Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bellechester, Minnesota

Bellechester’s own rules

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Residential building-permit applicants inside Bellechester city limits.

  • The property owner must submit the Owner as Contractor Form with the permit application.

  “An applicant for a residential building permit can be a Minnesota-licensed contractor or the property owner. Property Owners should also submit the Owner as Contractor Form with their permit application.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  State building-code administration for buildings inside Bellechester city limits.

  • Goodhue County performs state building-code administration on the city's behalf under annually renewed agreements.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code, established pursuant to MN Statutes 16B.59 to 16B.75, one copy of which is on file in the office of the County Auditor. Such code is hereby incorporated in the ordinance as completely as if set out in full.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Bellechester city limits.

  • The ordinance also regulates land within two miles beyond the corporate limits; this claim is limited to land inside city limits.

  “This Ordinance from the date of its passage shall be known as: ZONING ORDINANCE BELLECHESTER, MINNESOTA”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Bellechester city limits.

  • District boundaries are established on the Zoning Use Districts, Bellechester, Minnesota map maintained by the Village Clerk.

  zoning districts: Agricultural (A); Residential (R); Commercial (C); Industrial (I)

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance the following Zoning Use Districts are hereby established. 1. Agricultural (A) 2. Residential (R) 3. Commercial (C) 4. Industrial (I)”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Detached accessory buildings inside Bellechester city limits.

  • The rule applies unless the accessory structure is attached to and made part of the main building.
  • Accessory buildings may not encroach upon front yards.

  accessory building distance from main building: >= 5 feet (Does not apply where attached to and made part of the main building.) · accessory building distance from lot line or public right of way: >= 3 feet (Must not encroach upon front yards.)

  “An accessory building, unless attached to and made a part of the main building as above provided, shall not be closer than five (5) feet to the main building and no closer than three (3) feet to any lot line or public right of way, except that such accessory buildings shall not encroach upon front yards.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Individual parking of house trailers and mobile homes in the Agricultural zoning district inside Bellechester city limits.

  • The rule applies outside a trailer court and requires a Village Council parking permit.
  • The source uses the terms house trailers and mobile homes.

  “Mobile home courts. The individual parking of house trailers and mobile homes outside the trailer court shall be permitted only after the granting of a permit for such parking by the Village Council.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Bellechester city limits.

  • After approval or conditional approval, a final plat must be prepared by a registered land surveyor or engineer.
  • The Village Council holds the public hearing required by state law and acts on the final plat.
  • An approved final plat must be filed with the Village Clerk and recorded with the Goodhue County Register of Deeds within 30 days or approval is void.

  recording deadline after final plat approval: <= 30 days (Otherwise final-plat approval is void.)

  “If approved, the subdivider or his agent shall file the final plat with the Village Clerk and shall record the final plat with the Goodhue County Register of Deeds within 30 days of final plat approval; otherwise such approval shall be considered void.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Lots inside Bellechester city limits.

  • Each lot must front on and have egress and ingress by means of a public right of way.

  “All lots shall front on and have egress and ingress by means of a public right of way.”

Still unanswered

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

• Inspections — Construction inside Bellechester city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Bellechester city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Bellechester city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Bellechester city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Bellechester 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.