Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Garfield, Minnesota

Garfield’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings and land uses subject to Garfield's land-use ordinance.

  • Inspections are to determine compliance with Chapter 17 terms; periodic and final inspections apply to property subject to conditions of approval relating to variances, conditional use permits, and other land-use applications.

  “Direct or conduct inspections of building, sewage systems and other uses of the land to determine compliance with the terms of this Chapter.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Existing structures or uses inside Garfield city limits that are subject to conditions of approval for a variance, conditional use permit, or other land-use application.

  • The Land Use Certificate of Compliance must be issued within 12 months of approval and states that the building or use appears to comply with approval conditions.

  issuance deadline: 12 months (Measured from the approval.)

  “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.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Garfield city limits.

  • The ordinance states that more restrictive applicable laws, ordinances, statutes, resolutions, covenants, or regulations prevail unless authorized by the more restrictive agency.

  “The City of Garfield is hereby divided into Zoning Districts as shown on the official Zoning Map.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational-vehicle camping inside Garfield city limits.

  • Camping units must be road-capable, currently licensed, readily movable, not permanently placed or skirted, meet dwelling setbacks, and have owner permission. A unit on property with a principal structure may not be used more than 14 days in any 60 days unless authorized by conditional use permit. On property without a principal structure, a conditional use permit is required over 14 days per calendar year and the maximum is nine months per calendar year.

  use duration on property with principal structure: <= 14 days in any 60 days (Conditional use permit may authorize longer use.) · maximum use on property without principal structure: <= 9 months in any calendar year (Conditional use permit required over 14 days.)

  “No individual camping unit may be placed for use longer than 14 days within any 60 days, except by conditional use permit.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping units on property without a principal structure inside Garfield city limits.

  • A maximum of two units is allowed at one time. One conditional-use permit per parcel per calendar year is allowed. Wastewater must be disposed of under applicable state and local regulations.

  unpermitted duration: <= 14 days in any calendar year (Applies to each individual camping unit on property without a principal structure.) · maximum duration: <= 9 months in any calendar year (Conditional use permit required for use over 14 days.)

  “A conditional use permit is required for camping units established for more than 14 days in any one calendar year. The maximum time an individual unit can be established is nine months in any one calendar year.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage-treatment systems where allowed inside Garfield city limits.

  • Systems must conform to MPCA Rules Chapter 7080, City Ordinance No. 47, and other applicable local ordinances; inspection must be by persons certified by Minnesota.

  “Private sewage treatment systems, where allowed, shall conform to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Rules (Chapter 7080 of the Minnesota Administrative Rules), Garfield City Ordinance No. 47 and any other applicable local ordinances. Further, all systems shall be designed, evaluated, installed, and inspected by persons certified by the State of Minnesota.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage treatment systems inside Garfield city limits where not required to connect to municipal wastewater.

  • Private systems are allowed only where applicable City rules allow them and must conform to MPCA Rules Chapter 7080, City Ordinance No. 47, and other applicable local ordinances.

  “Private sewage treatment systems, where allowed, shall conform to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Rules (Chapter 7080 of the Minnesota Administrative Rules), Garfield City Ordinance No. 47 and any other applicable local ordinances.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Structures generating sewage inside Garfield city limits.

  • Connection is required when Garfield City Ordinance No. 47 or another applicable local ordinance requires it; the opened chapter does not provide an availability distance or threshold.

  “All structures which generate sewage shall be connected to the City’s wastewater treatment system when required by Garfield City Ordinance No. 47 (Sewer Use Regulations) or other applicable local ordinance(s).”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and property divisions inside Garfield city limits.

  • The Planning Commission reviews and acts on preliminary plats, final plats, and metes-and-bounds property divisions. The City may require escrow or financial security to reimburse direct professional-service costs of review, approval, and inspection.

  “To review and act on applications for preliminary plats and final plats. To review and act on all metes and bounds property divisions within the City.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Repair, replacement, maintenance, improvement, or expansion of nonconforming uses or structures in floodplain areas inside Garfield city limits.

  • The regulation applies to the extent necessary to maintain National Flood Insurance Program eligibility and avoid increasing flood-damage potential or floodway obstruction.

  “Notwithstanding paragraphs 1 and 2 above, any repair, replacement, maintenance, improvement, or expansion of a nonconforming use or structure in floodplain areas shall be regulated to the extent necessary to maintain eligibility in the National Flood Insurance Program and to not increase flood damage potential or increase the degree of obstruction to flood flows in the floodway.”

Rules another office applies inside Garfield

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Garfield city limits.

  • The requirement is stated as minimum dwelling width rather than floor area.

  minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet (R-1 district.)

  “Dwelling width – feet, minimum 24 Accessory Building Coverage – maximum, cumulative (whether attached or detached). Greater sizes may be allowed by conditional use permit.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots created after enactment of the ordinance in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Garfield city limits.

  • The ordinance specifies lot width and depth ranges. Existing undersized lots may be buildable if they existed as separate tracts when legally platted and are served by a City-approved sewer and water system.

  single-unit dwelling lot width: 60 - 80 feet (Includes lots with accessory dwellings.) · lot depth: 100 - 160 feet (R-1 district.)

  “The following lot requirements shall apply to all lots created in the R-1 zone after the date this ordinance is enacted: Lot Width – range, single unit dwelling (including those with accessory dwellings) 60 - 80 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Garfield city limits.

  • The percentage is stated as maximum impervious coverage.

  maximum impervious coverage: <= 40 percent (R-1 district.)

  “Impervious coverage – maximum 40% Building height – feet, maximum 25 Dwelling width – feet, minimum 24”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Garfield city limits.

  maximum building height: <= 25 feet (R-1 district.)

  “Impervious coverage – maximum 40% Building height – feet, maximum 25 Dwelling width – feet, minimum 24”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Garfield city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Garfield city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Garfield city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Garfield city limits.
• Septic permit — Private sewage-treatment systems inside Garfield 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.