Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Willow Springs Township, Kansas

Rules another office applies inside Willow Springs Township

Willow Springs 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

  New residential construction on land inside Willow Springs township that is in unincorporated Douglas County

  • Construction may proceed only after the listed approvals are obtained and a building permit is issued.
  • Only one residence is allowed per recorded deed.

  “the following requirements must be provided to the douglas county zoning and codes, prior to obtaining a building permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction on land inside Willow Springs township that is in unincorporated Douglas County

  • Applies to construction permitted by Douglas County Zoning and Codes; the form lists the editions shown in parameters.
  • Edition adoption date not stated on the form; not treated as an effective date.

  international building code edition: 2018 edition · international residential code edition: 2018 edition · national electrical code edition: 2017 edition

  “all construction shall be built in accordance with standards set forth in the 2018 international building code (ibc), the 2018 international residential code (irc)”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Willow Springs township that is in the unincorporated territory of Douglas County, Kansas, where the Douglas County zoning regulations apply because no Willow Springs township zoning ordinance was located

  • The county rule applies only where the township has not adopted its own zoning; the township ordinance question is unresolved (see local-zoning-township-unknown).
  • Land used strictly for agricultural purposes may be exempt from the zoning regulations (see agricultural-exemption-zoning).
  • Whether a parcel lies inside an incorporated city was not checked against a township boundary map.

  “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 for unincorporated land inside Willow Springs township, where the county zoning applies

  • District boundaries are on the official zoning district map, which was not opened.
  • Listed districts include AG-1 (agricultural) and AG-2 (transitional agricultural).

  “the zoning district regulations control the types of uses allowed and the way in which uses, buildings, and structures may be developed on a property. ag-1 ag-2 cp ls lb rt gb li gi v bsc ewp aso”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in the AG-1 (agricultural) zoning district inside Willow Springs township, where the county zoning applies

  • Height limit is in the AG-1 dimensional chart for all road classes.
  • Section 12-305 additional dimensional standards may modify this limit and were not opened.

  maximum height: <= 35 ft

  “maximum height 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ maximum density 1 du/20 acre”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic (on-site sewage management) systems on land inside Willow Springs township that is in unincorporated Douglas County

  • Sewage management must comply with the Douglas County sanitary code, which the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department administers.
  • Service-area wording for Willow Springs township was not located; the regulation is written for the unincorporated county.

  “a permit shall be obtained from the lawrence-douglas county health department”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Off-grid sewage disposal on land inside Willow Springs township that is in unincorporated Douglas County

  • Discharge of sewage to seepage pits, abandoned wells, cisterns, streams or the ground surface is prohibited.
  • Cesspools and absorption pits are prohibited for new or permanent installations.
  • Sewage holding tanks are not permitted for any newly constructed building.
  • Portable toilets are prohibited except on a temporary basis as determined by the health department.
  • Septic systems require a health department permit before installation.

  “cesspools and absorption pits shall be prohibited for new or permanent installations.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New single-family dwelling inside Willow Springs township served by a rural water district

  • Water service requires approval for a new water meter from the servicing rural water district.
  • Mandatory public water or sewer connection rules for Willow Springs township were not located.
  • Where land is not served by approved public utilities, the county septic and sanitation rules apply (see septic-permit-required and off-grid-sanitation-limited).

  “approval for a new water meter for new single family residential dwelling.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway or road access entrance for a residence inside Willow Springs township that is in unincorporated Douglas County

  • Approval is required from the Douglas County public works department, Kansas Department of Transportation, and/or the township board, as appropriate.
  • Which of these bodies applies to a given road was not determined.

  “approval of the road access entrance from the douglas county public works department, kansas department of transportation, and/or township board, as appropriate.”

• Permit processPartial

  Residential building permit process inside Willow Springs township that is in unincorporated Douglas County

  • Health department approval of sewage disposal and water supply must be secured before a building permit.
  • Road access approval comes from Douglas County Public Works, KDOT and/or the township board as appropriate.
  • The form lists requirements but no review timelines or fee schedule.

  “the following requirements must be provided to the douglas county zoning and codes, prior to obtaining a building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for an owner-occupied home inside Willow Springs township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Willow Springs township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Willow Springs township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Willow Springs township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits inside Willow Springs 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.