 square feet per acre (or part of an acre), subject to the underlying district's maximum accessory structure size, and structures on lots under one acre stay capped at 100 square feet.

Any accessory structure, including one housing rainwater collection equipment, must sit in the rear corners of the lot, three feet from the side and rear property lines, and cannot exceed 15 feet in height. 10, and both fences and any crops must preserve the clear sight triangle at intersections. 48(b)(6) requires the accessory structure, and by extension any attached rain barrel setup, to be removed, though the rule exempts the nongrowing months so a seasonal garden is not penalized for winter dormancy.