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

Harris Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential structures and other listed construction or land-use work inside Harris Township, where Itasca County exercises zoning control; the required approval identified by the County is a zoning permit from Environmental Services.

  • A zoning permit is required before the listed work proceeds.
  • For alterations, maintenance, or remodeling, the stated threshold is work costing more than 50 percent of the structure's market value.
  • The County page requires permits to be procured at the Environmental Services Department before the project or operation begins.
  • The County's zoning jurisdiction does not include incorporated municipalities; Harris Township is identified by the official Township plan as subject to County zoning control.

  remodeling-cost threshold: > 50 percent of structure market value (Applies to alterations, maintenance, or remodeling listed on the County permit page.)

  “A zoning permit is required for new structures;”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Harris Township, Itasca County, Minnesota; land-use zoning is administered by Itasca County rather than shown as a Harris Township-administered ordinance.

  • The official Harris Township plan identifies Farm Residential, Rural Residential, shoreland, and commercial zoning areas within the Township.
  • The Township plan states that shoreland areas are also governed by shoreland zoning regulations.

  “Itasca County exercises land use controls – zoning and subdivision – within the Township.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Individual sewage treatment systems inside Harris Township, Itasca County, Minnesota.

  • The County's Sub-Surface Sewage Treatment System Ordinance incorporates the most recent state requirements.
  • A permit is required for installation, construction, extension, or alteration of an SSTS and must be obtained from the Environmental Services Office.
  • The official County checklist says the County enforces SSTS regulations in municipalities without sanitation ordinances; Harris Township is identified in its official plan as subject to County land-use control.

  “The jurisdiction of this Ordinance shall include all lands of the County except for any incorporated area that administers a SSTS program by 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.