Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Longville, Minnesota

Longville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Placement of structures or additions, including residences, garages, decks, signs, second-story additions, and basements inside Longville city limits.

  • Agricultural accessory structures are excluded from this permit requirement.
  • Grading and filling activities exempted by the ordinance are excluded.
  • Applications are made to the City on forms provided by the City Clerk.
  • A zoning permit is void if no action occurs within 12 months unless extended; exterior work must be complete within 18 months unless extended.

  “A permit is, required for the placement of structures or structure additions, including such activities as construction of residences, garages, decks, signs, second story additions, basements, (but not including agricultural accessory structures), and those grading and filling activities not exempted by this Ordinance.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Land-use approvals, variances, conditional-use permits, and other land-use applications inside Longville city limits.

  • The zoning administrator may direct or conduct inspections to determine ordinance compliance.
  • Periodic and final inspections are specified for property subject to approval conditions.

  “Direct or conduct inspections of uses of the land to determine compliance with the terms of the Ordinance.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All incorporated areas inside Longville city limits.

  • Uses and structures must conform to the ordinance unless it specifically provides otherwise.

  “The City of Longville is hereby divided into Zoning Districts as shown on the official Zoning District map, which may be subsequently amended by the procedures of Section 7.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All incorporated areas inside Longville city limits.

  • District boundaries are shown on the official zoning district map and may be amended under Section 7.

  zoning districts: Open Space (O); Residential (R-1); Shoreline Residential (R-2); Public (P); Commercial Waterfront (CW); Commercial (C); Downtown (D)

  “The following Districts are hereby established: Open Space .................................................... O Residential ................................................... R-1 Shoreline Residential ....................................... R-2 Public ............................................................ P Commercial Waterfront .................................. CW Commercial .................................................... C Downtown ......................................................D”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Properties inside Longville city limits not served by available municipal sanitary sewer.

  • An individual sewage treatment system must conform to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Standards, Chapter 7080.
  • Properties must connect to municipal sanitary sewer where available.

  “All properties shall be connected to the municipal sanitary sewer system, where available. Individual sewage treatment systems shall conform to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Standards - Chapter 7080.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties inside Longville city limits where the municipal sanitary sewer system is available.

  • Connection is required where municipal sanitary sewer is available.
  • Where sewer is unavailable, individual sewage treatment systems must conform to MPCA Chapter 7080.

  “All properties shall be connected to the municipal sanitary sewer system, where available. Individual sewage treatment systems shall conform to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Standards - Chapter 7080.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable

  Agricultural accessory structures inside Longville city limits.

  • The exemption is from the specified placement/addition permit provision only.
  • Other city, state, or agency approvals may still apply.

  “A permit is, required for the placement of structures or structure additions, including such activities as construction of residences, garages, decks, signs, second story additions, basements, (but not including agricultural accessory structures)”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of property inside Longville city limits.

  • Subdivision by plat or condominium plat requires Planning Commission and Council approval.
  • Metes-and-bounds subdivision approval is required if either resulting parcel is under 10 acres and 500 feet wide for residential lots or under 5 acres and 300 feet wide for commercial lots.
  • Metes-and-bounds divisions are limited to one split into two parcels in a three-year period, subject to the stated additional right-of-way/common-driveway exception.

  “Subdivision by Plat or Condominium Plat shall be approved by the Planning Commission and Council. B. Subdivision by metes and bounds shall be approved by the Planning Commission and Council if either of the resulting parcels is less than 10 acres and 500 feet of width for residential lots or 5 acres and 300 feet of width for commercial lots, and shall be limited to no more than one split of a parcel into two parcels in a three year period of time.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Rental of dwellings inside Longville city limits.

  • Unless specifically allowed, no more than four leases per dwelling per year are permitted.
  • Weekly rental or more than four leases per year is listed as a permitted use in the Commercial Waterfront district.

  leases per dwelling per year: <= 4 leases (Unless specifically allowed)

  “Unless specifically allowed, there shall be no more than four leases per year, per dwelling.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  City land-use permits and related approvals inside Longville city limits.

