Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lake View, Alabama

Lake View’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Placement of a manufactured home inside a manufactured home park (MHP district) in Lake View city

  • Only the MHP district placement permit is stated in the zoning text read. A general building permit requirement for other construction was not confirmed by a requirement sentence.
  • The city Building & Zoning page lists a 'building permit application' download, which shows a city form exists but not the scope of the requirement.

  “prior to the placement of a manufactured home in a manufactured home park, a permit shall be obtained from the zoning administrator”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Lake View city limits (eastern Tuscaloosa County, AL; ZIP 35111)

  • The city Planning & Zoning page links 'Lake View Zoning Ordinance.pdf' and the city's zoning ordinance is the city's own rule.
  • The PDF is titled with 'FinalDraft EDITED' and contains template blanks ('amended ____ ordinance ___'); the adoption/effective line is the only adoption statement found. Confirm the adopted text with the city clerk.
  • Zoning map is adopted by reference in Article III section 3.2; the map itself was not opened.

  “this ordinance was effective after its adoption by the city council of the city of lake view, alabama”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Lake View city

  • Listed districts: A-1, A-2, A-3 (agriculture); R-1(a), R-1(b), R-1(c), R-1(d), R-2(a), R-2(b), R-3 (single-family and two-family residential); MIX (mixed use residential incl. manufactured homes); R-G (single-family garden home); C-1 to C-4 and CR (commercial); FI-1 to FI-3 (factory/industrial); MHP (manufactured home park); PUD (planned unit development).
  • The ordinance marks several districts (*) as defined for future annexation.
  • The zoning map was not opened.

  “the city of lake view is hereby divided into the following districts: a-1 a-2 a-3 r-1(a) r-1(b) r-1(c) r-1(d) r-2(a) r-2(b) r-3 mix r-g c-1 c-2 c-3 c-4 cr fi-1 fi-2 fi-3 mhp pud”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the R-2 residential district of Lake View city

  • For two stories of livable space, the lower portion must be a minimum of 900 sq. ft.
  • Parameters from the R-2 section apply to the R-2 district only; minimum size for the R-1 series was not stated in the text read.

  minimum livable space (excluding porches and garages): >= 1400 sq ft (two-story homes: lower portion minimum 900 sq ft)

  “minimum of 1,400 sq. ft of livable space not including porches and garages. where there are two stories of livable space, the lower portion shall be a minimum of 900 sq. ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-3 residential district of Lake View city

    “minimum of 1,000 sq. ft of livable space not including porches and garages. where there are two stories of livable space, the lower portion shall be a minimum of 700 sq. ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family lot in the residential (R) zone, first row of Table 4.2 (the ordinance does not label the row; the R-1 series label is inferred from row order)

  • Column layout in the PDF text is garbled; the row is read as minimum lot area 35,000 sq ft, 1 dwelling unit per acre, lot width 125 ft, lot depth 150 ft.
  • Other rows of Table 4.2 (20,000, 10,000, 6,000 sq ft) apply to other R-district divisions and were not separately assigned.

  minimum lot area: >= 35000 sq ft (first row of Table 4.2 residential zone; district label inferred) · minimum lot width: >= 125 ft (first row of Table 4.2) · minimum lot depth: >= 150 ft (first row of Table 4.2)

  “maximum building heighta a b c d 35,000 1 125 150 25 10 30 35 20,000 2 100 125 20 10 25 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural (A) zone, 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres division of Table 4.1

    “1 dwelling unit/10 acres 400 400 30 15 60 35 5 1 dwelling unit/5 acres 250 250 30 15 60 35”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural (A) zone, Table 4.1 (all listed density divisions)

  • Front yard 30 ft, side yard 15 ft, rear yard 60 ft in each listed division.
  • Open spaces and parks may be reduced if approved.

  minimum front yard: >= 30 ft (A zone table 4.1) · minimum side yard: >= 15 ft (A zone table 4.1) · minimum rear yard: >= 60 ft (A zone table 4.1)

  “1 dwelling unit/10 acres 400 400 30 15 60 35 5 1 dwelling unit/5 acres 250 250 30 15 60 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family lot in the residential (R) zone, first row of Table 4.2 (district label inferred from row order)

    “maximum building heighta a b c d 35,000 1 125 150 25 10 30 35 20,000 2 100 125 20 10 25 35”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agricultural (A) zone, Table 4.1 (all listed divisions)

  • Maximum building height 35 ft in each listed division.
  • Access storage structures and windmills may exceed the height where approved by code official.

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (storage structures and windmills allowed to exceed where approved by code official)

  “1 dwelling unit/10 acres 400 400 30 15 60 35 5 1 dwelling unit/5 acres 250 250 30 15 60 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family lot in the residential (R) zone, Table 4.2 (first row shown; height column is 35 ft across the listed rows)

    “maximum building heighta a b c d 35,000 1 125 150 25 10 30 35 20,000 2 100 125 20 10 25 35”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Recreational vehicles used as living quarters inside a manufactured home park in Lake View city

  • Only the manufactured home park context is stated in the text read; RV occupancy on other land in the city was not confirmed.

  “in manufactured home parks, recreational vehicles shall not be occupied as living quarters”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes in the R-3 residential district of Lake View city; the agricultural (A) district list also includes manufactured home

  • Subject to article 19 of the zoning ordinance as defined.
  • The R-3 district lists a minimum of 1,000 sq. ft of livable space and 700 sq. ft lower story for two-story homes.
  • Manufactured homes in a manufactured home park must bear a HUD seal and have a 840 sq. ft minimum and a 1/2-acre site under the MHP district rules.

  “manufactured home subject to article 19 as defined.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory living quarters in the R-1 single-family residential district of Lake View city

  • Accessory buildings are permitted as accessory to the principal permitted uses; the ordinance does not define accessory living quarters further in the text read.
  • Other residential districts list the R-1 uses as incorporated; not separately confirmed.

  “buildings accessory to the above permitted uses (including private garages and accessory living quarters)”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Manufactured home parks (MHP district) in Lake View city only; no general single-family connection rule was found

  • Applies to the whole manufactured home park site, not to a single home on private land.
  • The city GUSC utility services page was not opened, so a general water or sewer connection requirement for new homes is unknown.

  “the entire area of the manufactured home park shall be adequately served by water, sanitary sewer and drainage facilities meeting all requirements of the tuscaloosa health departments.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and public improvements in Lake View city limits

  • Improvements must meet the Lake View subdivision regulations except where the planning commission approves variances.
  • The city Building & Zoning page links a 'subdivision regulations' document (1.2 MB); its text was not opened.

  “the public improvements proposed in the development plan shall be conform with the design standards and construction specifications of the lake view subdivision regulations, except where variances are approved by the planning commission”

Rules another office applies inside Lake View

Lake View 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)

  Septic systems serving land inside Lake View city limits; the zoning ordinance applies the Tuscaloosa County Health Department's septic requirements

  • Source is a city ordinance cross-reference to the Tuscaloosa County Health Department, written for manufactured-home sites (minimum 1/2 acre lot).
  • The city Building & Zoning page also lists an 'onsite sewage system application' download; the city's role in that form was not confirmed.
  • The health department's own service-area or onsite rules page was not opened within the research budget.

  “minimum lot size for a manufactured (mobile) home site shall be ½ acre, subject to the tuscaloosa county health department requirements for septic system.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Lake View or Tuscaloosa County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Lake View city limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Lake View city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Lake View city limits
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in Lake View city residential and agricultural districts
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Lake View city limits

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.