Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Remer, Minnesota

Remer’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  All new structures inside Remer city limits, under the City's zoning-permit program.

  • The zoning permit is issued only to the property owner.
  • Prior required board, commission, council, conditional-use, variance, zoning-district-change, final-plat, or security actions must occur before issuance.
  • No action may occur within 12 months after issuance or the permit is void; exterior work must be complete within 24 months unless extended.

  “Zoning Permits are required for all new structures and any change in structure dimensions, structural components, number of bedrooms”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Existing structures or uses in Remer city subject to approval conditions for a variance, conditional use permit, or other land-use application.

  • A Land Use Certificate of Compliance must be issued within 12 months of approval unless an extension is granted under Section 11.6.
  • The certificate states only that the building or use appears to comply with approval conditions.

  certificate deadline: <= 12 months (unless an extension is granted under Section 11.6)

  “Any existing structure or use of property subject to conditions of approval for a Variance, Conditional Use Permit or other land use application must have a Land Use Certificate of Compliance issued within twelve (12) months of the approval, unless an extension is granted under Section 11.6.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All property within Remer city municipal limits.

  • Uses are prohibited unless specifically allowed in the code.

  “The jurisdiction of this Ordinance shall include all property within the City of Remer municipal limits.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All property within Remer city municipal limits.

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

  districts: Forest Preservation (FP); Forest Residential (FR); Neighborhood Residential (NR); Rural Preservation (RP); Downtown Mixed-Use (DM); Commercial Transition/Light Industrial (CT); Recreation (REC)

  “Zoning Districts. The following Districts are hereby established: Forest Preservation [...] Forest Residential [...] Neighborhood Residential [...] Rural Preservation [...] Downtown Mixed-Use [...] Commercial Transition/Light Industrial [...] Recreation”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Individual units in a manufactured-housing development inside Remer city limits.

  • The development is a planned-unit development administered as a conditional use in a district where allowed.

  minimum unit size: >= 640 square feet (manufactured-housing development)

  “Each unit shall be a minimum of 640 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Forest Residential (FR) district inside Remer city limits.

  minimum buildable lot area: >= 5 acres (Forest Residential district) · minimum lot width: >= 400 feet (Forest Residential district)

  “Lot width – feet, minimum 400 Buildable lot area– acres 5”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Forest Residential (FR) district inside Remer city limits.

  city-road right-of-way setback: >= 30 feet (Forest Residential district) · county-or-state-road right-of-way setback: >= 50 feet (Forest Residential district) · side-yard setback: >= 30 feet (Forest Residential district) · rear-yard setback: >= 30 feet (Forest Residential district)

  “Setback, right of way, City road- feet, minimum 30 Setback, right of way, County or State road - feet, minimum 50 Setback, side yard – feet, minimum 30 Setback, rear yard – feet, minimum 30”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Forest Residential (FR) district inside Remer city limits.

  maximum impervious coverage: <= 10 percent (Forest Residential district)

  “Impervious coverage - percent maximum 10%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Forest Residential (FR) district inside Remer city limits.

  maximum dwelling height: <= 25 feet (Forest Residential district) · maximum accessory-structure height: <= 25 feet (Forest Residential district)

  “Building height, dwelling – feet, maximum 25 Building height, accessory structure – feet, maximum 25”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Camping units, including recreational vehicles, on property inside Remer city limits.

  • A camping unit may not be permanently placed or skirted and must be readily movable.
  • On a property with a principal structure, no individual unit may be used longer than 14 days within 60 days.
  • On property without a principal structure, more than 14 days in a calendar year requires a permit and permanent sewage treatment.

  maximum use with principal structure: <= 14 days within 60 days (individual camping unit)

  “No camping unit may be permanently placed or skirted. [...] All camping units must be able to be moved readily.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping units on property inside Remer city limits.

  • A maximum of four units is allowed at one time on properties with or without a principal structure.
  • On property with a principal structure, each individual unit is limited to 14 days within 60 days.
  • On property without a principal structure, a permit is required after 14 days in a calendar year.

  maximum units: <= 4 units (at any one time) · permit-free duration without principal structure: <= 14 days per calendar year (individual camping unit)

  “There shall be a maximum of four units allowed at any one time. [...] Each individual camping unit is allowed for 14 days in any one calendar year without a permit.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured-housing developments inside Remer city limits.

  • A manufactured-housing development is administered as a conditional use in a zoning district where allowed.
  • A Minnesota Department of Health permit is required.
  • Each unit must meet state building-code, HUD, age, and state-seal requirements.

  minimum development parcel: >= 20 acres (manufactured-housing development) · minimum unit size: >= 640 square feet (manufactured-housing development)

  “Manufactured housing development shall be considered a form of P.U.D. and administered as a Conditional Use in the zoning district where said use is allowed. [...] A Minnesota Department of Health Permit shall be required.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction or repair of a sewage system inside Remer city limits.

