Cumberland County Tax Bureau is Upper Allen Township’s income tax collector. You may call the Bureau at 717-590-7997 to request tax forms or you may download tax forms from the Bureau’s web site: www.cumberlandtax.org

A Zoning Permit is typically needed prior to establishing or expanding use, and before a building or structure is built or altered. A Zoning Permit is also required for construction of decks, fences, sheds, and driveways.

A plot plan is often required to verify compliance with Zoning Ordinance requirements (i.e. setbacks, impervious coverage). Help to determine if you need a permit and what type.

Any time you are constructing a new building, structure, or swimming pool, or taking on a remodeling project, you will need a Building Permit. It is best to assume that a permit is required, and contact the Township Staff to clarify permit requirements.

An application is necessary, and plan review is often required to determine compliance with Construction Code requirements. Help to determine if you need a permit, and what type.

Applications are available at the Township Municipal Office from our Community Development department.   You may also find the application online under the Documents heading and then Applications.

If you’re unsure of what type of permit is required, you can get help here to determine if you need a permit.

Burning of any type requires a permit issued by the Upper Allen Township code official. You may apply for a permit at the Township office and, if approved, are good for an entire week. All burning is subject to the regulations listed under Section 307 of the International Fire Code as adopted.

The burning of the following items is prohibited:

• Animal or human waste
• Wet garbage or food waste
• Roof shingles
• Tires or any rubber product
• Plastics
• Paints, varnishes or other petroleum-based products
• Painted or stained siding
• Hazardous chemicals or materials
• Other demolition waste
• Wet or dry leaves
• Cardboard, magazines, slick paper
• Or any other material that may be collected under the Townships waste recycling program or regular trash collection contract.

Report it to the Public Works Department by calling 717-697-8024 and we will make a determination. If it is your responsibility you may qualify for a small set reimbursement from the Township. If we have a lot of snow then it may be impossible to keep from piling the snow in front of mailboxes.

In this instance it is advisable to have a temporary mailbox or any type of container labeled for mail delivery, that can be placed at the edge of the pile of snow where the mailman can reach it. If your mailbox was damaged by a direct hit from the plow (this happens very seldom) then we will assume responsibility and either replace or repair it.

If it was damaged by snow off the blade, then often times it was not in very good shape, to begin with, and may have had a rusted or rotted post, a plastic post that gets brittle in the cold and shatters, or just a post that had poor or weak installation.

Yes, the Township does have a mandatory recycling program. Chapter 210 of the Township Code requires all persons and business and institutional establishments to recycle. This includes all township and municipal-owned buildings. Additional information about trash and recycling.

Street lights should all have a small silver placard located at eye level on the pole containing the street light owner and a number to call if there is an issue with the light.

For PPL Electric Utilities and street light outages, please call the PPL customer support center at 1-800-DIAL-PPL (1-800-342-5775).

Repairs are typically made within 7-10 business days.

Call the Township Office at 717-766-0756. Upper Allen Township owns and maintains all traffic signals within Upper Allen Township. If you see that a light is out in one of the signal heads, then please call the Township Office.

The best way to identify the light that is out is by the intersecting street names (i.e. Gettysburg Pike and South Market Street), as well as the direction of travel and the street name (i.e. southbound on South Market Street). We will contact our contractor to repair the signal light.

Information on the Township Curbside Leaf Pickup can be found on the Curbside Leaf Pickup page.

This could happen for a number of reasons. Some streets are not dedicated to the Township and either remain private or the responsibility of the contractor. Some streets belong to Penn DOT and are their responsibility.

Penn DOT does have a contract with the Township to provide winter maintenance (salting and plowing only) on some sections of the following State highways: 1. South York street (between Gettysburg Pike & W Winding Hill Rd) 2. East Winding Hill Rd (from Park & Ride to Arcona Rd) 3. West Winding Hill Rd (from South Market to Fisher Rd) 4. West Lisburn Rd (from Gettysburg Pike to S. Market St) 5. Grantham Rd (from Lisburn Rd to Cul-de-Sac)

There is very little space between the curb and the sidewalk. If there is a considerable amount of snow, then it will roll off the plow’s blade and onto the sidewalk. Snow in your driveway is inevitable. We can plow snow but cannot remove it! You can limit the snow that gets pushed into your sidewalk or driveway, by taking a look at the infographic on our Snow Removal page.