  • The published schedule is effective January 1, 2025.
  • No permits or licenses will be issued to an individual with outstanding city bills for property in Longville.

  house with attached garage or deck land-use fee: 200 USD · conditional-use fee: 395 USD · variance fee: 395 USD

  “City of Longville Fee Schedule - Effective 1/1/2025”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  City zoning-permit applications inside Longville city limits.

  • Application is made to the City on forms provided by the City Clerk.
  • The application must include information needed for the zoning administrator or designated city staff to determine site suitability.
  • Where Board, Planning Commission, Council action, or financial security is required, that action precedes issuance of the zoning permit.

  zoning permit inactivity period: 12 months (Unless extended by the zoning administrator) · exterior-work completion period: 18 months (Unless extended for good cause)

  “Application for a permit shall be made to the City on the forms provided by the City Clerk. The application shall include the information necessary in order that the Zoning Administrator or other designated member of the City staff to determine the site's suitability for the intended use.”

Rules another office applies inside Longville

Longville 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

  Residential (R-1) district inside Longville city limits.

  • Minimum buildable lot area is 10,000 square feet with city sewer and 30,000 square feet without city sewer.
  • Without municipal sewer, a 10,000-square-foot lot is permitted only where overall density does not exceed one dwelling per 30,000 square feet and the remaining area is restricted for on-site sewage treatment until sewer is provided.

  minimum buildable lot area with city sewer: 10000 square feet · minimum buildable lot area without city sewer: 30000 square feet

  “Buildable Lot Area - minimum 10,000 sq ft with city sewer, 30,000 sq. ft acres without city sewer”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Shoreline Residential (R-2) district inside Longville city limits.

    “Buildable lot area - square feet, minimum 20,000 Buildable lot area with guest quarters or duplex - square feet, minimum 40,000”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential (R-1) district inside Longville city limits.

  local-street right-of-way setback: 15 feet · collector and arterial street setback: 35 feet · side setback: 10 feet · corner-side setback: 15 feet

  “Setback, right-of-way, local streets – feet, minimum 15 Setback, right-of-way, collector and arterial streets – feet, minimum 35 Setback, side - feet, minimum 10 Setback, cornerside – feet, minimum 15”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Shoreline Residential (R-2) district inside Longville city limits.

    “Setback, OHW – feet, minimum 75 [...] Setback, bluff – feet, minimum 30 Setback, side - feet, minimum 10 Setback, corner side – feet, minimum 30”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential (R-1) district inside Longville city limits.

  maximum building height: <= 25 feet · maximum accessory-structure height: <= 20 feet (One story)

  “Building height - feet, maximum 25 Building height, accessory structure - feet, maximum 1-Story 20”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Shoreline Residential (R-2) district inside Longville city limits.

    “Building height - feet, maximum 25 Building height, accessory structure - feet, maximum 1-Story 20”

• Camping on your landAllowed

  Camping by the property owner in the Residential (R-1) district inside Longville city limits.

  • Limited to property-owner camping.
  • Other ordinance requirements and permit requirements apply.

  “2. Permitted Uses. (R-1) Accessory Structure Agricultural Use Camping (Property Owner Only)”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Manufactured homes in the Residential (R-1) and Shoreline Residential (R-2) districts inside Longville city limits.

  • New or replacement mobile homes are prohibited except in designated mobile-home parks.
  • New dwelling units, except those in an established mobile-home park, must be at least 20 feet wide and placed on a foundation.

  “Home Occupation Manufactured Home Parks, Playgrounds and Historic Sites”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory apartments in the Residential (R-1) district inside Longville city limits.

  • Accessory Apartment is a conditional use and requires the ordinance's conditional-use permit process.

  “3. Conditional Uses. (R-1) Accessory Apartment Animal Grooming Facility”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Longville city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Longville city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Longville city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling floor-area minimums inside Longville city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Longville 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.