  • The requirement is for a City zoning permit.
  • Zoning permits are issued only to the property owner.

  “Zoning Permits are required for all new structures and any change in structure dimensions, structural components, number of bedrooms, any construction or repair of a sewage system”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Camping units on Remer city property without a principal structure that are established more than 14 days in a calendar year.

  • A permit is required for more than 14 days in a calendar year.
  • A camping-unit permit requires installation of a permanent sewage treatment system.
  • The maximum establishment period for an individual unit is nine months in a calendar year; one permit per parcel per calendar year is allowed.

  permit-free camping period: <= 14 days per calendar year (property without a principal structure) · maximum individual-unit establishment: <= 9 months per calendar year (property without a principal structure)

  “A permit is required for camping units established for more than 14 days in any one calendar year. [...] A permit for a camping unit requires installation of a permanent sewage treatment system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of property inside Remer city limits.

  • Plat or condominium-plat subdivision requires Planning Commission and City Council approval.
  • For metes-and-bounds subdivision, Planning Commission approval applies if either resulting parcel is less than 10 acres or 500 feet wide; Planning and Zoning Administrator approval applies if both resulting parcels exceed those thresholds.
  • A metes-and-bounds division is limited to one split into two parcels in a three-year period, subject to the stated additional right-of-way or common-driveway parcel allowance.

  metes-and-bounds approval threshold: < 10 acres (if either resulting parcel is less than 10 acres or 500 feet of width) · metes-and-bounds split frequency: <= 1 split per three years (split into two parcels)

  “Subdivision by Plat or Condominium Plat shall be in accordance with Section IX and shall be approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. Subdivision by metes and bounds shall be subject to approval by the Planning Commission in accordance with Section IX if either of the resulting parcels is less than 10 acres or 500 feet of width and shall be limited to no more than one split of a parcel into two parcels in a three year period of time.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Rural Conservation Subdivision development inside Remer city limits.

  • The restriction applies to land identified as environmentally sensitive for the Rural Conservation Subdivision development-yield analysis.
  • The cited provision does not establish the complete floodplain-permitting program for all City land.

  “Areas identified as being environmentally sensitive include, but are not limited to: i. All areas designated as 100-year floodplain by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Residentially zoned property rented or leased more than once within three months inside Remer city limits.

  • The owner must annually register with Planning and Zoning.
  • The property may not be rented more than once in a seven-day period or more than six times in 12 months.
  • Tents, campers, and other recreational vehicles are prohibited in conjunction with a rental or lease under this section.
  • Owner must provide a current septic-testing certificate, local contact, Minnesota Tax Identification Number, and Minnesota Department of Health license copy at registration.

  minimum period between rentals: >= 7 days (property may not be rented more than one time in the period) · maximum rental frequency: <= 6 times per twelve months (registered rental property)

  “All property owners seeking to or renting or leasing residentially-zoned property within the City of Remer more than one time within three months must annually register the property with the Planning and Zoning office.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  City building-permit applications in Remer.

  • Fees must be delivered to City Hall with the application.
  • The City directs applicants to call City Hall to determine permit cost.

  building permit fee basis: project valuation (collected when the application is turned in)

  “Building permit fees are based on the valuation of the project and collected when the application is turned in.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  City land-use applications and zoning permits inside Remer city limits.

  • The completed application packet includes City-approved application forms, a site plan with required ordinance information, and proper fees.
  • Review time begins once the Zoning Administrator or appointee receives the completed application packet.
  • Applicants with overdue City or County charges are not accepted until current.

  “It shall be the applicant's responsibility to submit a completed application packet, which shall by definition include the application forms approved by the City, site plan with all information required by this ordinance and remit proper fees for the land use application.”

Rules another office applies inside Remer

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

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Plumbing systems in buildings inside Remer city limits where public sewer is available and feasible or public water is accessible.

  • Public-sewer connection applies only if sewer is available in a street or alley and connection is feasible, unless prohibited by the code or a local ordinance.
  • Public-water connection applies if supply is accessible unless otherwise permitted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

  “If a public sewer is available in a street or alley to a building or premises and the connection is feasible, liquid waste from any plumbing system in that building shall be discharged into the public sewer unless otherwise prohibited by this code or a local ordinance. If a public water supply is accessible, the water distribution system shall be connected to it unless otherwise permitted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Remer city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Remer city limits.
• Inspections — Building-code inspections for construction inside Remer city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Remer city limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Remer 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.