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

Rules another office applies inside Wheatland Township

Wheatland 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

  Construction in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township; the permit is a county zoning certificate issued by the zoning administrator

  • Construction may proceed only after a valid zoning certificate is issued; a certificate expires 90 days after issuance unless construction or use is commenced.
  • If construction proceeded without a valid permit, the fee for a later zoning certificate is quadrupled (per the passage immediately before section 24-108).
  • The zoning administrator must refuse to issue any certificate that would violate the regulations (section 24-101).

  late-permit fee multiplier: 4 times fee (applies where construction proceeded without a valid permit)

  “a zoning certificate shall become null and void ninety (90) days after the date on which it is issued unless within such ninety (90) day period construction, building, moving, remodeling or reconstruction of a structure is commenced or a use is commenced.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New or existing buildings in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township

  • Certificate is issued by the zoning administrator (Ford County).

  “24-109 certificate of occupancy: no new or existing building or structure shall be occupied or used, and no change in the character or use of land or of a building shall occur, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the zoning administrator certifying that such building or use complies with all requirements of these regulations and other applicable ford county rules and regulations.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Wheatland township, to the extent it is in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, Kansas. This is county-administered zoning, not a Wheatland township ordinance. Use of land and buildings there is governed by the Ford County Zoning Regulations.

  • The regulations apply to all lands within the unincorporated portion of Ford County and do not apply inside incorporated cities such as Dodge City, which apply their own codes.
  • Whether Wheatland township itself has adopted zoning was not located; this claim relies on the county regulations applying to unincorporated land generally.
  • Zoning certificate and certificate of occupancy requirements apply under Article 24 (see the building permit and certificate of occupancy claims).

  “these regulations shall apply to all lands within the unincorporated portion of ford county, kansas.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts that apply in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township

  • Districts named in the text: ag agricultural, rr rural residential, sr suburban residential, r-1 single-family residential, v-1 village, ao airport overlay, fp floodplain, frd floodwater retarding dam breach impact.
  • The official zoning maps referenced in section 1-105 were not opened, so which district (if any) maps to a Wheatland township parcel is not established.

  “the unincorporated portion of ford county is hereby divided into districts of which they shall be in number known as:”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, where mapped in the unincorporated portion of Ford County (including land inside Wheatland township if mapped R-1)

  • Applies only where R-1 is mapped. Article 5 states the district is intended for use only where public sanitary sewers and water and other public utilities and services are present or are to be provided by the developer.
  • A single-family dwelling on a nonconforming lot of record at least 25 feet wide may be erected or expanded under section 22-101 if the lot was separately owned and conditions are met (see Article 22).

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit: >= 20000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft · minimum lot depth: >= 150 ft

  “5. lot dimensions: the minimum width of a lot shall be 100 feet. the minimum depth of a lot shall be 150 feet. 6. lot area per dwelling unit: every dwelling hereafter erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or altered, shall provide a minimum lot area of 20,000 square feet per dwelling unit.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RR rural residential district, where mapped in the unincorporated portion of Ford County (including land inside Wheatland township if mapped RR)

    “5. lot dimensions: the minimum width of a lot shall be 330 feet. the minimum depth of a lot shall be 330 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, where mapped in the unincorporated portion of Ford County (including land inside Wheatland township if mapped R-1)

  • Side yard applies on each side of a dwelling; the article 17 chart footnote states the side figure applies to one side only.
  • Applies only where R-1 is mapped.

  front yard minimum: >= 30 ft · side yard minimum: >= 15 ft (each side) · rear yard minimum: >= 20 ft

  “2. front yard: the depth of the front yard shall be at least 30 feet. 3. side yard: there shall be a side yard on each side of a dwelling. no side yard shall be less than 15 feet. 4. rear yard: the depth of the rear yard shall be at least 20 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RR rural residential district, where mapped in the unincorporated portion of Ford County (including land inside Wheatland township if mapped RR)

    “2. front yard: the depth of the front yard shall be at least 75 feet. 3. side yard: there shall be a side yard on each side of a dwelling. no side yard shall be less than 50 feet. 4. rear yard: the depth of the rear yard shall be at least 50 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district, where mapped in the unincorporated portion of Ford County (including land inside Wheatland township if mapped R-1)

  • Applies only where R-1 is mapped.

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (and/or 2-1/2 stories)

  “1. height: buildings or structures shall not exceed 35 feet and/or 2-1/2 stories in height.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — RR rural residential district, where mapped in the unincorporated portion of Ford County (including land inside Wheatland township if mapped RR)

    “1. height: nonagricultural buildings or structures shall not exceed 35 feet and/or 2-1/2 stories in height.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on private land in the rr, sr, r-1 and v-1 districts in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township if so zoned

  • Stored or parked RVs may not be occupied for living, sleeping, or housekeeping except temporarily or in an RV park or campground.
  • Parked RVs may not be placed in the front yard, within the required yard along a public street, or within 10 feet of a side or rear lot line unless stored in an enclosed structure.
  • No recreational vehicle may be used for dwelling purposes, even temporarily, while a dwelling is being constructed on the same site.

  “b. at no time shall a parked or stored recreational vehicle or item of recreational equipment be occupied or used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping purposes other than on a temporary basis or in a recreational vehicle park.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township

  • Listed among conditional uses; requires a conditional use permit under the county regulations.
  • Tract must be at least two acres.
  • Each service building and sanitary, water and fire protection requirements apply; no manufactured home may be parked in an RV park.

  minimum tract area: >= 2 acres

  “49. recreational vehicle park or campground, provided: a. the tract to be used as a recreational vehicle park or campground shall not be less than two (2) acres in area. under no circumstances shall a manufactured home be parked in a recreational vehicle park or campground.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes used as residential dwellings in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township

  • A manufactured home may be used only as a residential dwelling permitted under the regulations.
  • Any addition, alteration or modification must conform to the federal manufactured home construction and safety standards (24 CFR 3280).
  • Single-wide units may not be attached to other units or structures, except porches, decks and similar additions allowed by the regulations.

  “2. no manufactured home or mobile home shall be used for any purpose other than as a residential dwelling as permitted within these regulations.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Prohibited — Mobile homes (as defined in the Ford County regulations) on any property in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including land inside Wheatland township

    “19-111 prohibited uses: after the effective date of these regulations: 1. no mobile home, as defined in these regulations, shall be moved, relocated, or otherwise placed on any property in the unincorporated portion of ford county, including within any manufactured home park or manufactured home subdivision.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in mapped flood hazard areas (FIRM A zones and fw/ff overlay districts) in the unincorporated portion of Ford County, including any such land inside Wheatland township

  • Applies to lands identified on the flood insurance rate maps dated September 30, 1995, as amended, and revisions.
  • Residential structures in the floodway fringe must have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated at least one foot above base flood elevation (section 8-106).
  • Development in the floodway may not increase flood heights more than one foot.

  “in all areas covered by this article, no development shall be permitted except upon a permit granted by the zoning administrator under the provisions established in section 8-106 of this article.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption in the unincorporated area including Wheatland township
• Building code adopted — Which building code, if any, Ford County adopts for construction in the unincorporated area including Wheatland township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction in the unincorporated area including Wheatland township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Wheatland township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage inside Wheatland 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.