Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Callahan, Florida

Town of Callahan’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Callahan town limits (Town of Callahan, Nassau County, Florida) regulated by the Town of Callahan Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 195

  • Chapter 195 was adopted by the town council as Ord. No. 2016-O01 on 5-2-2016 and is effective May 2, 2016.
  • Zoning amendments require a public hearing and planning commission review before town council action (Chapter 195 Article III).
  • Amendments adopted after the retrieved Chapter 195 PDF were not checked; this claim relies on the retrieved Chapter 195 text.

  “the provisions of this chapter shall become effective on may 2, 2016.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts inside Callahan town limits

  • Chapter 195 names at least the RLD Residential Low Density district (Article XI) and multifamily and commercial districts; the map itself was not retrieved.
  • The map is stated to be on file at town offices, not published on the retrieved page.

  “article xi rld residential low density district § 195-63. intent.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the RLD Residential Low Density district inside Callahan town limits

  • Floor area counts heated and cooled space only, per the quoted text.

  minimum heated and cooled floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “§ 195-69. building restrictions. building restrictions shall be as follows: a. maximum building height: 35 feet. b. minimum building square foot: 1,000 (heated and cooled).”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family lots in the RLD Residential Low Density district inside Callahan town limits

  • Applies to the RLD district only; other districts (multifamily, duplex, commercial) have separate lot rules in Chapter 195.
  • No agricultural or rural-residential district was found in the Chapter 195 text retrieved.

  minimum lot width: >= 50 feet · minimum lot area: >= 7500 square feet

  “§ 195-67. minimum lot requirements. minimum lot requirements shall be as follows: a. minimum lot width: 50 feet. b. minimum lot area: 7,500 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Main buildings on lots in the RLD Residential Low Density district inside Callahan town limits

  • Corner-lot and double-frontage rules in Chapter 195 definitions were not separately analyzed.
  • Front setback of 25 feet applies to both frontages of a double-frontage lot per the Chapter 195 lot definition.

  front yard setback: >= 25 feet · side yard setback: >= 10 feet · rear yard setback: >= 15 feet

  “§ 195-68. minimum yard requirements. the minimum yard requirements shall be as follows: a. front yard: 25 feet. b. side yard: 10 feet. c. rear yard: 15 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the RLD Residential Low Density district inside Callahan town limits

  • Maximum building height applies to the RLD district; the same section also sets a minimum heated and cooled floor area (see minimum_dwelling_size claim).

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “§ 195-69. building restrictions. building restrictions shall be as follows: a. maximum building height: 35 feet. b. minimum building square foot: 1,000 (heated and cooled).”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles used as temporary dwellings in Callahan town, limited to RV parks

  • Recreational vehicle parks are permitted only subject to the listed conditions and to conditional-use conditions under Chapter 195 §§195-23 and 195-24; the district where RV parks are allowed was not identified.
  • Spaces may be rented to a single user for up to three months.
  • Parks must be at least six contiguous acres.
  • Each space must have a town-water line and hose bib, and at least 80% of spaces must have water, sewer, and 110 or 110/220 volt electric hookups.

  minimum RV park size: >= 6 acres (contiguous acres) · maximum rental term per single user: <= 3 months

  “(2) space may be rented to a single user for up to three months. (3) all rv parks must be at least six contiguous acres.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes placed for occupancy inside Callahan town limits, in any district

  • Mobile homes must rest on supports or pillars on concrete pads and must be skirted, regardless of district.
  • Installation must meet state wind-zone standards; the town states the wind-zone figure for Nassau County is 100 miles per hour (as of 2014).
  • In RLD, a new owner-occupied mobile home is permitted only as a replacement at the same location for a unit substantially damaged or destroyed by hazard, or as a replacement of an existing mobile home (Chapter 195 §195-64).

  “c. no mobile home may be installed unless it is constructed in accordance with the standards that applies to the state's wind zone restrictions on the installation of mobile homes map. as of 2014, this is 100 miles per hour for nassau county.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building and zoning permits in Callahan town

  • The town page links to a list of applicable fees; the linked fee list was not opened, so amounts are not recorded.
  • Permit payments accepted by check, cash, or credit card per the same page.

  “building permits and zoning applications for a list of applicable fees, click here”

• Permit processPartial

  Building and zoning permit applications submitted to the Town of Callahan

  • Forms and questions go to the building and zoning administrator by email.
  • Processing time for some permits is stated as up to 48 hours.
  • The page does not describe the full review sequence; the forms list includes building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, re-roof, sign and demolition applications.

  stated processing time: <= 48 hours (some permits)

  “these forms and any questions can be submitted to our building and zoning administrator: [email protected] **please note that some permits can take up to 48 hours**”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Callahan

Town of Callahan 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 sewage (septic) systems on land inside Callahan town limits, administered by the Florida Department of Health in Nassau County (Environmental Health), which the town does not appear to displace. Recorded as health-district scope because the schema does not allow municipality-specific scope for health districts.

  • Whether Callahan town sewer service is available to a given parcel was not verified; if it is, connection rules would govern instead.
  • The DEP transition of OSTDS permitting was not verified for Nassau County.

  “we manage the installation and maintenance of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (ostds), commonly known as septic tanks”

• Well permitRequired

  Potable and irrigation wells on land inside Callahan town limits

  • The DOH page covers permitting of potable wells, irrigation wells and well abandonment; no fee or process detail was retrieved.

  “we oversee the permitting of potable wells, irrigation wells, and well abandonment to ensure all water sources meet safety standards.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Whether construction inside Callahan town requires a building permit
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for a homeowner building in Callahan town
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Callahan town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Callahan town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Callahan town

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.