Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Clifton, Idaho

Clifton’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Clifton city limits (City of Clifton, Franklin County, Idaho). Clifton city adopted its own zoning ordinance, Ordinance No. 116.

  • The ordinance text reviewed is the July 2010 title; it was not verified as the current, amended version.
  • The effective-date section (116-23-1) was not captured, so no effective date is recorded.
  • Zoning map is a separate city document (Ordinance No. 116 zoning map) and was not opened.

  “be it hereby ordained by the mayor and city council of the city of clifton, franklin county, idaho, that ordinance 116 is hereby adopted.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Clifton city limits: agricultural (A), residential (R), commercial (C) zones, with a hillside and foothill chapter and no industrial zone specified.

  • The district list is from the 2010 table of contents; the zoning map (Ordinance No. 116 zoning map) was not opened, so district boundaries are not verified.

  “chapter 6: commercial zone 16 116-6-1: designated uses: 16”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific

  Single-family residential (R) zone inside Clifton city limits: minimum lot size for building lots.

  • Lots must also have enough space for individual septic disposal systems under Idaho Department of Health standards and for a replacement system (116-5-5 item 1).
  • Residential zone parcels may be divided into any number of lots as long as each resulting building lot meets 116-5-5 (116-5-1).
  • Figures are from the July 2010 text; current amendments not verified.

  minimum lot area: >= 21780 square feet · minimum lot width including frontage: >= 120 feet

  “lot size. lots shall not be less than 21,780 square feet (1/2 acre)”

• SetbacksDistrict specific

  Single-family residential (R) zone inside Clifton city limits: building setbacks.

  • Corner lots must keep a 30-foot side yard along the street the building fronts on.
  • Accessory use buildings: 10 feet from side and rear lot lines and 30 feet from the front lot line.
  • Setback from the center of a county highway (highway d-1) is 80 feet.
  • Clear-view rule: no obstruction over 3 feet high within the corner triangle.

  front yard setback: >= 30 feet · rear yard setback (dwelling): >= 20 feet · side yard setback: >= 10 feet (corner lot street side 30 feet) · county highway centerline setback: >= 80 feet (measured from center of highway d-1)

  “side yard. no building shall be erected closer than ten (10) feet to any side property line, except corner lots shall maintain a thirty (30) foot side yard adjacent to the street that intersects the street upon which the building fronts.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific — Agricultural (A) zone inside Clifton city limits: building setbacks.

    “the setback and lot width requirements in the a zone are the same as those specified for the r zone in section 116-5-5 of this ordinance.”

• Building heightDistrict specific

  Agricultural (A) zone inside Clifton city limits: building height. Agricultural structures have no height limit; residences follow the R-zone limit.

  • Residences in the A zone must meet the 30-foot R-zone limit in 116-5-4.

  height limit, agricultural structures: none · height limit, residences in agricultural zone: <= 30 feet

  “there shall be no height restrictions on agricultural structures in the agricultural zone. residences built in the agricultural zone shall comply with the height restrictions specified in 116-5-4 of this ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific — Residential (R) zone inside Clifton city limits: building height.

    “buildings in the residential zone shall be limited to thirty (30) feet in height.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Inside Clifton city limits: non-sewer (on-site) sewage disposal for a home.

  • All domestic sewage disposal must be approved by the health district.
  • Individual systems must have enough site space for a septic system and a replacement system under Idaho Department of Health standards.

  “the site shall have sufficient space to provide for individual septic disposal systems in accordance with the idaho department of health standards for subsurface sewage and for future construction of a replacement sewage disposal system.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New home inside Clifton city limits: public sewer connection.

  • Sewer connection is required only where public sewer facilities are available.
  • The 2010 text says public sewer was not then available; the current availability is not verified.
  • Without public sewer, the lot must meet the ordinance lot requirements or the Idaho Department of Health requirements, whichever is more restrictive.

  “if public sewer facilities become available, the principal designated uses involving structures shall be serviced through such facilities.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Water (with conditions) — New home inside Clifton city limits: culinary (drinking) water source.

    “culinary water to be supplied only by city of clifton.”

• Subdividing landRegulated

  Land divisions inside Clifton city limits.

  • Ordinance No. 117 (subdivision regulations) is the city subdivision ordinance by title.
  • Under Ordinance 116 section 116-5-1 a residential parcel may be divided as long as the resulting lots meet 116-5-5; the council may require compliance with Ordinance 117 standards where density is high.
  • The text of Ordinance 117 was not opened.

  “ordinance no. 117: subdivision regulations ordinance no. 118: inspection services agreement”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits in Clifton city limits: the city publishes an application form and an info sheet.

  • The page lists the forms only; it does not describe the review steps, timing or inspections.
  • The permit requirement itself is not established (see the unknown building permit claim).

  “water & building permits clicking the links below will open pdf documents: building permit application building permit application info”

Rules another office applies inside Clifton

Clifton 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 septicMixed (with conditions)

  Domestic and commercial sewage disposal (septic) inside Clifton city limits. The city ordinance sets the requirement; the district health department approves the facilities.

  • The ordinance names the 'idaho state district health department'; the current district name serving Franklin County was not verified on an official page.
  • Individual systems must also meet Idaho Department of Health standards (116-5-5 item 1).
  • Excerpt is from the 2010 text.

  “sewage disposal. all domestic and commercial sewage disposal facilities must comply with and be approved by the idaho state district health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for a new home inside Clifton city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from building permits inside Clifton city limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Clifton city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Clifton city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Clifton 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.