Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Mapleton Township, Minnesota

Rules another office applies inside Mapleton Township

Mapleton Township 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

  Single-family dwelling on land in the A Agriculture district of the Blue Earth County zoning ordinance, where that district applies inside Mapleton township

  • Source is a 10_1_13 excerpt of Chapter 24; later amendments were not checked.
  • Dwellings in the A district are limited to not more than one per quarter of a quarter section, with bonus and lots-of-record exceptions in sec. 24-114.
  • Land inside the City of Mapleton is outside this claim.

  minimum buildable lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width at building setback line: >= 150 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 175 feet

  “(e) lot area regulations. every lot or plot of land on which a single-family dwelling is erected in the a district shall contain a buildable lot area of not less than one acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Dwellings and buildings in the A Agriculture district of the Blue Earth County zoning ordinance, where that district applies inside Mapleton township

  • Front setback is 130 feet from the centerline of federal, state, county and county-state aid highways (100 feet from right-of-way line for divided highways) and 65 feet from the centerline of other public rights-of-way and private roads.
  • Accessory buildings are not allowed within the required front yard.
  • New residential dwellings must also meet the feedlot setback in sec. 24-3(b), not reviewed here.
  • Source is a 10_1_13 excerpt; later amendments were not checked.

  front yard setback, county and state highways: 130 feet (measured from centerline; 100 feet from right-of-way line for divided highways) · front yard setback, other public rights-of-way and private roads: >= 65 feet (measured from centerline) · side yard setback: >= 50 feet (each side of building) · rear yard setback: >= 50 feet

  “(c) side yard regulations. there shall be a side yard having a width of not less than 50 feet on each side of a building in the a district.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential buildings in the A Agriculture district of the Blue Earth County zoning ordinance, where that district applies inside Mapleton township

  • No height limit for agricultural buildings in the A district except where hazardous conditions may result.
  • Source is a 10_1_13 excerpt; later amendments were not checked.

  maximum residential building height: <= 35 feet (or 2.5 stories)

  “no residential building, hereafter erected or altered, shall exceed 35 feet or 2½ stories in height.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  One additional accessory dwelling on land in the A Agriculture district of the Blue Earth County zoning ordinance, where that district applies inside Mapleton township

  • Parcel must contain more than 20 acres and the accessory dwelling must not be the primary residence on the parcel.
  • Must be an integral part of an agricultural operation to house labor.
  • Must be served by an approved water and sewage treatment system.
  • Must be removed when no longer used as a dwelling for an agricultural operation.
  • Source is a 10_1_13 excerpt; later amendments were not checked.

  “(3) one additional accessory dwelling subject to the following: a. shall be a stickbuilt dwelling or a manufactured home constructed and installed according to standards contained in subsection 24-462(1), located on a parcel containing more than 20 acres and not the primary residence on the parcel.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite sewage treatment (septic) systems on land inside Mapleton township, administered by Blue Earth County Property and Environmental Resources Department

  • The county page says its environmental protection standards for septic systems have been adopted countywide.
  • Land inside the City of Mapleton is outside this township claim.

  “currently, the county property and environmental resources department staff perform the following duties:”

• Septic permitRequired

  New and replacement septic system installations on land inside Mapleton township

  • Per the county page, the installation permit is issued after soil verification, plan review and fee payment; the fee schedule and operating-permit rules were not opened.
  • Land inside the City of Mapleton is outside this township claim.

  “review design plans submitted for permitting issue permits conduct inspections of new & replacement installations”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New and replacement septic system installations on land inside Mapleton township

  • Inspection is by the county Property and Environmental Resources Department staff, per the county page.

  “conduct inspections of new & replacement installations”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions on land inside Mapleton township outside the City of Mapleton

  • The county page states the county administers subdivision ordinances; the subdivision standards themselves were not opened.

  “the county administers land use related ordinances for zoning, subdivisions, shoreland, floodplain, and feedlots.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Mapleton Township or Blue Earth County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for new dwellings inside Mapleton township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home built by the owner inside Mapleton township
• Building code adopted — Adoption of a building code for new construction inside Mapleton township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new dwellings inside Mapleton township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Mapleton township

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Mapleton Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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