Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Jacksons' Gap, Alabama

Town of Jacksons' Gap’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, renovation (beyond exempt repairs), reconstruction or development inside Jacksons' Gap town governed by the zoning ordinance; this is a zoning permit, and the separate building permit requirement was not verified

  • Exempt: repairs that do not change the structure's character, do not exceed $1,000.00 in cost or value, and painting or wallpapering.
  • No building materials or temporary construction structures may be placed on a lot before the zoning permit is issued.

  exempt repair cost ceiling: <= 1000 USD (repairs that do not change the character of the structure)

  “no construction, renovation (except repairs, not changing the character of the structure and not exceeding $1,000.00 in cost or value, or painting and wallpapering), reconstruction, or development activity governed by this ordinance shall be conducted prior to the issuance of a zoning permit by the enforcement officer.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Final inspection of a completed development site in Jacksons' Gap town, performed by the enforcement officer on notice of readiness for occupancy

  • Inspection is tied to the certificate of occupancy; a denial must be stated in writing with the reason.
  • Whether a separate building-code inspection schedule exists was not verified.

  “it shall be the duty of the enforcing officer to make final inspection of the development site, and to issue a certificate of occupancy if the building or premises or part thereof is found to conform with the provisions of this ordinance and other town codes.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings or premises in Jacksons' Gap town that are ready for occupancy or use under the zoning ordinance

  • Issued only if the structure conforms to the zoning ordinance and other town codes.
  • Enforcement officer must give written reasons if a certificate is denied.

  “it shall be the duty of the enforcing officer to make final inspection of the development site, and to issue a certificate of occupancy if the building or premises or part thereof is found to conform with the provisions of this ordinance and other town codes.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Jacksons' Gap town limits (Town of Jackson's Gap Zoning Ordinance, January 2012 text)

  • The document is dated January 2012; its adoption date and any later amendments were not verified.
  • Current code hosting (Municode or similar) was not located; the official town site jgap-al.com lists no ordinance index.

  “no construction, renovation (except repairs, not changing the character of the structure and not exceeding $1,000.00 in cost or value, or painting and wallpapering), reconstruction, or development activity governed by this ordinance shall be conducted prior to the issuance of a zoning permit by the enforcement officer.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Jacksons' Gap town per the 2012 ordinance table of contents (AG agricultural, R-1 single family, R-2 duplex, R-3 multi-family, MHP manufactured home park, VC, HC, M-1, M-2, FHA flood hazard zone)

  • The table of contents lists the districts; only the R-1 district intent was opened verbatim in this pass.
  • Currency of the 2012 district map is not verified.

  “this zoning district is intended to promote low density suburban tract residential development for single-family uses in areas that have limited access to municipal infrastructure or are located in close proximity to sensitive natural resources.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the AG agricultural zoning district inside Jacksons' Gap town (district identified from table-of-contents order)

  • Minimum required roof pitch is 3:12 (same block).

  minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “a. minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: one thousand (1,000) square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings in the R-1 single family residential district inside Jacksons' Gap town

    “a. minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: one thousand, three hundred (1,300) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  AG agricultural zoning district inside Jacksons' Gap town (district identified from table-of-contents order; heading not re-read)

  • Lots not served by municipal sewer must contain at least the required minimum plus any additional area the Tallapoosa County Health Department deems necessary.
  • Lot width minimum is 100 feet per the same district block.

  minimum lot size: >= 20000 square feet (all lots; unsewered lots need more area)

  “dimensional requirements: a. minimum lot size: twenty thousand (20,000) square feet for all lots.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single family residential district inside Jacksons' Gap town

    “a. minimum lot size: fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet for lots served by municipal sewer.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  AG agricultural zoning district inside Jacksons' Gap town (district identified from table-of-contents order)

  • Accessory structures and uses in the AG district may not be located closer than 100 feet from any property line (per the AG block; accessory-use scope not fully re-read).

  front yard setback: >= 40 feet (measured from edge of right-of-way line) · side yard setback: >= 20 feet · rear yard setback: >= 50 feet

  “c. minimum front yard setback: forty (40) feet from the edge of the right-of-way line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single family residential district inside Jacksons' Gap town

    “c. minimum front yard setback: thirty-five (35) feet from the edge of the right-of-way line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  AG agricultural zoning district inside Jacksons' Gap town, for lots of three acres or more

  • Other lot-size tiers (under one-half acre; one-half acre to under three acres) are in the same block and were only partly read; they set a 4,000 sq ft cap for lots under one-half acre.

  maximum impervious surface area (lots of 3 acres or more): <= 7.5 percent of total lot area (lots greater than or equal to three acres)

  “4. for all lots greater than or equal to three (3) acres in size, not more than seven and one-half (7.5) percent of the total lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single family residential district inside Jacksons' Gap town

    “g. maximum impervious surface area: twenty-five (25) percent of the total lot area, up to a maximum of ten thousand (10,000) square feet of total impervious surface area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  AG agricultural zoning district inside Jacksons' Gap town (district identified from table-of-contents order)

  • Structures exempt from height requirements are listed in Article III, Section 3.1 (not reviewed).