Drivers are assigned the same areas year after year. Designated routes allow us to get a particular area plowed in as little time and with as little maneuvering as possible. Depending on how we start plowing a street, there will always be more snow on one corner or the other. If we change our route, then it will take us longer to plow your area. More information about snow removal and your area.

All streets that the Township is responsible for are plowed. The Township will plow one lane in either direction. We run all plows on the road surface and most times they are scraped very clean. However, often times people shovel or snow blow the snow from their driveway into the street. It also causes a huge safety problem and makes it very difficult to plow the next time.

Aside from making it look like the street is not plowed, this is illegal! If the snow does not melt and remains rough and frozen to the pavement, it becomes a safety hazard that we cannot plow off.

Sometimes it creates more of a hazard to plow the street, in instances when freezing rain or sleet is in the forecast following a snowfall. Leaving the snow on the street gives vehicles traction that they wouldn’t have if they were just driving on ice. More information about snow removal and your area.

This service has been suspended indefinitely. Residents are advised to contact local auto supply stores, where used motor oil is frequently accepted.

All Townships residents must use Republic Services for their routine weekly trash collection. 

For waste disposal facilities in the region, as well as countywide trash and recycling information, please visit the Cumberland County website. Commercial businesses use private haulers of their choice for their weekly trash collection. Additional information about trash and recycling.

Contact Republic Services at 1-800-210-9675 to obtain a recycling bin.

Republic Services will accept the following recyclables, which should be co-mingled in one bin:

• Aluminum food and beverage containers
• Glass food and beverage containers – brown, clear, or green
• Bi-Metal, Steel and Aerosol cans
• PET plastic containers with the symbol #1 – *narrow neck containers only
• HDPE plastic containers with the symbol #2 – *narrow neck containers such as milk and water bottles, detergent, shampoo, bleach bottles, etc. without caps
• Plastics with symbols #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 – *narrow and screw top containers • Newsprint • Cardboard – flattened in 2’ x 2’ bundles (may be placed in recycling bin along with other recycling)
• Residential mixed paper (Junk Mail, magazines, glossies, telephone books)
• Cereal Boxes

Additional information about trash and recycling.

No. Residents should contact Cumberland County Solid Waste at 717-240-6489 for guidelines on disposal of these types of items.

If the paint is water-based (latex) paint, put cat litter or newspaper in the can to absorb the excess paint. You may then replace the lid and throw the cans in with your regular trash. If the paint is oil based, please call the Cumberland County Solid Waste Authority at 717-240-6489 for instructions.

You can reach the Joseph Simpson library, located at 16 North Walnut Street in Mechanicsburg, at 717-766-0171. They are part of the Cumberland County Library System. Please visit www.cumberlandcountylibraries.org for a list of public libraries.

As a revered symbol of the United States of America, our flag should be disposed of in a respectable manner. Retiring the American flag, with the respect and gravity that it is entitled, is a great way to show our appreciation of the “stars and stripes” and all it stands for, and is a time-honored tradition and one that carries a great significance.

The Township thanks Eagle Scout Gabriel Fatzinger, of Troop 190 of the Boy Scouts of America, for placement of a flag disposal box on Township property. The white metal box is located adjacent to the Township building at 100 Gettysburg Pike, and can be used by citizens for flag disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Visit www.votespa.com, or call 717-240-6385 for more information.

Visit www.votespa.com, or call 717-240-6385 for more information.

Managing Community Cats

Yes. Chapter 88 of the Township Code states it is unlawful to feed stray or feral cats, unless that person participates in a sponsored Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. Nobody’s Cats Foundation serves as a local TNR organization to help residents control stray and feral cat populations.

The Township has implemented a voucher program that will relieve some of the costs associated with participating in the TNR program. The vouchers are redeemable for the standard TNR services including spay or neuter surgery, ear tip, parasite treatment, antibiotics, rabies and distemper vaccinations. Vouchers are only for free-roaming cats that will be returned to the wild; pets and free-roaming cats that will eventually become indoor pets are not eligible for services. These vouchers must be presented at time of service after scheduling a veterinarian visit with The Nobody’s Cats Foundation. Residents are encouraged to stop by the Township building to pick up a voucher if participating in the program.  Further questions regarding the Township’s TNR Voucher program can be directed to the Community Development Department at communitydevelopment@uatwp.org or stop by the township office during regular business hours.

To learn more about becoming a caretaker in the TNR program, contact The Nobody’s Cats Foundation at nobodyscats.org or 1-855-867-4228.

