Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Camanche, Iowa

Camanche’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Camanche city limits, administered by the city under its own Title 18 Zoning Ordinance

  • Ten district classes are listed in 18.12.010: AG-1, R-1, R-2, R-M, R-S, PUD, B-1, B-2, B-3, M-1, M-2 and M-RE (the source lists the districts in its 18.12.010 text).
  • Territory annexed to the city is AG-1 unless the annexation provides otherwise (18.12.030).

  zoning district classes: 10 classes

  “the city of camanche is divided into ten classes of”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning district list and official zoning map for land inside Camanche city

  • The official zoning map is adopted by reference and certified and on file with the city clerk (18.12.015). The map image itself was not opened.

  “the city is hereby divided into districts as shown in the official zoning map”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family and two-family dwelling lots in the R-1 urban residential district inside Camanche city

  • Each rectangular lot has a minimum width of seventy-five (75) feet at the front line; irregular lots have a minimum width of seventy-five (75) feet at the building line.
  • Substandard lots accepted by the city and previously platted are governed by ordinances then in effect (18.24.040(b)).

  lot area, one-family dwelling: >= 7500 square feet · lot area, two-family dwelling: >= 7500 square feet · lot width: >= 75 feet

  “1. one family dwelling: seventy-five hundred (7,500) square feet. 2. two family dwelling: seventy-five hundred (7,500) square feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residence on platted lots in the R-S suburban residence district inside Camanche city (areas out of reach of the sanitary sewer)

    “the r-s suburban residence district includes residence districts that are out of current or permanent reach of any sanitary sewer system”

  • Specified — Total site area for mobile home parks, manufactured home communities and land-leased communities in the R-M district inside Camanche city

    “the minimum total area shall be three (3) acres”

• SetbacksSpecified

  AG-1 agricultural rural district inside Camanche city (the agricultural/rural district)

  • Corner lot: the street side has a setback of not less than thirty (30) feet from the side street line.
  • Side yard applies only if provided, per the source text.
  • The source prints this section as 18.20.03; the table of contents lists 18.20.030.

  front yard setback: >= 30 feet · rear yard setback: >= 40 feet · side yard setback: >= 15 feet (if provided) · corner lot street-side setback: >= 30 feet

  “a. front yard: there shall be a front yard of not less than thirty (30) feet from the front lot line. b. rear yard: there shall be a rear yard of not less that forty (40) feet from the rear lot line. c. side yard: there shall be a side yard, if provided, of not less than fifteen (15) feet from the side lot line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 urban residential district inside Camanche city (main single-family residential district), dwellings

    “a. dwellings: the minimum setback from the front lot line shall be twenty-five”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Living quarters inside a garage or accessory building in the R-1 urban residential district inside Camanche city. Detached dwelling units are not addressed by this sentence.

  • The sentence is in the R-1 permitted accessory-use provisions (18.24.030(e)(5)). Other districts were not checked.
  • Detached accessory dwelling units in other forms were not found in the sections opened.

  living quarters in garage or accessory building: prohibited

  “5. no garage or accessory building shall contain living quarters;”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land dedications and recorded documents in planned unit developments inside Camanche city; the city refers to separate subdivision regulations

  • The subdivision regulations referenced by the PUD chapter were not located or opened.
  • Iowa Code subdivision rules were not verified.

  “f. certificates, seals, and signatures: required for the dedication of lands and recording documents, as set forth in the subdivision regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new construction inside Camanche city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing inside Camanche city
• Building code adopted — Adopted building code for construction inside Camanche city
• Inspections — Building inspection requirement inside Camanche city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy requirement inside Camanche 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.