Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Southside, Arkansas

Southside’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Southside city limits, Independence County, Arkansas.

  • The zoning map is the final authority as to a property's current zoning status.

  “The City is hereby divided into districts, or zones, as hereinafter described, and as shown on the Official Zoning Map.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Southside city limits.

  • The official zoning map controls current parcel zoning.

  base districts: A; R-E; R-1; R-2; R-3; C-1; C-2; I-1 · special district: PUD

  “A Agriculture R-E Residential Estates R-1 Low Density Residential R-2 Medium Density Residential R-3 High Density Residential C-1 Neighborhood Commercial C-2 General Commercial I- l Light Industrial”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Living, sleeping, or housekeeping in recreational vehicles on residential property inside Southside city limits.

  • Emergency use while repairs are made to the principal dwelling is excepted.

  “The boats, trailers or recreational vehicles are not used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping purposes, unless emergency use is necessary while repairs are made to the principal dwelling.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes inside Southside city limits in A, R-E, R-3, and manufactured-home-park locations.

  • Units must follow manufacturer procedures, Arkansas Manufactured Home Commission standards, and applicable Arkansas Fire Prevention Code provisions.
  • HUD-code evidence is required before a permit to locate a manufactured home.
  • Mobile homes may not receive a placement approval in the corporate limits.

  “Manufactured housing units shall be considered permitted uses in the “A” zones, which are single-family districts, in R-E and R-3 zones, and in manufactured housing parks.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units in Agricultural and Residential Estates districts inside Southside city limits.

  • In A districts, conditional-use approval is required and limited to one ADU per 5-acre parcel.
  • In R-E districts, the unit must house immediate family members or employees who work on-site.
  • ADUs cannot be used for general rental purposes.

  maximum ADUs: per 1 ADU (Per 5-acre parcel in Agricultural districts, with Commission conditional-use approval.)

  “Not to exceed one accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed if conditional use approval is given by the Commission in Agricultural (A) districts for each 5-acre parcel”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Property access driveways inside Southside city limits.

  • Driveway design is subject to site-plan approval.
  • No other portion of lot frontage may be used for ingress or egress.
  • Continuous curb cuts are prohibited.

  minimum side-property-line distance: >= 10 feet

  “Driveways shall be located a minimum of ten feet (10’) from the side property lines.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  City zoning use permits for new projects inside Southside city limits.

  • The announcement applies to projects on or after July 18, 2024.

  use permit fee: 0 USD (For new projects on or after July 18, 2024.)

  “Any new projects on or after July 18th, will need to get a use permit. There is no charge for this permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  New projects requiring City zoning use permits inside Southside city limits.

  • The project must be on or after July 18, 2024.
  • The applicant may print the form online and submit it by email or at City Hall.

  “You can go online to print out a form and email it or drop off at City Hall.”

Rules another office applies inside Southside

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

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agricultural (A) District inside Southside city limits.

  minimum lot area: 5 acres · minimum width at building line: 120 feet

  “Minimum Area 5 acres Minimum Width at Building Line 120 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Southside city limits.

    “Minimum Area 9,600 square feet Minimum Width at Building Line 80 feet”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agricultural (A) District inside Southside city limits.

  • Street-side setback is 20 feet.

  front setback: 25 feet · side setback: 10 feet (Street side: 20 feet.) · rear setback: 25 feet

  “Minimum Front Setback 25 feet Minimum Side Setback 10 feet (street side 20’) Minimum Rear Setback 25 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Southside city limits.

    “Minimum Front Setback 25 feet Minimum Side Setback 10 feet (street side 20’) Minimum Rear Setback 25 feet”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District inside Southside city limits.

  maximum building coverage: <= 50 percent of lot area

  “Building coverage shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the lot area.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Southside city limits.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

  “No building shall exceed two and one-half stories, nor shall it exceed thirty-five feet (35’) in height.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Primary and accessory dwellings in Agricultural (A) District inside Southside city limits.

    “Primary and accessory dwellings shall not exceed two and one-half stories or thirty-five feet (35’) in height, however accessory structures such as barns and silos, shall not be subject to such limitations.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Southside or Independence County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Southside city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Southside city limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Southside city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Southside city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Primary dwelling size inside Southside 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.