Upper Allen Township has been recognized alongside a select group of high-performing municipalities as a certified township through the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification program.  Upper Allen Township is recognized at the Gold level of certification for meeting the program's rigorous performance criteria which tracks 131 policies and practices that define a sustainable community. 

The Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification, administered by the Pennsylvania Municipal League in partnership with Sustainable Pittsburgh, is designed for municipalities that are working to save money, conserve resources, and serve vibrant communities.  Originally deployed in Southwestern Pennsylvania by Sustainable Pittsburgh, the certification has gone state-wide recognizing small, medium, and large municipalities across the Commonwealth.  The Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh applaud municipalities for their demonstrated commitment and sustainability performance. 

In earning the Gold certification, Upper Allen Township is acknowledged for its progress in addressing such areas as community design and land use, energy efficiency, health and wellness, mitigating blight, intergovernmental cooperation, recycling and waste reduction, fiscal controls, and internal management and operations.   Details regarding how Upper Allen Township is addressing these areas can be found on the certification program’s website:  www.sustainablepacommunitycertification.org. 

Upper Allen Township is proud to be recognized as a Gold Certified Community by the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification program.  The Township has a long history of commitment to saving taxpayer dollars, using resources efficiently, and applying best practices in municipal government and community development.  We are pleased to be recognized and be part of the regional community of good government.

"We are delighted to see Upper Allen Township distinguished among local governments that are leading the way in applying sustainability to both their operations and management as well as within the community," said Gail Markovitz, Director of Training, Pennsylvania Municipal League. 

The Certified Community by the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification is intended to bring recognition to municipalities that are applying the policy and practice of sustainability as their way of operating in order to advance community prosperity.  It also serves as a mechanism for sharing best practices for creating a more sustainable Pennsylvania.  "Municipalities that earn the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification are standouts in demonstrating adherence to best practices that elevate them as communities of choice to live, work, and play.  Commitment to continuous improvement is at the heart of sustainability and the certification program is a means to accelerate municipal performance," said Court Gould, Executive Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh.

Yes!  The Township established an Agricultural Security Area (ASA) in 2002.  As of 2023, the Township has more than 950 acres in its ASA.

The Agricultural Security Area (ASA) program was established in 1981 as a tool for strengthening and protecting agriculture in Pennsylvania.  This program allows farm owners to help preserve the viability of PA farms by working together to establish such Areas.  There are benefits for establishing an ASA, including special consideration from local and state government agencies if a farm is proposed for condemnation, protection from certain "nuisance" challenges, and the ability to preserve the farmland through conservation easements.  

ASAs are created by local municipalities in cooperation with local landowners who agree to collectively place at least 250 acres in an ASA.  Participation in the ASA is voluntary.  After the initial seven year period, land owners can remove or amend their land from the ASA. 

The municipality may review the ASA every seven (7) years, or if there have been significant change of use to the properties located within the ASA.  If the municipality does not review the ASA at the seven year interval, the ASA will be automatically renewed for an additional seven years.

 Any landowner who meets the following conditions may apply to be in the ASA:

1. Has any number of noncontiguous tax parcels or accounts, provided that each tax parcel or account is at least ten (10) acres in size, or
2. Has an anticipated yearly gross income of at least $2,000 from the agricultural production of crops, livestock and livestock products on such tax parcel or account.

If any land owner is interested in adding their land to the ASA, you may start the process by filling out this ASA Application.  This proposal must be submitted to the Township's Community Development Department via certified mail with a return receipt requested.  The return receipt shall serve as notice of the official receipt of the proposal by the governing body and shall verify the official submission date.

Residents are encouraged to destroy a Spotted Lanternfly or its’ egg masses to help reduce populations on your property and in your community.

You can report sightings through the Penn State Extension hotline at 1-888-422-3359 (1-888-4BAD-FLY) or use their reporting tool at Have you seen a Spotted Lanternfly?

The following Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide provides information on the spotted lanternfly behavior, biology, plant damage, management, and ongoing research.  The guide is provided by Penn State Extension.

Additional information can be found on the Penn State Extension’s website at Penn State Extension-Spotted Lanternfly or the PA Department of Agriculture’s website at PA Dept. of Ag-Spotted Lanternfly. 

The best thing to do is to call the Township office at 717-766-0756. They can tell you if the swale is either a dedicated “Right of Way” or an “Easement” and advise you who is responsible.