Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Riley, Indiana

Town of Riley’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the corporate boundaries of Riley town, Indiana, under the Vigo County Unified Zoning Ordinance adopted by the Riley town board

  • Joint ordinance adopted by the Riley town board together with Terre Haute, Seelyville, West Terre Haute and the Vigo County commissioners; the Riley-applicable text is the zoning that governs Riley town.
  • The Area Plan Commission of Vigo County is the duly authorized plan commission for the incorporated areas, including Riley town.
  • The copy checked is the 1996-dated PDF on the county site; later amendments were not checked and should be confirmed with the Area Plan Commission of Vigo County.

  “the area plan commission of vigo county shall be the duly authorized plan commission for the incorporated areas of the city of terre haute, the town of riley”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of the Vigo County Unified Zoning Ordinance that apply inside Riley town (Riley town zoning maps are part of the official zoning maps)

  • Section 3.02 lists the Riley town zoning maps as part of the official zoning maps; the map itself was not opened, so which parcels in Riley fall in which district is not established here.

  “the territory within the jurisdiction of the commission is hereby classified and divided into the following districts:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single family residential district (R-1), Section 11.02, inside Riley town

  • Floor area is measured exclusive of garage, carports and open porches.
  • Two-story or higher homes need 400 sq ft on the main floor provided the total floor area is at least 900 sq ft (as printed in the ordinance).

  minimum main floor area, one-story building: >= 900 sq ft (greater than one story: 400 sq ft main floor, provided total floor area is at least 900 sq ft)

  “minimum main floor area - exclusive of garage, carports and open porches: 1.one story building - 900 sq. ft. 2. greater than one story - 400 sq. ft., provided that the total floor area shall be at least 900 sq. ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single family residential district (R-1), Section 11.02, inside Riley town

  • For a single-family subdivision plat recorded after the effective date of the ordinance, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply is mandatory.
  • Lots below the minimum that were legally established before the ordinance are a permitted exception (Section 2 nonconforming lots of record).

  minimum lot area: >= 5500 sq ft (mandatory sewer and water attachment for subdivision plats recorded after the effective date)

  “minimum lot area - 5,500 sq. ft., provided, however, for the development of any single-family subdivision for which a plat is recorded after the effective date of this ordinance, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply shall be mandatory.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residential suburban district (R-S), Section 11.01, if mapped inside Riley town

    “c. minimum lot area 1.with sewers - 20,000 sq. ft. 2.without sewers - 20,000 sq. ft., provided, however, minimum lot area may be increased depending on soil conditions and requirements of the vigo county health department.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family residential suburban district (R-S), Section 11.01, if mapped inside Riley town

  • Minimum vegetative cover of 40 percent also applies.
  • Whether any R-S parcel lies inside Riley town was not established.

  maximum coverage by principal building: <= 30 percent

  “i. lot coverage. 1.maximum coverage by principal building - 30% 2.minimum vegetative cover - 40%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single family residential district (R-1), Section 11.02, inside Riley town

    “i. lot coverage 1.maximum coverage by principal building - 35% 2.minimum vegetative cover - 30%”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home placement in the R-1 district inside Riley town

  • Mobile home is listed as a special exception use in R-1, so it requires special exception approval under Section 18 of the ordinance.
  • Section 18 procedure and any mobile home standards were not opened.

  “5. special exception uses (subject to the provisions of section 18). bed & breakfast child care home that is not used as the primary residence of the person who operates the child care home firestation mobile home police station public pool utility substation”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New single-family homes in the R-1 district inside Riley town

  • R-1 development requires sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities; a single-family subdivision plat recorded after the effective date must attach to public sanitary sewer and water.
  • Connection rules for an individual lot outside a recorded subdivision were not established.

  “development within this district requires the provision of sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new homes inside Riley town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Riley town
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for Riley town
• Inspections — Building inspection for construction inside Riley town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Riley 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.