Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lexington, Minnesota

Lexington’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, improvement, removal, conversion, or demolition of a building or structure inside Lexington.

  • A separate building or mechanical permit is required for each building, structure, or mechanical component.

  “It is unlawful for any person to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, or demolish any building or structure [...] without first obtaining a separate building or mechanical permit”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction regulated by Lexington's building code.

  • Optional chapters do not apply unless specifically adopted by ordinance.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code [...] is hereby adopted by reference with the exception of the optional chapters, unless specifically adopted in this ordnance.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Projects receiving residential building permits in Lexington city.

  • Inspection requests require 24 hours' advance notice; inspections are performed within 24 hours of request.

  “I alone will be responsible for compliance with all applicable building codes and ordinances [...] and for calling for all required inspections.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Lexington city limits.

  • Uses must comply with the applicable zoning district and Chapter 11.

  “For the purpose of this Chapter, the City is hereby divided into the following zoning districts.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Lexington city.

  • District boundaries are set forth on the official zoning map on file with the Clerk.

  districts: B-1, B-2, B-4, M-1, M-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, O-S

  “B-1 Limited Business B-2 Highway and Business Services B-4 General Business M-1 Mixed Medium Density Residential With Business M-2 Professional & Business Office Development R-1 Single Family Detached Residential R-2 Single Family Detached and Two Family Residential R-3 Townhouse and 4-Plex R-4 Medium Density Residential R-5 Manufactured home Park O-S Open Space”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupancy of a recreational vehicle on a residential parcel inside Lexington.

  • One recreational vehicle per residential parcel; only non-residents; maximum 14 days in any one year; noncommercial use only; no fee paid to landowner, occupant, or renter.

  maximum occupancy period: <= 14 days per year (Only for non-residents and one recreational vehicle per residential parcel.)

  “Temporary parking and occupancy of one recreational vehicle per residential parcel shall be allowed for non-residents of the City for a maximum of a fourteen (14) day period in any one year”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured-home occupancy in Lexington's R-5 Manufactured Home Park district.

  • The zoning schedule identifies manufactured housing and manufactured homes in the R-5 district; additional placement standards may apply.

  maximum density: <= 10 dwelling units per acre (R-5 schedule entry.)

  “R-5 Manufactured home Park Manufactured Housing Manufactured Homes [...] Manufactured Residential Structures at a maximum density of 10 dwelling units per acre”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Connections to Lexington municipal utilities.

  • City consent is required before a connection; all required fees, charges, and assessments must be paid in full.

  “No connection shall be made until consent has been received from the City to make the same, and all fees, charges and assessments required by this Chapter have been paid in full.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions of land inside Lexington city.

  • An owner or agent may not transfer a parcel in a proposed major or minor subdivision before a plat or certificate of survey is approved by the Council and filed with the Anoka County Recorder.

  “All subdivision of land hereafter submitted for approval shall fully comply with the regulations set forth herein.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications for development inside Lexington.

  • A zoning amendment, variance, or conditional-use proposal must follow the applicable ordinance procedures; permit issuance is within 60 days upon fee payment if the development conforms.

  permit issuance period: <= 60 days (After Building Inspector review and approval, conformance with Chapter 11, and permit-fee payment.)

  “a building permit shall be issued by the Zoning Administrator within a period of sixty (60) days upon permit fee payment.”

Rules another office applies inside Lexington

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal structures in Lexington's R-1 Single Family Detached Residential district.

  • Table measurements are in lineal feet unless indicated.

  front yard: >= 35 feet (R-1 principal structure.) · rear yard: >= 20 feet (R-1 principal structure.) · side yard: >= 5 feet (R-1 principal structure.)

  “R-1 11,250 75 150 40% 35 20 5 3 stories or 40’ 20 1 story”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in Lexington's R-1 Single Family Detached Residential district.

  • The maximum includes all structures and paved surfaces.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent (All structures and paved surfaces in R-1.)

  “Maximum Lot Coverage (All structures & paved surfaces)”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal structures in Lexington's R-1 Single Family Detached Residential district.

  maximum principal-structure height: 3 stories or 40 feet (R-1 district.)

  “R-1 11,250 75 150 40% 35 20 5 3 stories or 40’ 20 1 story”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Lexington city.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in Lexington's R-1 Single Family Detached Residential district.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping other than the specifically regulated recreational-vehicle occupancy provision inside Lexington.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Lexington city.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Lexington city.

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.