Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Loch Lynn Heights, Maryland

Town of Loch Lynn Heights’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits: the town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Garrett County, Maryland).

  • Zoning permit is required before erecting most structures or changing land or building use inside the town; the town zoning administrator approves permits, and county Planning & Land Management staff provides final review and approval of zoning permits.
  • Ordinance divides the town into TR town residential, TC town center and EC employment center districts.

  “the loch lynn heights zoning ordinance was originally enacted on june 3, 1974. a revised version of the document loch lynn heights zoning ordinance (755.71 kb) became effective september 2, 2014.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits: three districts (TR, TC, EC) and the town zoning map.

  • No agricultural or rural-residential district is listed in Article 3; agricultural uses are regulated within the TR, TC and EC districts through the use table.
  • Boundaries are shown on the zoning map referenced in Section 301 (map PDF linked from the county page, not separately opened).

  “tr town residential district tc town center district ec employment center district”

• Building heightSpecified

  All structures in all town districts (TR, TC, EC) inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.

  • Exceptions for church spires, chimneys, water towers, aerials and similar structures not devoted to human occupancy; sign heights are governed separately; communication towers have a 100 ft limit.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (church spires or steeples, chimneys, water towers, aerials and other structures not devoted to human occupancy)

  “a maximum height of 35 feet shall apply for structures in all districts, except as stated otherwise for specific types of structures, such as signs.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Travel trailers and boats stored as accessory uses on a lot inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits (accessory use table, item 5). Does not address other RV occupancy.

  • Applies only to the accessory travel trailer and boat storage use; occupancy of RVs as principal dwellings was not addressed in the text reviewed.

  “the trailer or boat shall not be occupied or used for dwelling purposes.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and manufactured home parks inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.

  • Park must comply with the town subdivision regulations; each site at least 10,800 sq ft; 25 ft minimum setback from street cartways; no mobile home within 20 ft of another home or building in the park.
  • Individual mobile homes are a separate use-table row whose district permissions were not extracted cleanly.

  minimum mobile home park lot area: >= 15 acres

  “each mobile home park shall have a minimum lot area of 15 acres.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  New non-agricultural principal buildings inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.

  • Required only where central sewage and central water systems are reasonably available.
  • Sewer service is subject to town mayor and council approval; water service comes from Garrett County Department of Public Utilities if available, per the town application.

  “a non-agricultural principal building shall not be constructed following the adoption of this ordinance unless it is served by both central sewage and central water systems, if such systems are reasonably available.”

• Subdividing landRegulated

  Mobile home parks and, by reference, development inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.

  • The town has its own subdivision regulations; their contents were not reviewed within budget.

  “a mobile home park shall comply with all of the improvement standards of the town subdivision regulations.”

• Permit processPublished

  Zoning permit application for construction or use inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.

  • Application is made at town hall by the owner or authorized agent; the county Planning & Land Management department gives final review and approval, and a building permit is initiated if needed.
  • Construction may not begin until all required building and zoning permits are issued.

  “applicants begin by obtaining a zoning application packet from the clerk at town hall where the procedure will be explained and questions may be answered.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Loch Lynn Heights

Town of Loch Lynn Heights 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 construction inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits: a county building permit from Garrett County Permits & Inspection Services, in addition to the town zoning permit (county-issued, not a town building department).

  • Stated as 'in most cases', so not every structure is covered; the county page says certain smaller structures need a site plan and zoning permit even when no building permit is required.
  • Construction may not begin until all required building and zoning permits are issued.

  “in most cases a building permit from the department of permits & inspection services will also be required.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  New lots inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits that are not served by a central sewage system: Garrett County Health Department preapproval.

  • Applies only to lots without central sewer; lots with central sewer are governed by the town sewer rules.
  • Health-district scope taken from the town ordinance's pointer to the county health department; septic design and permit details were not reviewed within budget.

  “any new lot that will not be served by a central sewage system shall require preapproval from the garrett county health department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New lots inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits without central sewer: preapproval from the Garrett County Health Department before construction.

  • Preapproval is stated in the town ordinance; a state septic construction permit may also apply and was not verified.
  • Sewer-served lots instead must meet the central sewer requirement in Section 405.

  “any new lot that will not be served by a central sewage system shall require preapproval from the garrett county health department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Loch Lynn Heights or Garrett County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage (building footprint as share of lot) inside Loch Lynn Heights town limits.

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.