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

Stanchfield Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of a new single-family dwelling in Stanchfield Township, using Isanti County's new-home building-permit process.

  • A site plan must show distances to property lines, other buildings on the property, septic systems, well location, wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, and easements.
  • All new homes must meet land-use requirements of the zoning ordinance.
  • For a property in the Shoreland district—within 1,000 feet of a lake, 700 feet of the Rum River, or 300 feet of a creek or stream—a certificate of compliance is required for an existing septic system; a noncompliant system must be repaired or replaced.
  • An approved driveway permit from the County Highway Department, township, or MnDOT is required information.
  • A completed septic-system permit application and design by a state-licensed contractor with a license copy is required information.
  • A separate electrical permit is required.

  minimum permit processing time: >= 10 working days

  “Building permits are required for construction of all new single family dwellings. [...] If you are building a new house and your driveway comes off a Township Road, you need to contact your Township Representative listed below to obtain a driveway permit and to request an address number sign. [...] Stanchfield 763-267-3598”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in Stanchfield Township, Isanti County, Minnesota, outside incorporated city limits, is subject to the Isanti County Zoning Ordinance rather than a township zoning ordinance identified in the township's official materials.

  • The county ordinance applies outside incorporated city limits.
  • Shoreland provisions apply to shorelands of public water bodies classified in Section 5 of the ordinance.

  “Townships have two options, to create their own zoning ordinance or relinquish authority to the county. [...] Currently, Athens Township is the only township in Isanti County to utilize their own zoning ordinance.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage treatment systems on land in Stanchfield Township, Isanti County, Minnesota.

  • The county SSTS ordinance excludes incorporated areas that administer an at-least-as-strict SSTS program by ordinance approved by the county.
  • The Isanti County Zoning Department administers the SSTS program and ordinance provisions.
  • A construction permit is required before a new SSTS installation, replacement, or a repair or replacement that changes the system's function, capacity, location, design, layout, or function.
  • A construction permit is not required for minor repairs or component replacements that do not alter original function, capacity, location, design, layout, or function.

  “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 and has been approved by the County. [...] The Isanti County Zoning 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.