Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Circle Pines, Minnesota

Circle Pines’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, constructing, altering, enlarging, repairing, moving, or removing a building or structure inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • Work exempt under the State Building Code is excepted.
  • The application is made to the City Building Official on City forms.
  • A permit may be issued only after the Building Official determines the application and plans comply with Chapter 13, the State Building Code, and other applicable laws and ordinances.
  • A permit may become void if work is not begun within 90 days or substantially completed within one year, or a shorter written period set by the Building Official.

  permit commencement deadline: 90 days (Permit may become void at the Building Official's discretion if work is not begun within this period.) · permit completion deadline: 1 year (Permit may become void at the Building Official's discretion; a shorter written period may be set by the Building Official.)

  “Except for exempt work as defined in the State Building Code, no person shall erect, construct, alter, enlarge, repair, move, or remove any building or structure or part thereof without first securing a building permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings regulated by the building code inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • The adopted code is administered and enforced in accordance with Minnesota Rule Chapter 1300.
  • The City designates a Minnesota Certified Building Official to administer the code.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code established pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 16B.59 to 16B.75 is hereby adopted as the building code for the City of Circle Pines.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land and buildings inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • Uses, land, buildings, and structures must be permitted as principal, accessory, or conditional uses under the City Code.

  “Use of land, buildings, and structures not permitted below as either principal, accessory, or conditional are prohibited.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes and manufactured-home parks in Circle Pines floodplain districts.

  • New manufactured-home parks and expansions of existing manufactured-home parks are prohibited in every floodplain district.
  • Placement or replacement of manufactured-home units is prohibited in the Floodway District.
  • If allowed in the Flood Fringe District, placement or replacement is subject to § 1405.00 and the listed elevation, anchoring, and access standards.

  “New manufactured home parks and expansions to existing manufactured home parks are prohibited in any floodplain district.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual sewage treatment systems on land inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • An individual sewage treatment system may not be installed or renovated where public sewer service is currently available.
  • Within the Metropolitan Council-approved Urban Service Area, developers must locate systems to maximize the economic feasibility of connection to public sewer, consistently with the other provisions of the section.

  “No person shall install or renovate an individual sewage treatment system within the City without first obtaining a system permit from the administrator, applicable to the specific activity to be undertaken.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Use of an individual sewage treatment system inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • No individual sewage treatment system may be installed or renovated where public sewer service is currently available.
  • Within the Metropolitan Council-approved Urban Service Area, developers must locate systems to maximize economic feasibility of connection to public sewer consistently with the other provisions of the section.

  “No individual sewage treatment system shall be installed or renovated on lands to which public sewer service is currently available.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Proposed subdivisions inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • Where recommended by the Commission and approved by the Council, a reasonable portion of a proposed subdivision may be dedicated or preserved for public use.
  • The code states that, as a general rule, 10 percent of subdivision land is reasonable for park, playground, trail, or open-space dedication or preservation.
  • Subdivision-approval applications must be accompanied by the fee set in Code § 350.

  general-rule dedication or preservation: 10 percent of subdivision land (The requirement is subject to the particular proposed development, Commission recommendation, and Council approval.)

  “It is hereby found and declared that, as a general rule, it is reasonable to require that an amount of land equal to ten (10) percent of the land in the proposed subdivision be dedicated or preserved as parks, playgrounds, trails or open space.”

• Short-term rentalsProhibited

  Every dwelling inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • Registration to operate a short-term rental is prohibited.
  • A violation is a misdemeanor, and each day that a violation exists is a separate violation.

  “No dwelling within the City of Circle Pines may be utilized or operated as a Short-Term Rental. Registration to operate a Short-Term Rental is prohibited.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Work governed by the City building code inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • Fees are assessed according to the fee schedule adopted by Circle Pines.
  • A surcharge is collected on all permits issued for work governed by the code under Minnesota Statute 16B.70.

  “Permit fees shall be assessed for work governed by this code in accordance with the fee schedule adopted by the City of Circle Pines.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • Applications are made to the City Building Official using City forms.
  • When required by the Building Official, two sets of a site plan meeting § 1310.02 must accompany the application.
  • Issuance requires compliance with Chapter 13, the State Building Code, and other applicable laws and ordinances.

  “An application for a building permit shall be made to the Building Official of the City on forms supplied by the City.”

Rules another office applies inside Circle Pines

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

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory apartments for elderly or disabled persons in the R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 residential districts inside Circle Pines city limits.

  • The use is limited to accessory apartments for elderly or disabled persons.
  • The use requires no off-street parking in addition to off-street parking permitted in the applicable district.
  • The table does not mark the use for the R-A district.

  “Accessory apartments for elderly or disabled persons provided that the use requires no off-street parking in addition to off street parking permitted in the applicable district x x x x”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Circle Pines or Anoka County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Circle Pines city limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Circle Pines city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Circle Pines city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwelling units inside Circle Pines city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Circle Pines city 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.