Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Gilman, Minnesota

Gilman’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Structures, fences, and signs erected, converted, enlarged, moved, demolished, reconstructed, or altered within Gilman city limits.

  • The building inspector issues the permit only after determining plans and the application comply with the zoning ordinance.
  • Applications must be made to the City Clerk on City forms.

  “No structure, fence or sign may be erected, converted, enlarged, moved, demolished, reconstructed or altered without first obtaining a Permit”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work authorized by a Gilman building permit.

  • The owner or owner's agent must call inspections at least 24 hours in advance.

  inspection notice: >= 24 hours (Called in by the owner or owner's agent.)

  “All inspections shall be called in at least 24 hours in advance by the owner or owner's agent.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Gilman city corporate limits.

  • The ordinance applies within city corporate limits.

  “This Ordinance applies to all of the area within the corporate limits of the City of Gilman.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Gilman city limits.

  • District boundaries are shown on the Official Zoning Map on file with the City Clerk.

  “The following zoning district classifications are established within the City of Gilman:”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  An occupied camper, travel trailer, or motor coach on land not designated as a manufactured-home park or travel-trailer court inside Gilman city limits.

  • The restriction does not state a ban within a designated manufactured-home park or travel-trailer court.

  “No occupied Manufactured Home, house trailer, camper, travel trailer or motor coach may be located on any lot, tract or parcel of land not designated as a Manufactured Home Park or travel trailer court.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Newly constructed buildings inside Gilman city limits that are required to have sanitary sewer by applicable law.

  • Applies when the Building Code, ordinance, or another applicable law, rule, or regulation requires sanitary sewer.

  “All newly constructed buildings required to have sanitary sewer by the Building Code, Ordinance, or other applicable law, rule, or regulation must be connected to City sewer services.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Floodplain and flood-zone land inside Gilman city limits.

  • The FP Flood Plain Overlay District is superimposed on other zoning districts.
  • The City incorporates the Benton County Flood Plain Ordinance by reference; that ordinance controls and binds citizens regarding flood plains and flood zones.

  “The City adopts and incorporates the Benton County Flood Plain Ordinance by reference as the City’s Flood Plain Overlay District.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  City building-permit applications.

  • A standard fee applies to application submission.
  • Additional fee and guidelines apply after building-inspector approval.

  “Permit Application is approved by Building Inspector (Additional Fee and guidelines are applied)”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Gilman city limits.

  • Application is submitted to City Hall; the City Clerk passes it to the building inspector.
  • Fees and guidelines apply as stated in the workflow.

  “Building Permit is issued and work can begin”

Rules another office applies inside Gilman

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the A-1 Agricultural District inside Gilman city limits.

  minimum lot area: >= 40 acres · minimum lot width: >= 500 feet

  “Lot area must be at least forty (40) acres.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Single and Two Family Residential District inside Gilman city limits.

    “Lot area for lots with a single-family dwelling must be at least 10,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Single and Two Family Residential District inside Gilman city limits.

  • Corner lots require a 20-foot side-yard setback.
  • Approved conditional uses require a 20-foot side-yard setback.
  • For lots platted before the ordinance effective date, front-yard setback is 20 feet and side-yard setback is 5 feet.

  front yard setback: >= 30 feet · side yard setback: >= 5 feet (Corner lots and approved conditional uses have stated larger requirements.) · rear yard setback: >= 20 feet

  “Notwithstanding anything in this Section apparently to the contrary, for Lots platted before this Ordinance’s effective date, the setbacks will be as follows:”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Development in the A-1 Agricultural District inside Gilman city limits.

    “The front yard setback must be at least one hundred (100) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 Single and Two Family Residential District inside Gilman city limits.

  maximum floor-area-ratio: <= 0.3 (All buildings on the lot.)

  “The floor-area-ratio may not exceed .30, which means not more than 30% of the lot area may be used for floor areas of all buildings on the lot.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in the A-1 Agricultural District inside Gilman city limits.

  • Agricultural buildings have no height restrictions.

  maximum residential structure height: <= 35 feet · maximum nonagricultural nonresidential structure height: <= 35 feet

  “Agricultural buildings have no height restrictions.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential structures in the R-1 Single and Two Family Residential District inside Gilman city limits.

    “Accessory Buildings may not exceed eighteen (18) feet in height.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory apartments in the B-1 Central Business District inside Gilman city limits.

  • The apartment must be an integral part of the principal commercial building.
  • It may be occupied only by the business owner or an employee.

  “Accessory apartment when included as an integral part of the principal commercial building to be occupied only by the owner or an employee of the business.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed construction inside Gilman city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Gilman city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Gilman city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling floor area in the R-1 Single and Two Family Residential District.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Gilman 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.