Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hedrick, Iowa

Hedrick’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hedrick city limits (city of Hedrick, 109 N Main St, Hedrick, IA 52563), under the city's own Chapter 165 zoning code

  • The city's posted Chapter 165 is an OCR scan; the city says the copy on its website is for reference purposes only and city hall's ordinance book governs.
  • Use of land is regulated by the zoning districts established in Chapter 165 (A-1 agricultural, R-1 residence, B-1 business, I-1 industrial, and others).

  “this chapter, including the official zoning map, shall be known as, and may be cited and referred to as, the city of hedrick zoning code.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Hedrick city limits

  • Only the A-1 agricultural and R-1 residence district provisions were read in full enough to cite. The B-1, I-1, mobile home park and other district sections were not opened for this record.
  • The OCR text is fragmented; the official zoning map referenced in 165.05 was not opened.

  “165.22 agricultural districts a-1. the following are provisions of the a-1 agricultural district:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings inside Hedrick city limits (applies by the text to dwellings generally, not one district)

  • Area excludes open porches, garages, or steps.
  • Multi-story rule as quoted in the text read.

  minimum ground floor area, one-story dwelling: >= 720 sq ft (exclusive of open porches, garages, or steps) · minimum ground floor area, one and one-half or two-story dwelling: >= 600 sq ft (exclusive of open porches, garages, or steps)

  “a one and one-half or two-story dwelling shall contain not less than 600 square feet of ground floor area, exclusive of open porches, garages, or steps.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Any zoning district inside Hedrick city limits where neither public water nor public sanitary sewer is accessible

  • If public water and sewer systems are accessible and will be installed, the minimum is 10,000 square feet and 75 feet of width.
  • The city engineer must certify that the lot is large enough for water supply and sanitary waste disposal.

  minimum lot area, lot unserved by water or sewer: >= 20000 sq ft (10,000 sq ft if public water and sewer are accessible and will be installed) · minimum lot width, lot unserved by water or sewer: >= 100 feet (75 feet if public water and sewer are accessible and will be installed)

  “in any district where neither water supply nor public sanitary sewer is accessible, the otherwise specified lot arca shall be a minimum 20,000 square feet with width requirements of 100 feet. if, however, public water and sewer supply systems are accessible and will be installed, these requirements shall be 10,000 square feet and 75 feet, respectively.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the A-1 agricultural district inside Hedrick city limits

    “each lot shall contain a minimum area of two acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Accessory buildings on lots in the A-1 agricultural district inside Hedrick city limits

  • Front-yard setbacks of 80 feet along state and federal roads and 60 feet along other public roads appear in the A-1 dimensional table, but the OCR text is garbled there and is not cited as a claim here.
  • The district attribution should be verified against the original scan.

  accessory building distance from lot lines: >= 4 feet

  “accessory buildings must be at least four feet from the lot lines.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Parking or keeping a recreational vehicle on private land inside Hedrick city limits, in any zoning district, outside an approved trailer park or camp ground

  • The prohibition applies to parking for 48 hours or longer; the text does not ban shorter stays.
  • Exception: approved trailer park or camp ground.
  • Exception: small utility trailers.
  • A camping, utility or boat trailer may be stored on the property except in front yards, provided no living quarters are maintained and no business is conducted from it.
  • The wheels may not be removed and the trailer may not be permanently fixed to the ground (sentence cut off in the OCR text read).

  parking duration prohibited: >= 48 hours (except in an approved trailer park or camp ground)

  “the parking of a trailer or recreational vehicle, or erections of a tent in any district, except in an approved trailer park or camp ground, for 48 hours or longer shall be prohibited, except for small utility trailers and except that a camping, utility, or boat trailer, with or without boat, may be stored on the property except in front yards, provided that no living quarters shall be maintained or any business conducted in connection therewith while such trailer is parked or stored.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tents and recreational vehicles on private land inside Hedrick city limits

  • Camping or parking for 48 hours or longer is prohibited outside an approved trailer park or camp ground, which implies that shorter stays are not restricted by 165.31.
  • Exception: approved trailer park or camp ground.

  maximum stay without approved camp ground: < 48 hours (approved trailer park or camp ground)

  “the parking of a trailer or recreational vehicle, or erections of a tent in any district, except in an approved trailer park or camp ground, for 48 hours or longer shall be prohibited”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured, modular and mobilehomes placed on land inside Hedrick city limits

  • Installations must be attached to a permanent foundation; the definitions say a permanent foundation is a concrete load-bearing wall buried at least 42 inches deep.
  • Mobile home parks are regulated under section 165.26 (residential or recreational), and the text read did not cover that section.
  • A mobile home (pre-1976, not built to a mandatory building code) is not a manufactured or modular home under the code and is assessed as real estate if placed outside a park.

  permanent foundation buried depth: >= 42 inches

  “in all installations, the mobilehome, manufacturedhome, or modular home shall be attached to the permanent foundation in such a manner as to prevent lateral movement, settling, or heaving.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Land and buildings inside a designated flood hazard area within Hedrick city limits

  • Permitted uses in the flood hazard area are limited to agricultural crops and nursery stock gardening, agricultural livestock under the municipal ordinance, and public recreation.
  • No building may be erected, converted or enlarged on any parcel without approval of the zoning board of adjustment.

  “165.29 designated flood hazard area. all buildings and land within a designated flood hazard area as defined by the department of housing and urban development shall be limited to the following uses: 1. the growing of agricultural crops and nursery stock gardening. 2. the keeping of agricultural livestock in accordance with the municipal ordinance relating there to. 3. public recreation. 4. no building shall be erected, converted, or enlarged on any parcel of land without the approval of the zoning board of adjustment.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits and licenses for use or construction inside Hedrick city limits

  • The zoning administrator is appointed by the council and enforces the zoning code.
  • Permits and licenses that conflict with the zoning code may not be issued.
  • The step-by-step application process was not found in the text read.

  “all departments, officials, and public employees of the city, vested with the duty or authority to issue permits or licenses, shall conformto the provisions of this code and shall issue no permit or license for any use, building, or purpose in conflict with the provisions of this code.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New construction inside Hedrick city limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders of homes inside Hedrick city limits
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Hedrick city limits
• Inspections — Construction inside Hedrick city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — New dwellings inside Hedrick city 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.