Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Woodland, Minnesota

Woodland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, altering, constructing, enlarging, repairing, moving, improving, converting, demolishing, equipping, using, occupying, or maintaining a building or structure inside Woodland.

  • Land or buildings must conform to the zoning chapter.
  • Three application copies and accompanying documents are required.
  • Applicant must prove contact with owners within 500 feet before applying.
  • A permit may issue no sooner than ten business days after application.

  minimum issuance delay: >= 10 business days (Measured after the application date.)

  “No person, firm, or corporation will erect, alter, construct, enlarge, repair, move, improve, convert, demolish, equip, use, occupy, or maintain any building, structure, or any portion of it, without a valid building permit issued by the city.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings within Woodland city limits.

  • Optional Minnesota State Building Code chapters listed in §700.01, Subd. 2 are also adopted.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code is hereby incorporated in this ordinance as if fully set out herein.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Dwellings with new structures or additions inside Woodland city limits.

  • The City reserves the right to withhold a certificate of occupancy until final as-built survey and grading requirements are met.
  • A temporary certificate may be issued when weather or other conditions prevent completion, with a $2,500 escrow fee.

  temporary certificate escrow fee: 2500 USD (When weather or other conditions prevent completion of an as-built survey at the time the certificate is requested.)

  “The city reserves the right to withhold the certificate of occupancy for a dwelling until final as-built survey has been submitted and approved.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Woodland city limits.

  • Woodland coordinates zoning by contract with Deephaven.

  “The use of all land and every structure and the erection of any structural alteration of any structure or portion of a structure in the City shall be in conformity with the provisions of this Chapter 9.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All land inside Woodland city limits.

  • The Methodist Lakeside Assembly Grounds is separately designated as the Assembly Grounds residential district.

  “The entire incorporated territory of the City of Woodland is designated as a residential district. The land in the City platted as the “Methodist Lakeside Assembly Grounds”, according to the plat on file in the office of the Hennepin County Recorder, is designated as a separate residential district referred to in this Code as the “Assembly Grounds”.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Main dwelling buildings outside the Assembly Grounds inside Woodland city limits.

  • Excludes garages and other accessory buildings.
  • The requirement does not apply in the Assembly Grounds.

  minimum first-floor area, one-story building: >= 1200 square feet (Except in the Assembly Grounds; exclusive of garages and other accessory buildings.) · minimum first-floor area, building one and one-half or more stories: >= 800 square feet (Except in the Assembly Grounds; exclusive of garages and other accessory buildings.)

  “Except in the Assembly Grounds, no main building erected, constructed, established or structurally altered as a dwelling unit may have a first floor area (exclusive of garages or other accessory buildings) of less than 1,200 square feet for a one-story building or a first floor area of less than 800 square feet for a building one and one-half or more stories.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Main buildings on Woodland lots, subject to the nonconforming-lot provision.

  • Section 900.05 provides exceptions for legal nonconforming lots.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres (Except as provided in §900.05.)

  “No main building shall be constructed, erected, established, or structurally altered, upon a lot containing an area of less than two acres except as provided for in Section 900.05.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal structures on Woodland lots other than Assembly Grounds lots under 16,500 square feet and other sub-16,500-square-foot lots served by City sanitary sewer and water.

  • More restrictive lakeshore, bluff, and wetland setbacks also apply where applicable.
  • Different requirements apply to the specified small Assembly Grounds and municipally served lots.

  minimum side yard: >= 30 feet (Street-side yard on a corner lot is 40 feet.) · minimum rear yard: >= 40 feet · minimum front yard: >= 50 feet

  “The minimum side yard is 30 feet, and the minimum side yard on the street sides of a corner lot is 40 feet. The minimum rear yard is 40 feet. The minimum front yard is 50 feet.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Woodland lots greater than 16,500 square feet.

  • Lot area excludes land below ordinary high water level, wetlands, and roadway/driveway easements.
  • Variance is required to exceed the stated limits.

  maximum main-building coverage: <= 10 percent of gross lot area (Lots over 16,500 square feet.) · maximum impervious-surface coverage: <= 25 percent of lot area (Lots over 16,500 square feet; includes buildings.)

  “For lots containing an area greater than 16,500 square feet, the percentage of lot area covered by the main building may not exceed 10 percent of the gross lot area, and the percentage of lot area covered by an impervious surface, including the area covered by buildings, may not exceed 25 percent of the lot area.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Occupation of a trailer as living quarters inside Woodland city limits.

