Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Norwood, Colorado

Town of Norwood’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration or change of use of buildings inside Norwood town limits; the building official is a town position appointed by the board of trustees.

  • A building permit issues only after a zoning development permit has been approved; the building official denies building permits for activities that have not received a zoning development permit.
  • Construction may not proceed without the permit.

  “(1) issue building permits. the building official shall issue applicable permits to allow construction activities which have received a zoning development permit pursuant to the procedures in the code and deny building permits for activities which have not received a zoning development permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Development inside Norwood town limits

  • A certificate of occupancy is issued only after the site development standards of Section 5.00 are met.

  “no building permit or certificate of occupancy shall be issued for any development until all of the applicable standards of this sec. 5.00, site development standards, are met.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the corporate limits of Norwood town, CO. The town adopted its own Title 7 Land Use Code with zone districts, including A (agricultural), R-1 (residential), MH, B-1, I, P, PUD and MD.

  • Parcels outside town limits are not covered; the code applies to development within the corporate limits and to land annexed into the town.
  • Lots of record platted before the original zoning ordinance (Nov. 6, 1974) are described in the code's definitions.

  “the a, agricultural district is designed primarily for agricultural uses and for singlefamily development”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zone districts of Norwood town (A, R-1, MH, B-1, I, P, PUD, MD and an H district) inside town limits

  • Zoning map boundaries were not captured as parcel-level data.

  “residential area regulations development standard zoning district a r-1 mh b-1 i pud md”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwelling units in the A, agricultural district inside Norwood town limits

  • Subject to section 3.06(e).

  minimum floor area per dwelling unit: >= 800 sq ft

  “the minimum floor area per dwelling unit in the a, agricultural district shall be eight hundred (800) square feet, subject to sec. 3.06(e).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-1, residential district inside Norwood town limits

    “(1) eight hundred (800) square feet for single family dwelling units”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family lots in the R-1, residential district inside Norwood town limits

  • Lots created before ordinance #256 (12-03-86) need only 5,000 sq ft per single-family dwelling.
  • Minimum lot width for single-family dwellings in R-1 is 48 ft (section 3.08(f)); duplex and multi-family need 60 ft.
  • Subject to section 3.06(c).

  minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit: >= 7500 sq ft (5,000 sq ft for lots created before ordinance #256 on 12-03-86) · minimum lot width, single-family: >= 48 ft

  “(1) seventy-five hundred (7,500) square feet per single-family dwelling unit or five thousand (5,000) square feet per single-family dwelling for lots created prior to adoption of ordinance #256 on 12-03-86”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — All uses in the A, agricultural district inside Norwood town limits

    “the minimum lot area for all uses in the a, agricultural district shall be two (2) acres or 87,120 square feet, subject to sec. 3.06(c).”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  All uses in the R-1, residential district inside Norwood town limits

  • Rear setback is 0 ft for single-family dwellings, duplexes and alley houses when the rear yard is adjacent to an alley; 10 ft otherwise.
  • Accessory buildings have a 3 ft side setback (section 3.06) and may sit in a rear setback if no alley exists subject to a 10 ft rule.
  • Corner-lot and cottage-housing rules apply (section 3.08).

  front yard setback: >= 15 ft · side yard setback: >= 10 ft · rear yard setback: >= 10 ft (0 ft when adjacent to alley for single-family, duplex and alley house)

  “the minimum front yard setbacks for all uses in the r-1, residential district shall be fifteen feet (15'), subject to sec. 3.06(f).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — All uses in the A, agricultural district inside Norwood town limits

    “the minimum front yard setback for all uses in the a, agricultural district shall be forty feet (40'), subject to sec. 3.06(f).”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1, residential district inside Norwood town limits

  • Single-family and cottage uses: 40%. All other uses: 25%.
  • Single-family with an alley house constructed with or after the house: 50% or 5,000 sq ft, whichever is less.
  • Subject to section 3.06(i); up to 250 sq ft of an alley house in rear yards may be excluded from coverage (definitions).

  maximum lot coverage, single-family: <= 40 percent (single-family with alley house: 50% or 5,000 sq ft, whichever is less)

  “the maximum lot coverage in the r-1, residential district shall be forty (40%) percent for single family and cottage housing development uses and twenty-five percent (25%) for all other uses”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — All uses in the A, agricultural district inside Norwood town limits

    “the maximum lot coverage in the a, agricultural district shall be twenty-five percent (25%) for all uses, subject to sec. 3.06(i).”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1, residential district inside Norwood town limits

  • Subject to section 3.06(j).

  maximum height, primary use: <= 25 ft · maximum height, accessory uses, cottage dwellings and alley houses: <= 18 ft

