Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Coleraine, Minnesota

Coleraine’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New structures, structural modifications, and permanent signs inside Coleraine city limits.

  • City directs readers to its Land Use Ordinance for further information.

  “The City of Coleraine requires building permits for new structures, modifications to structures and permanent signs.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings or structures erected or moved inside Coleraine city limits.

  • The certificate states ordinance and other applicable City-regulation compliance and satisfaction of permit or variance conditions.
  • Application is made at the same time as the zoning-permit application.

  “No building or structure hereafter erected or moved shall be occupied or used in whole or in part for any purpose whatsoever until a Certificate of Compliance has been issued by the Zoning Officer.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Coleraine city limits.

  • Uses and structures are subject to the City land-use ordinance and applicable district standards.

  “The City of Coleraine is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Coleraine city limits.

  • The Official Zoning Map, including amendments, is part of the ordinance and is kept in the City Clerk's office.

  “The City of Coleraine is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Living-quarters occupancy of a recreational vehicle inside Coleraine city limits.

  • The prohibition applies in every district.

  “The use and occupancy of a tent, recreational vehicle or other temporary dwelling for the purpose of living quarters is not permitted in any district.”

• Camping on your landProhibited

  Tent occupancy for living quarters inside Coleraine city limits.

  • The prohibition applies in every district.

  “The use and occupancy of a tent, recreational vehicle or other temporary dwelling for the purpose of living quarters is not permitted in any district.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual sewage treatment systems inside Coleraine city limits.

  • The Zoning Officer or an authorized City Council designee enforces the ordinance.

  “No person, firm or corporation shall install, construct, extend, or alter any individual sewage treatment system without first obtaining a permit therefor from the Zoning Officer for the specific installation, construction, extension or alteration;”

• Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

  Privies used as sewage treatment inside Coleraine city limits.

  • Privies must be clean, not constitute a public nuisance, be at least 35 feet from a dwelling or lot line, and meet structural setbacks for individual sewage treatment systems.

  privy distance from dwelling or lot line: >= 35 feet

  “Privies shall be considered an adequate method of sewage treatment, provided they are constructed and maintained in a clean condition and do not constitute a public nuisance. Privies shall be located at least 35 feet from a dwelling or lot line and they shall comply with the structural setbacks stipulated for individual sewage treatment systems set forth in this Ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Every building erected inside Coleraine city limits.

  • The rule requires permanent legal access to a public street or road; no separate driveway-permit procedure was established by the cited provision.

  “Every building hereafter erected shall be on a lot having permanent legal access to a public street or road.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Permits, applications, petitions, appeals, and penalties administered under the Coleraine Land Use Ordinance.

  • Amounts are established by City Council resolution.
  • Required fees must be paid in full before listed applications or permits are recognized, acted upon, issued, or granted.
  • A denied permit, petition, or appeal fee is not refunded.

  “The City Council shall establish, by resolution, a schedule of fees applicable to all permits, applications, petitions, appeals and penalties required for the administration and enforcement of this Ordinance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside Coleraine city limits.

  • Application must include a plot plan and information the Zoning Officer requires.
  • A filing fee applies under a City Council resolution.

  “Applications for a Zoning Permit shall be accompanied by a plot plan showing clearly and completely the location, dimensions and nature of any structure involved and such other information as the Zoning Officer may require for the administration of this Ordinance, together with a filing fee in accordance with as schedule established by resolution of the City Council.”

Rules another office applies inside Coleraine

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

• InspectionsRequired

  Permit-required construction inside Coleraine city limits, where Minnesota State Building Code enforcement applies.

  • Work must remain accessible and exposed until approved.

  “Construction or work for which a permit is required is subject to inspection by the building official and the construction or work shall remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes until approved.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — General owner-builder exemption for construction inside Coleraine city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption and enforcement inside Coleraine city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Coleraine city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Coleraine city limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory-dwelling occupancy inside Coleraine 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.