  • The provision expressly addresses trailers occupied as living quarters; treatment of every vehicle classified as an RV was not separately located.

  “Subd. 4. Uses Prohibited. The following uses are prohibited in the City: (a) A trailer or tent occupied as living quarters, or a cellar or basement of an uncompleted dwelling occupied as living quarters.”

• Camping on your landProhibited

  Tent occupancy as living quarters inside Woodland city limits.

  • The provision is limited to tents occupied as living quarters.

  “Subd. 4. Uses Prohibited. The following uses are prohibited in the City: (a) A trailer or tent occupied as living quarters, or a cellar or basement of an uncompleted dwelling occupied as living quarters.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Guesthouses and accessory buildings associated with one-family dwellings inside Woodland city limits.

  • Guesthouses are not permitted on lots below two acres.
  • Accessory buildings may not be rented or leased for any purpose.
  • Accessory buildings must follow the stated location, size, and height limits.

  minimum lot area for guesthouse: >= 2 acres

  “No accessory building shall be rented or leased for any purpose. A guesthouse is not permitted on any lot less than two (2) acres.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sewage generated in unsewered areas of Woodland.

  • Sewage must be treated and dispersed by an approved SSTS complying with the ordinance, or by a system permitted by MPCA.
  • Discharge of raw or partially treated wastewater to ground surface or surface water is unlawful.

  “All sewage generated in unsewered areas of the City shall be treated and dispersed by an approved SSTS that is sited, designed, installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance or by a system that has been permitted by the MPCA.”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Subdivision of parcels inside Woodland city limits.

  • The cited restriction specifically prevents subdivisions that make buildings or uses nonconforming.

  “Parcels of land or portions thereof shall not be subdivided if such action results in buildings and/or uses becoming nonconforming.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway construction on steep slopes inside Woodland city limits.

  • Building Inspector, consulting an engineer as needed, evaluates possible soil erosion impact before a permit issues.
  • Conditions may be attached when necessary to prevent erosion and preserve vegetation.

  “The Building Inspector, in consultation with a professional engineer, as necessary, will evaluate possible soil erosion impact before issuing a permit for construction on steep slopes of sewage treatment systems, roads, driveways, structures, or other improvements.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Structures in floodplain-regulated locations inside Woodland city limits.

  • Where floodplain controls do not exist, the lowest floor must be placed or flood-proofed three feet above the highest known water level or ordinary high-water level, whichever is higher.

  minimum lowest-floor elevation above specified water level: >= 3 feet (Where floodplain controls do not exist; measured above the higher of highest known water level or ordinary high water level.)

  “Structures must be placed in accordance with any floodplain regulations applicable to the site. Where those controls do not exist, the lowest floor of a structure must be placed at or flood proofed to a level at least 3 feet above the highest known water level, or 3 feet above the ordinary high water level, whichever is higher.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Woodland city limits.

  • Plumbing and mechanical fees are assessed under Ordinance 300, Subd. 305.02.
  • A statutory surcharge is collected on permits for work governed by the code.

  unpermitted-work fee: greatest of double ordinary fee, $100, or relevant administrative and approval costs (When work requiring a permit started or proceeded before the required permit was obtained.)

  “Where work for which a permit is required is started or proceeded with before obtaining a required permit, the fee to be paid for the permit will be the greatest of: (1) double the ordinary building permit fee specified by City ordinance, (2) $100.00, or (3) an amount equal to the sum of all administrative costs in connection with the granting of the permit and in connection with the granting of any variance, conditional use permit, or rezoning necessary for the granting of the permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Woodland city limits.

  • Land or building design must conform to the zoning chapter.
  • Application requires three copies and accompanying documents.
  • Notice contact with property owners within 500 feet is required before application.
  • Permit may issue no sooner than ten business days after application.

  application copies: 3 copies (Includes accompanying documents.) · minimum issuance delay: >= 10 business days (After application date.)

  “Three copies of the building permit application and three copies of accompanying documents must be submitted to the City, including proof that the applicant contacted all property owners within 500 feet of the applicant’s property prior to the application date [...] A building permit shall be issued no sooner than ten (10) business days after the date of application.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Woodland city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Woodland city limits.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Woodland city limits.
• Well permit — Wells inside Woodland city limits.
• Mandatory utility hookup — New homes inside Woodland 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.