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

Rules another office applies inside Durham Township

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS, where no township zoning ordinance has been verified; the county zoning regulations are the rule that applies there

  • The cited county page is a summary that describes the regulations in proposed and future tense; the adopted resolution text was not opened.
  • Durham township was not verified to lie outside incorporated city limits; the claim applies only to unincorporated land.
  • The county zoning regulations apply to unincorporated areas of Ottawa County, not to incorporated cities.

  zoning districts: 5 districts

  “the county commissioners have designated truette mcqueen as county zoning administrator.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land in Ottawa County, KS, including Durham township if unincorporated

  • The county page summarizes five districts (A-1 agricultural, V-1 village, SR-1 single-family suburban residential, C-1 general commercial, I-1 industrial) in proposed tense; the adopted official zoning map was not opened.

  zoning districts: 5 districts

  “the zoning regulations comprise five zoning districts.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  A-1 agricultural district (agricultural and rural land, main rural district) in unincorporated Durham township, Ottawa County, KS

  • Exceptions in the summary: dividing off an existing farm dwelling from farmland; using an historical dwelling site for a new residence; and an existing separately owned lot or tract used as a residential building site even if smaller.
  • Any lot must still meet the county sanitary code minimum of three acres plus distance needed for sewage disposal facilities.
  • The 18 special uses listed in the district are subject to separate approval by the planning board and county commissioners.
  • Summary describes the regulations in proposed tense; adopted text not verified.

  minimum lot size, nonfarm residential uses: >= 20 acres (except for various exceptions listed in the district summary) · minimum lot size, other uses: >= 40000 square feet

  “nonfarm residential uses would require at least a minimum lot size of 20 acres except for various exceptions. other uses would need a minimum of 40,000 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — SR-1 single-family suburban residential district (main single-family district) in unincorporated Durham township, Ottawa County, KS

    “this district is established to provide for a minimum of three‑acre lots for rural housing that would also meet the county sanitary code for environmental protection.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured and mobile homes on private land in unincorporated Durham township, Ottawa County, KS

  • Permitted in limited circumstances under the zoning district rules: replacing grandfathered older homes, watchman or custodian housing, farm or ranch assistance dwellings, temporary disaster housing, temporary housing while building a site-built house, and hardship cases.
  • Manufactured homes in the A-1 district must be on enclosed, perimeter permanent-type foundations when used as residential dwellings.
  • No such homes may be used for storage purposes only.
  • Summary describes the regulations in proposed tense; adopted text not verified.

  “under certain conditions, they can be used to (a) replace older homes that have been grandfathered‑in; (b) provide housing for a watchman or custodian; (c) locate a dwelling for additional assistance on a farm or ranch; (d) temporarily provide housing during a disaster; (3) provide temporary housing while constructing a site‑built house; and (f) locate on the same zoning lot as a principle residence if an unusual hardship is shown.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sewage disposal facilities on unincorporated land inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS; the county sanitary code is the sanitary rule cited in the county zoning summary

  • The county page refers to the county sanitary code but does not name the office that issues the permit; the administering health office was not verified.
  • Applies only to unincorporated land; incorporated cities have their own rules.

  minimum lot size for sanitary code compliance: >= 3 acres (plus any additional land needed to meet distance requirements for sewage disposal facilities)

  “in any case, all three exceptions will need to meet the minimum lot size of three acres of the county sanitary code for environmental protection plus any additional land that may be needed to meet distance requirements for locating sewage disposal facilities.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable

  Agricultural land use and related accessory structures in unincorporated Durham township, Ottawa County, KS

  • Exempt only if the structures are not located in a designated floodplain.
  • No fee for an agricultural compliance certificate and no zoning permit for exempted agricultural structures outside a designated floodplain.
  • Summary describes the regulations in proposed tense; adopted text not verified.

  “while an agricultural compliance certificate may be requested to determine the agricultural exemption status, no fee is required for the certificate nor a zoning permit for exempted agricultural structures which are not in a designated floodplain.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land in unincorporated Durham township, Ottawa County, KS

  • The county page refers to proposed zoning and subdivision regulations; the adopted subdivision text was not opened.
  • Platting is encouraged for subdivisions with interior streets (SR-1 district).

  “any division of land, however, would still have to meet the provisions of the proposed zoning and subdivision regulations.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit for structures and uses in unincorporated Durham township, Ottawa County, KS; the county zoning permit process is the only process verified

  • The zoning permit is separate from a building permit and does not control how or with what materials a structure is constructed.
  • Six exemptions apply, including agricultural use outside a designated floodplain and certain farm or utility structures.
  • Building-permit and septic-permit steps were not verified.

  “obtaining a zoning permit would be required for a proposed structure or use except for the six exemptions listed previously.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New construction inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS
• Building code adopted — New construction inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Durham township, Ottawa County, KS

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.