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (or 2.5 stories; exempt structures per Article III Section 3.1)

  “f. maximum structure height: thirty-five (35) feet or two and one half (2.5) stories for all structures that are not exempt from height requirements, as specified in article iii, section 3.1 of this ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single family residential district inside Jacksons' Gap town

    “f. maximum structure height: thirty-five (35) feet or two and one half (2.5) stories for all structures that are not exempt from height requirements, as specified in article iii, section 3.1 of this ordinance.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Manufactured homes in the R-1 single family residential district inside Jacksons' Gap town

  • Single-family dwellings other than manufactured homes are the permitted use in R-1.

  “a. single-family dwellings, excluding manufactured homes which shall be prohibited in the r-1: single family residential district.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — Manufactured home parks in the MHP manufactured home park district inside Jacksons' Gap town

    “all water, sewage and garbage disposal facilities in the manufactured home park shall satisfy all standards promulgated by the alabama board of health as approved by the tallapoosa county health department.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory residential units inside Jacksons' Gap town where the ordinance permits them (the districts that permit them were not confirmed)

  • The unit must be attached to or contained within the primary dwelling; an accessory structure or outbuilding may not be used or modified to serve as an accessory residential unit.
  • No more than one exterior entrance per unit; no more than one accessory residential unit per primary dwelling.
  • Designed to cause no apparent change in the exterior residential character of the primary dwelling; applicant must submit a written statement of need to the enforcement officer.

  accessory residential units per primary dwelling: <= 1 units (where permitted)

  “an accessory residential unit must be attached to (by a common wall) or contained within the primary dwelling unit on a property.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land in the FHA flood hazard area zone (special flood hazard area / 100-year floodplain) inside Jacksons' Gap town

  • Development in the zone must meet the town's flood damage prevention ordinance in addition to zoning requirements; the flood ordinance itself was not located.
  • Zone boundary follows the latest published FIRM for the subject property.

  “all land use and development activities on lands within the fha: flood hazard area zone shall also comply with all requirements of the town of jackson’s gap flood damage prevention ordinance.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit step inside Jacksons' Gap town; the full application, fee and review process was not located

  • Permit must be issued by the enforcement officer before construction or development; the enforcement officer is the town's building inspector or designee per Article VI Section 2.1.
  • Certificate of occupancy follows a final inspection.

  “no construction, renovation (except repairs, not changing the character of the structure and not exceeding $1,000.00 in cost or value, or painting and wallpapering), reconstruction, or development activity governed by this ordinance shall be conducted prior to the issuance of a zoning permit by the enforcement officer.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Jacksons' Gap

Town of Jacksons' Gap does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage disposal for lots inside Jacksons' Gap town not served by municipal sewer; the Tallapoosa County Health Department sets siting and installation area

  • Lot must contain additional area the health department deems necessary for proper siting and installation of on-site sewage disposal facilities.
  • Health department approval is needed for septic facilities under the ordinance's sewage standards.

  “lots not served by municipal sewer shall contain at least the required minimum, plus any additional area deemed necessary by the tallapoosa county health department for proper siting and installation of on-site sewage disposal facilities.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Unsewered lots inside Jacksons' Gap town (on-site sewage disposal in place of municipal sewer)

  • On-site disposal allowed only where the lot is not served by municipal sewer and meets the health department's siting and installation requirements.
  • Permit and inspection process for septic systems not verified (see unknown septic topics).

  “lots not served by municipal sewer shall contain at least the required minimum, plus any additional area deemed necessary by the tallapoosa county health department for proper siting and installation of on-site sewage disposal facilities.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Jacksons' Gap or Tallapoosa County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Jacksons' Gap town
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption in Jacksons' Gap town
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles or travel trailers in Jacksons' Gap town
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping in Jacksons' Gap town
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy in Jacksons' Gap town

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.