Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Bethany Beach, Delaware

Town of Bethany Beach’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Bethany Beach town limits; the Town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 425 Zoning)

  • The Town divides the town into the zoning districts shown on the official zoning map (§ 425-38), which was adopted July 8, 1972 and is kept in town hall.
  • Zoning districts listed on the page: R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, C-1, C-2, CL-1, and a municipal, open space, recreation facilities and educational district.

  “for the purpose of promoting the public health, safety and the general welfare of the town of bethany beach, the town is divided into the following districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Bethany Beach town limits

  • The districts are bounded and defined on the Official Zoning Map of the Town, adopted July 8, 1972, revised July 19, 1975 (per § 425-38 text on the page).

  “the town is divided into the following districts: r-1 residential district r-1a boardwalk residential district r-1b sea villas residential district r-2 residential district c-1 central commercial district c-2 neighborhood commercial district cl-1 commercial lodging district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-2 Residential District inside Bethany Beach town limits

  • For multiunit buildings, the minimum lot area per standard dwelling unit is 7,000 square feet.
  • Lots fronting on a cul-de-sac and otherwise complying with chapter 410 get a reduced frontage minimum of 20 feet; that text was truncated in the opened page and the rest was not read.
  • Page amended 8-17-1990 by Ord. No. 251 and 3-21-2003 by Ord. No. 373.

  minimum lot of record area: >= 7000 square feet (multiunit buildings measured per standard dwelling unit) · minimum street frontage per lot: >= 60 feet (multi-dwelling-unit buildings need 40 feet per standard dwelling unit (interior lots) or 50 feet per standard dwelling unit (corner lots); cul-de-sac lots 20 feet)

  “the minimum lot of record shall be 7,000 square feet in area. for multiunit buildings, the minimum lot area per standard dwelling unit shall be 7,000 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1A Boardwalk Residential District inside Bethany Beach town limits

    “except that the following shall supersede and control in the r-1a boardwalk residential district: a. minimum lot area: 2,500 square feet per dwelling unit.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

  Land and buildings that abut a street, alley or way in Bethany Beach town where a Town water main is in place

  • Plumbing must be connected to the Town water system within 90 days of the date the Town water main is available for connection.
  • After connection, the property must immediately cease using any method other than the Town water system to obtain water.
  • Violation of § 516-25 is punishable by civil penalty under § 516-34(b); each day of a continuing violation is a separate violation.
  • § 516-3 is titled 'exceptions' in the Chapter 516 table of contents; its text was not opened, so any exception to the connection duty is unverified.

  connection deadline after main availability: 90 days

  “all plumbing facilities on such land or in such building(s) shall be connected to the town water system within 90 days of the date such town water main is available for connection to such land and/or buildings.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town water permit application inside Bethany Beach town limits (building permit fees not verified)

  • The fee is set by Town Council resolution, not on the code page.
  • Meter, materials and water rates are also set by resolution (§ 516-27, § 516-29, § 516-30).

  “a fee established by the town council by resolution shall be paid at the time of submitting the application and prior to issuance of a water permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Water-connection permit process inside Bethany Beach town limits; building permit process not verified

  • Application is made in writing to the Town, with an agreement to abide by the water article.
  • Connection to a water main is prohibited without a Town water permit.

  “no connection with a water main shall be made without a town water permit. application for a water permit shall be made, in writing, to the town and shall contain an agreement by the applicant to abide by and accept all of the provisions of this article as conditions governing the use of the town water supply.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Bethany Beach or Sussex County directly.

• Building permit — New construction inside Bethany Beach town limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Bethany Beach town limits
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Bethany Beach town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Bethany Beach town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Bethany Beach 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Bethany Beach means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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