Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Kanwaka Township, Kansas

Rules another office applies inside Kanwaka Township

Kanwaka Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Residential and commercial construction on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Permit must be issued before construction, and the FAQ lists items needed to obtain it (septic approval, road access approval, construction drawings, deed, and a licensed surveyor's site plan, depending on structure type).
  • Regulatory jurisdiction covers only unincorporated portions of the county not within any city limits; Kanwaka's incorporated status was not verified on an official page.

  “the building codes team reviews residential and commercial building applications, plans, issues building permits, and performs all construction inspections”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township under a county building permit

  • Inspections are scheduled with the Zoning and Codes office by phone; the inspection schedule and any exemptions were not read.

  “the building codes team reviews residential and commercial building applications, plans, issues building permits, and performs all construction inspections”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Accessory dwelling units on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township only; a general certificate-of-occupancy rule for other buildings was not found

  • Occupancy affidavit must be filed with the zoning and codes director before the certificate issues.

  “an affidavit of occupancy shall be provided to the zoning and codes director prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in unincorporated Douglas County, including land inside Kanwaka township that is not in a city; this is county zoning that applies because no Kanwaka township ordinance was located, not a township ordinance

  • Applies only to unincorporated territory; cities administer their own zoning.
  • Agricultural-use land and structures may be exempt if the zoning and codes director determines they are used strictly for agricultural purposes (see agricultural_exemption claim).

  “the zoning regulations apply to all development activity, public and private, within the unincorporated territory of douglas county, kansas”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts applying to unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Districts named include AG-1, AG-2, CP, LS, LB, RT, GB, LI, GI, V, BSC, EWP and ASO; the official zoning district map is dated February 19, 2020 and amended over time.
  • Section 12-302-1.01 maps prior districts to the new ones: a (agricultural) to ag-1 for parcels of 20 acres or more; v-c (valley channel) to ag-2 for parcels of less than 20 acres.

  “12-302-1.01 conversion of existing zoning districts the zoning district map designations in effect prior to the effective date of the revised zoning regulations are converted as follows:”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  AG-1 agricultural district on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township (parcels of 20 acres or more under the district conversion rule)

  • The district conversion rule describes AG-1 as parcels with 20 acres or more.
  • Chart footnote [2] was not read in the extraction.
  • Additional area may be required under the county sanitary code for septic systems; that code was not opened.

  minimum parcel area: >= 20 acres (footnote [2] not read)

  “rear setback 30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ minimum parcel area 20[2] 20[2] 20[2] 20[2] 20[2]”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — AG-2 transitional agricultural district on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township (parcels of less than 20 acres under the district conversion rule)

    “10 acres [2] 10 acres [2] 10 acres [2] 10 acres [2] 10 acres [2]”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Rear setback in the AG-1 agricultural district on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Front and exterior side setbacks vary by road classification and are not fully legible in the extracted chart; they were not recorded.
  • Additional dimensional standards in section 12-305 may apply.

  rear setback: >= 30 feet (front and side setbacks by road class not recorded)

  “rear setback 30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ minimum parcel area 20[2] 20[2] 20[2] 20[2] 20[2]”

• Building heightSpecified

  AG-1 agricultural district on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Additional dimensional standards in section 12-305 may apply.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “minimum depth 300 250’ 250’ 250’ 250’ maximum height 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — AG-2 transitional agricultural district on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

    “250’ 250’ 250’ 250’ max. height 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units as an accessory use in AG-1, AG-2 and CP districts on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Occupancy restricted to a relative or family member, a caregiver, or a farm employee.
  • Occupancy is required for at least three years after the certificate of occupancy issues.
  • An occupancy affidavit must be filed before the certificate of occupancy issues.
  • Subject to use-specific standards in section 12-306-1.

  required occupancy period after certificate of occupancy: >= 3 years (occupancy by relative/family member, caregiver, or farm employee)

  “the accessory dwelling unit shall be occupied by one of the following for not less than three years following the issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the accessory dwelling unit: (1) a relative/family member, (2) a caregiver, or a (3) farm employee.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite sewage systems for homes on land inside Kanwaka township

  • The FAQ names the Douglas County Health Department; whether it is county-run or a joint health district was not verified.
  • Septic approval is a building permit prerequisite.

  “douglas county health department approval of septic system”

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes on land inside Kanwaka township that need a septic system before a county building permit issues

  • Septic system approval by the Douglas County Health Department is listed as a required item before the building permit is obtained.
  • The septic permit form, fees, and setback rules were not read.

  “douglas county health department approval of septic system”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Land and structures used strictly for agriculture on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Exemption applies only when the zoning and codes director determines the use is strictly agricultural and in compliance with a K.S.A. cross-referenced section.
  • Building and septic rules may still apply.

  “land or structures determined by the zoning and codes director to be exempt due to their being used strictly for agricultural purposes”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Road access entrance for a new building on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • Approval is needed from the township, the state, or the Douglas County Public Works department, depending on the road.

  “approval of the road access entrance from township, state or douglas county public works dept.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Vacation rentals on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • An owner or entity may hold no more than 3 vacation rentals in unincorporated Douglas County at one time.
  • No more than one vacation rental may be registered in a single dwelling.
  • The rental may not cause a nuisance; county code chapter 7 nuisance rules apply.
  • Ingress and egress on adjacent roads must be sufficient, as determined by public works.

  vacation rentals per owner or entity: <= 3 rentals

  “no individual person, married couple, or entity shall, either directly or indirectly, own, own in-part, operate, or register more than 3 vacation rentals in the unincorporated territory of douglas county at any one time”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and building permit fees for unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • The fee amounts themselves were not read; the fee schedule is linked from the county building code page.

  “view the fee schedule for various zoning and building permits”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for homes on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township

  • The FAQ lists typical items; a detailed requirements list is available only at the Zoning and Codes office.
  • Zoning office confirms that the parcel is buildable before the permit issues.

  “these are the typical items we need to obtain a building permit”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Kanwaka Township or Douglas County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township
• Building code adopted — Which construction code Douglas County adopts for unincorporated land in Kanwaka township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling on land inside Kanwaka township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in agricultural districts on unincorporated land in Kanwaka township
• Living in an RV — Living in a recreational vehicle as a residence on land inside Kanwaka township

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.