  “the maximum height of buildings and structures in the r-1, residential district shall be twenty-five feet (25') for the primary use and eighteen (18) feet for accessory uses, cottage dwelling units and alley houses”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — All uses in the A, agricultural district inside Norwood town limits

    “(k) maximum height. the maximum height of buildings and structures in the a, agricultural district shall be twenty-five feet (25') for all uses, subject to sec. 3.06(k).”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational vehicle and travel trailer parks and campgrounds in districts where the code permits them (for example B-1, I, P and A as conditional uses)

  • Stays are limited to 30 consecutive days or 30 days within any 120-day period.
  • Each travel-trailer space is at least 1,500 sq ft and at least 30 ft wide.
  • Park may not exceed 2 acres; must be served by the Norwood Water Commission and Norwood Sanitation District.
  • Conditional-use review applies in some districts (sec. 6.10).

  maximum stay: <= 30 consecutive days (or 30 days within any 120-day period) · minimum space area: >= 1500 sq ft · maximum park size: <= 2 acres

  “g. no park or campground shall be used for long term housing (stays of longer than 30 consecutive days or a total of 30 days within any 120-day period).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Prohibited — Recreational vehicles and travel trailers used as a dwelling inside Norwood town limits

    “that may not be used for a dwelling, accessory building, accessory use or home occupation.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping in travel-trailer, truck-camper and tent areas (RV parks and campgrounds) inside Norwood town limits; no general camping on private land was found

  • Occupancy is limited to overnight and short-duration camping, 30 consecutive days maximum or a total of 30 days within any 120-day period.
  • Campgrounds are permitted only in districts that list them and, in several districts, only by conditional use permit.

  maximum stay: <= 30 consecutive days (or 30 days within any 120-day period)

  “a. such areas may be occupied only by persons using travel trailers, truck campers and tents for overnight and short duration camping (30 consecutive days maximum or a total of 30 days within any 120 day period);”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Double-wide manufactured/mobile homes in the A, agricultural district inside Norwood town limits

  • Permitted subject to section 3.05(d)(12), whose conditions were not read.
  • Mobile home parks and mobile home subdivisions must connect to the Norwood Sanitation District and are regulated in the MH district.

  “double-wide manufactured/ mobile home, subject to sec. 3.05(d)(12)”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory alley house on a lot with a conforming single-family dwelling or double-wide manufactured/mobile home inside Norwood town limits; conditional use in the R-1 district

  • Alley house may contain up to 500 square feet or 50% of the finished and heated square footage (excluding garage space), whichever is less.
  • One additional off-street parking space with access from an alley.
  • May be attached or detached; must meet setbacks and maximum lot coverage.
  • Water and sewer fees must be paid as for any residence.
  • The alley house may not be sold separately.
  • In R-1, the alley house requires a conditional use permit by the board of trustees (sec. 6.10); R-1 lot area for a combined lot is 7,500 sq ft and lot coverage may be 50% or 5,000 sq ft, whichever is less.

  maximum floor area: <= 500 sq ft (or 50% of finished and heated area, whichever is less) · additional parking spaces: >= 1 space

  “the alley house shall not be sold separately.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land and plats inside Norwood town limits

  • Plats are approved by the town planning and zoning commission and board of trustees and recorded with the San Miguel County clerk and recorder.
  • Improvements agreements and performance guarantees apply before building permits issue (section 6.07).
  • Dedications and easements are required (chapter 4).

  “the planning and zoning commission of the town of norwood shall not approve any plat of any subdivision within the town limits of the town of norwood until the area covered by the proposed plat shall have been permanently zoned by the board of trustees of the town of norwood, colorado.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning development permit and building permit sequence inside Norwood town limits

  • Zoning development permit comes first (town planner), then building permit (building official).
  • Application forms, timelines and review steps are not captured in the text read.

  “zoning development permit: a permit issued by the town planner that allows a developer to engage in development in compliance with all applicable sections of this code and further enables the developer to seek a building permit”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Norwood

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

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Sanitary sewer service for development inside Norwood town limits, provided by the Norwood Sanitation District

  • Mobile home parks and subdivisions must connect to the sanitary sewer system of the Norwood Sanitation District (land use code section 3.05(d)).
  • The code states sewer service is provided by the district; it does not state in the text read whether every new home must connect when the line is available, or the distance rule.

  “sanitary sewer service and facilities shall be provided by and meet all requirements of the norwood sanitation district.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Water (with conditions) — Municipal water service inside Norwood town limits, provided under the Norwood Water Commission

    “all municipal water service shall be subject to the rules and regulations of the norwood water commission.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Norwood or San Miguel County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Norwood town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Norwood town limits
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Norwood town limits
• Who permits septic — Onsite septic systems inside Norwood town limits
• Septic permit — Septic permits inside Norwood town 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.