Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Goodhue, Minnesota

Goodhue’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land within Goodhue city limits.

  • The ordinance applies except as otherwise provided by law.
  • Uses and structures remain subject to other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances.

  “This Ordinance shall apply to all land within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Goodhue, except as may otherwise be provided by law.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings inside Goodhue city limits.

  • Basement and garage area are excluded from gross floor area.
  • The standard is contained in the city zoning ordinance, which applies to land within city jurisdictional boundaries except as otherwise provided by law.

  minimum gross floor area: >= 950 square feet (Excludes basement and garage area.)

  “The minimum gross floor area for dwellings shall be 950 square feet, excluding basement and garage area.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Low-density and medium-density residential development inside Goodhue city limits.

  • For low-density residential, the stated base area applies to one dwelling unit and additions apply by bedroom count.
  • For medium-density residential, the stated base area applies to one dwelling unit and additions apply by bedroom count.
  • A lesser-than-one-acre lot may be permitted on a showing by soil percolation tests, but no single-family dwelling may be on less than one-half acre.
  • Existing recorded lots may be eligible under the ordinance's separate area-and-width provision, but never below 5,000 square feet or 50 feet in width.

  low-density residential lot area: 9000 square feet (One dwelling unit; plus 2,700 square feet for each additional efficiency or one-bedroom unit and/or 3,600 square feet for each additional unit with two or more bedrooms.) · medium-density residential lot area: 7100 square feet (One dwelling unit; plus 2,200 square feet for each additional efficiency or one-bedroom unit and/or 2,700 square feet for each additional unit with two or more bedrooms.)

  “Subd. 7. Minimum Lot and Yard Area for low density residential. 9,000 square feet for one dwelling unit plus 2,700 square feet for each additional efficiency or one bedroom unit, and/or 3,600 square feet for each additional unit containing two or more bedrooms.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on private property inside Goodhue city limits.

  • Only one recreational vehicle, including a fish house, may be stored on a property.
  • A stored RV may be used for overnight sleeping for a total of 14 nights per calendar year.
  • Use as a permanent dwelling or year-round residence is prohibited.
  • RV location outside a camper park must comply with all applicable structure setbacks.

  stored recreational vehicles: <= 1 RV per property (Includes a fish house.) · overnight sleeping: <= 14 nights per calendar year (For a stored recreational vehicle.)

  “A recreational vehicle stored on a property may be used for overnight sleeping for a total of 14 nights in any calendar year.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small dwelling structures inside Goodhue city limits.

  • The ordinance sets a 950-square-foot minimum gross floor area for dwellings, excluding basement and garage area.
  • A primary structure excludes structures with less than 600 square feet of living area.
  • All structures and uses must comply with the applicable land-use permit and zoning requirements.

  minimum dwelling gross floor area: >= 950 square feet (Basement and garage area excluded.) · primary-structure living area threshold: >= 600 square feet (A structure below this threshold is excluded from the ordinance's definition of primary structure.)

  “The minimum gross floor area for dwellings shall be 950 square feet, excluding basement and garage area.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured and mobile homes inside Goodhue city limits.

  • A mobile home or other prefabricated unit must be installed so as to be taxed as real property and otherwise conform with the ordinance.
  • Mobile homes must be in a duly permitted, designed, and maintained mobile-home court within one year.
  • Alterations to a manufactured home's structural components must fully comply with the Minnesota Manufactured Home Building Code and other applicable law.

  mobile-home court minimum size: >= 2 acres (The ordinance says the court should be on the periphery of a residential area and directly accessible from a major street.)

  “Except as provided in sections (a) and (b) of this Section, no mobile home or other prefabricated unit shall be located within the City, unless it is so installed as to be taxed as real property and otherwise conforms with the provisions of this ordinance, provided however, the City Council may grant a variance from the minimum gross floor area requirement upon such conditions as they may stipulate.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Goodhue city limits.

  • The ordinance's subdivision requirements must be complied with when applicable.
  • The ordinance applies to land inside the city's jurisdictional boundaries except as otherwise provided by law.

  “Any person proposing to subdivide property shall comply with this Article and all other applicable provisions of this Ordinance and state law.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning and land-use applications inside Goodhue city limits.

  • Applicants must pay an application fee with an application under the ordinance.
  • Fee amounts are set by City Council fee schedule in a resolution or ordinance.
  • After-the-fact permit fees are multiples of the ordinary fee as stated in the current fee schedule.
  • The City may require reimbursement of planning, legal, engineering, and other professional costs.

  “The amount of the fees shall be established by a fee schedule in a resolution or ordinance adopted by the City Council.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  City zoning and land-use permit requests inside Goodhue city limits.

  • Applications must be on City Council-approved forms.
  • An application without its required fee is immediately rejected.
  • If required escrow is not submitted within five days, the application is incomplete and will not be processed.
  • The City Clerk may issue a land-use permit only upon a complete application, fee payment, and compliance determination.

  escrow submission deadline: <= 5 days after submission (Only if escrow is required.)

  “All applications must be on forms approved by the City Council. Any requests not submitted on an approved City form shall not be considered an application for the purposes of this Ordinance or Minnesota Statutes, section 15.99 and shall be rejected.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Goodhue city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption and enforcement for land inside Goodhue city limits.
• Inspections — Construction inspections for land inside Goodhue city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for structures inside Goodhue city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Goodhue 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.