Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Rice, Minnesota

Rice’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Rice city limits, Rice, Minnesota.

  • The Planning Commission is a recommending commission to the City Council.

  “The role of the Planning Commission is to prepare and periodically review the Comprehensive Plan and then putting that plan into action through zoning/subdivision regulations, zoning map, and a capital improvement program.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning district mapping inside Rice city limits.

  • The accessible city page confirms that the Planning Commission implements the Comprehensive Plan through a zoning map, but it does not identify the districts or make the map available in accessible text.

  “The role of the Planning Commission is to prepare and periodically review the Comprehensive Plan and then putting that plan into action through zoning/subdivision regulations, zoning map, and a capital improvement program.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Rice city limits.

  • The Planning Commission is a recommending commission to the City Council.

  “The role of the Planning Commission is to prepare and periodically review the Comprehensive Plan and then putting that plan into action through zoning/subdivision regulations, zoning map, and a capital improvement program.”

• Permit processPartial

  Land-use planning and subdivision review inside Rice city limits.

  • The Planning Commission is a recommending commission to the City Council.

  “The Planning Commission is a recommending commission to the City Council.  The role of the Planning Commission is to prepare and periodically review the Comprehensive Plan and then putting that plan into action through zoning/subdivision regulations, zoning map, and a capital improvement program.”

Rules another office applies inside Rice

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

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Individual subsurface sewage treatment systems inside Rice city limits, where a property uses such a system rather than municipal sewer.

  • The state rule says the standards are adopted countywide and administered and enforced by local units of government.
  • The rule regulates ISTS and does not regulate systems that do not receive sewage.
  • Systems serving two or more dwellings, systems serving establishments serving over 20 persons, and systems receiving nonsewage have additional federal regulation.

  “These environmental protection standards shall be adopted countywide and administered and enforced by local units of government as directed by chapter 7082 and Minnesota Statutes, section 115.55.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Hand-carried-water graywater disposal inside Rice city limits.

  • Graywater may not be discharged directly to surface waters, drainageways, or poorly drained soils.
  • Graywater may not be discharged in a manner or volume harmful to the environment or public health or creating a public-health nuisance as determined by the local unit of government.

  “Graywater that originated from hand-carried water must not be discharged directly to surface waters, drainageways, or poorly drained soils; in a manner or volume harmful to the environment or public health; or in a manner that creates a public health nuisance as determined by the local unit of government.”

• Well permitLimited

  Water-supply-well construction inside Rice city limits.

  • Before construction, a notification of the proposed water-supply well must be submitted to the commissioner.
  • The notification rule does not apply to monitoring wells, dewatering wells, or drive-point water-supply wells installed by the well owner on the owner's property for residential or agricultural use.
  • Notification must be on a commissioner-provided or approved form, be legible, include the required fee, and be signed by the certified licensee representative, property owner, or owner's agent.
  • The notification is valid for 18 months from filing.

  notification validity: 18 months

  “The owner of the property where a water-supply well is to be located, the property owner's agent, a licensed well contractor, or for a drive-point water-supply well, a limited drive-point well or dug well/boring contractor must submit notification of construction of the proposed water-supply well to the commissioner according to this part.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Rice city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Rice city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption and enforcement inside Rice city limits.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Rice city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered residential occupancy inside Rice 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.