Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Carson, Iowa

Carson’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building construction and additions inside Carson city limits

  • Applications go to the code official, who is the Carson building inspector; the permit issues only after approval.
  • Applications must include building plans and data showing the code requirements are met.

  “all applications for building permits and amendments thereto shall be submitted to the code official for review and approved prior to permit issuance.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction inside Carson city limits

  • The code's definition names the International Building Code as adopted by the city; the edition is not stated in the defined term.
  • A dwelling-structure definition in chapter 166 refers to the international building code, 2000, for foundations.
  • Plumbing and building-sewer connections must follow division 4 (plumbing rules) of the state building code, per chapter 96.

  “means the international building code promulgated by the international conference of building officials, as adopted by the city.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Carson city limits (City of Carson, IA; Pottawattamie County)

  • Chapters 165 through 171 are the city of carson zoning code; use, bulk and zone rules are in chapter 167.
  • Under chapter 165.07 the planning commission develops a zoning code establishing zones within two miles of the current city limits, so the zoning reach is not limited to the city boundary.
  • The 2006 zoning map linked from the city forms page was not opened and its currency is unverified.

  “the regulations contained in chapters 165 through 171 of this code of ordinances shall be known as the city of carson zoning code”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Use and bulk districts for land inside Carson city limits: agricultural (A), residential (R, including divisions 1 to 4 and R-4 mobile home park), commercial (C) and industrial (I) zones

  • District bulk tables are in chapter 167 of the code (use districts).
  • Table 167c is split into pre-Wilber subdivision and Wilber-and-later subdivision rows; the two rows differ in some lot widths and setbacks.
  • The official zoning map adopted under chapter 165.09 was not opened in this research; the district map itself is unverified.

  “table 167b agricultural (a) zone bulk regulations (in feet, unless noted otherwise noted) lot dimension zone division minimum lot area (acres) maximum density (units/acres) 1 5 acres 1 du per 5 acres”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural (A) zone lots inside Carson city limits

  • Density is 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres in the agricultural zone; open space and parks may be a reduced size if approved.

  minimum lot area, agricultural zone: >= 5 acres (open space and parks may be reduced if approved)

  “table 167b agricultural (a) zone bulk regulations (in feet, unless noted otherwise noted) lot dimension zone division minimum lot area (acres) maximum density (units/acres) 1 5 acres 1 du per 5 acres”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Interior lots in the residential (R) zone inside Carson city limits, division 1 (pre-Wilber table)

  • Corner lots: 25 ft front and 25 ft from the adjacent street side, 7 ft from the adjacent interior lot side; rear 25 ft as read from the flattened table.
  • Accessory buildings: front setback as in the table; 10 ft from side and rear lot lines on interior lots; 10 ft from the rear and the interior side on corner lots, 25 ft from a street side.
  • Table text is flattened; the column mapping was read from the captured text and should be checked against the PDF table.

  front yard: >= 25 feet · side yard: >= 7 feet · rear yard: >= 25 feet (accessory buildings: 10 feet from side and rear lot lines)

  “minimum lot line setbacks in all divisions for accessory buildings on interior lots shall be the minimum front yard setback as stated in the table above from the front lot line and shall be 10 feet from the side lot line and the rear lot line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural (A) zone lots inside Carson city limits

    “setback requirements minimum lot width minimum minimum minimum minimum front lot depth side yard rear yard yard 250 feet 250 feet 30 feet 15 feet 60 feet maximum building height 35 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential (R) zone structures inside Carson city limits

  • Accessory towers, satellite dishes and similar structures may exceed the height when approved by the code official.
  • Height read from the flattened table row; verify against the PDF.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (accessory towers, satellite dishes and similar structures with code official approval)

  “maximum building height 25 feet 7 feet 25 feet 35 feet 25 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural (A) zone structures inside Carson city limits

    “setback requirements minimum lot width minimum minimum minimum minimum front lot depth side yard rear yard yard 250 feet 250 feet 30 feet 15 feet 60 feet maximum building height 35 feet”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Pre-1976 mobile homes (not built to a mandatory building code, no state or federal seals) inside Carson city limits, outside approved R-4 mobile home parks

  • Defined in chapter 166 as a vehicle built before June 15, 1976 that was not built to a mandatory building code and has no state or federal seals.
  • Only the approved residential division 4 (R-4) mobile home parks may hold these units.

  “mobile homes as defined above will only be allowed in approved residential (r) – division 4 districts – mobile home parks.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — A mobile or manufactured home placed outside a manufactured home community or mobile home park inside Carson city limits

    “a mobile home or manufactured home located outside of a manufactured home community or mobile home park shall be placed on a permanent frost-free foundation system”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside Carson city limits

  • The planning commission develops and certifies division-of-land regulations.
  • Lots that cannot be reasonably served by a public sanitary sewer and public water mains must be at least 100 feet wide at the building line and 20,000 square feet.
  • Lots not within a reasonable distance of public sewer but connected to a public water main must be at least 80 feet wide and 10,000 square feet.

  minimum lot width, lots without public sewer and water: >= 100 feet (measured at the building line) · minimum lot area, lots without public sewer and water: >= 20000 square feet

  “lots which cannot be reasonably served by an existing sanitary public sewer system and public water mains shall have a minimum width of 100 feet, measured at the building line, and an area of not less than 20,000 square feet.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning and building permit fees for land inside Carson city limits

  • Fees are set by the city; the schedules are kept at the office of the code official, not shown in the opened code text.
  • No numeric fee amounts were found in the opened text.

  “all fees shall be set by the city and schedules shall be available at the office of the code official.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for land inside Carson city limits

  • The code describes review by the zoning code official before issuance but not the forms, fees or timelines.
  • The city permits and forms page was not opened.

  “all applications for building permits and amendments thereto shall be submitted to the code official for review and approved prior to permit issuance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Carson city limits
• Inspections — Inspections of new construction inside Carson city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Carson city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area or width of a dwelling inside Carson city limits
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Carson 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.