Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas

Horseshoe Bend’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New homes and buildings, additions, and renovations inside Horseshoe Bend city

  • Construction may proceed only after the building permit is obtained from the city's Building and Zoning office at 704 Commerce Street.
  • The page's statement covers new homes, additions and renovations; it does not list exemptions or thresholds.

  “whether an individual is purchasing a new home or building with the intention of adding on, or they are a current owner who is just looking to making some renovations, it is always vital that a building permit is obtained.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Horseshoe Bend city limits (Izard County, AR). The city adopts and amends its own zoning code through its city council and its Board of Zoning.

  • The city's consolidated zoning code was not located online. The record relies on the city's 2004 ordinance amendments, which amend the 'existing zoning code' and refer to chapter 4 and chapter 5 district schedules.
  • Zoning applies in addition to the building-permit requirement on the city's Building and Zoning page.

  “ordinance no. 2004-07 an ordinance amending the zoning code”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts of Horseshoe Bend city, as named in the city's zoning code chapter 5 district schedule

  • Only the R-1-A1 district (item 33 of chapter 5 paragraph 1.c., with the Woodland Greens I Addition as item (60)) is named on an opened official page. The full district list was not found online.
  • Listing sites reference R-1 districts; those are not official and were not used.

  “chapter 5, paragraph 1.c. is amended to add the following: 33. r-1-a1 included is the following addition: (60) woodland greens 1”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwelling units in the Woodland Greens I Addition, zoned R-1-A1 under the city's zoning code, inside Horseshoe Bend city. This is a subdivision-specific rule; the general R-1 minimum was not located.

  • Each dwelling unit must have at least 950 sq ft of its floor space heated and on the first floor level (per the same 2004 ordinance; the scanned text is partly garbled).
  • Each dwelling unit must have at least one and one-half bathrooms (per the same ordinance; the scanned text is partly garbled).
  • The ordinance is a 2004 amendment; its effective date is not stated legibly and later amendments were not checked.

  minimum floor space per dwelling unit: >= 1250 sq ft (includes carport or garage space)

  “each dwelling unit in woodland greens i addition shall have a minimum of 1250 sq. feet of floor space including carport or garage, with at least 950 sq feet of this space heated and on the first floor level. each dwelling unit must have at least one and one-half 1-1 /2) bathrooms.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the Woodland Greens I Addition, zoned R-1-A1 under the city's zoning code, inside Horseshoe Bend city. This is a subdivision-specific rule; general R-1 setbacks were not located.

  • Front setback: Ordinance 2004-12 changed the building front setback line from 25 feet to 45 feet.
  • Rear setback: 20 feet minimum from rear property line (per 2004-07).
  • Side setback: 10 feet or 10% of the average width of the lot, whichever is greater; not nearer than 25 feet to a side line adjoining a public street or road.
  • The ordinance is a 2004 amendment; the scanned text is partly garbled and later amendments were not checked.

  front setback: 45 feet (amended from 25 feet by Ordinance 2004-12) · rear setback: >= 20 feet (per Ordinance 2004-07) · side setback: >= 10 feet (or 10% of average lot width, whichever is greater; 25 feet from a side line adjoining a public street or road)

  “the building front setback line is changed from 25 feet to 45 feet.”

Rules another office applies inside Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend 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 septicState (with conditions)

  Onsite (septic) wastewater systems on land inside Horseshoe Bend city (Izard County, AR), under the Arkansas Department of Health statewide program carried out through local health units

  • The ADH page is statewide; it does not name Horseshoe Bend city. It applies inside the city because it is a statewide program, not a city rule.
  • The Izard County health unit's role was not confirmed by an official page; the county health unit is the local office that reviews permits with ADH environmental health specialists.
  • Systems of 1500 gallons per day or more are reviewed by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality, not ADH.

  design flow threshold for ADH review: < 1500 gallons per day (systems 1500 gpd and larger are reviewed by DEE Division of Environmental Quality)

  “the arkansas department of health’s onsite wastewater program sets statewide policies and provides assistance to environmental health specialists in each of the local health units.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Horseshoe Bend or Izard County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Horseshoe Bend city
• Building code adopted — New residential construction inside Horseshoe Bend city
• Inspections — Inspections for construction inside Horseshoe Bend city
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new buildings inside Horseshoe Bend city
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the main single-family residential (R-1) district inside Horseshoe Bend city

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.