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

Deerwood Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in Deerwood Township, Crow Wing County, Minnesota, for which Township meeting minutes state that planning and zoning is administered by Crow Wing County.

  • The Township minutes identify Crow Wing County, rather than Deerwood Township, as the current planning and zoning administrator.
  • The Crow Wing County Land Use Ordinance applies to unincorporated areas of the county and any municipality under contract with the county.
  • The county ordinance divides the county into land-use districts and regulates land use, structure location, height, bulk, setbacks, and lot sizes.

  “Josh Thompson will research the pros and cons for Deerwood Township to consider planning and zoning at the Township level. Presently planning and zoning for Deerwood Township is done by Crow Wing County. VRBOs are a concern.”

Rules another office applies inside Deerwood Township

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

• Building permitLimited

  Land-use activities, including new buildings or structures, on unincorporated land in Deerwood Township that are regulated by the Crow Wing County Land Use Ordinance.

  • Before a regulated land-use activity, the owner must apply for every permit required by the ordinance.
  • No permit or fee is required for interior or exterior residential maintenance if the exterior dimensions of the structure remain unchanged.
  • A county permit does not remove the owner's responsibility to obtain any required federal, state, or other approvals.
  • The claim does not establish a Minnesota State Building Code permit requirement; it concerns the county land-use permit program.

  “Prior to engaging in any land use activity regulated under the provision of this ordinance, the owner of the property shall make application for the necessary permit or permits required by this ordinance. A permit or fee is not required for inside or outside residential maintenance provided the exterior dimensions of the structure remain the same.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage treatment systems on land in Deerwood Township within Crow Wing County's applicable jurisdiction.

  • The county SSTS ordinance excludes incorporated areas that administer an SSTS program by ordinance within their incorporated jurisdiction that is at least as strict as the county ordinance.
  • The Crow Wing County Land Services Department administers the program, reviews SSTS applications, issues required permits, and inspects regulated work.
  • A land-use permit from the county is required before installation, construction, replacement, modification, alteration, or capacity expansion of an SSTS.
  • A state SDS permit is required when the combined flow and proximity conditions in Article 37.7 are met.

  “The jurisdiction of this Ordinance shall include all lands of the County except for incorporated areas that administer a Subsurface Sewage Treatment System (SSTS) program by Ordinance within their incorporated jurisdiction, which is at least as strict as this Ordinance. [...] The Crow Wing County Land Services Department shall administer the SSTS program and all provisions of this ordinance.”

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.