Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Silver Bay, Minnesota

Silver Bay’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Land or structures changed, erected, placed, or altered under a Silver Bay land-use permit.

  • Use or occupancy cannot occur until inspection and issuance of a Certificate of Compliance.

  “No land changed in use, and no structure erected, placed, or altered, shall be used or occupied until the Zoning Administrator has inspected the land use or structure”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land or structures changed, erected, placed, or altered inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • Certificate follows inspection by the Zoning Administrator and confirms conformity with Chapter 12.

  “and has issued a Certificate of Compliance (Certificate of Occupancy) stating that such land use or structure has been found to be in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • The zoning map is part of Chapter 12 and is maintained by the Administrator.

  “1210.01. Zoning Districts Established. The following zoning districts are hereby established: R-1 - Single- and Two-(2) Family Residence District”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • District boundaries and map notations are part of Chapter 12; the map is on file with and maintained by the Administrator.

  “1210.01. Zoning Districts Established. The following zoning districts are hereby established: R-1 - Single- and Two-(2) Family Residence District R-2 - Multi-Family Residence District SC - Shopping Center Commercial”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual sewage disposal outside the City sanitary sewer system inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • The exception applies only where City sewer connection is not practical or economically feasible because of terrain, soil conditions, or distance.

  “Where it is not practical or economically feasible due to terrain, soil conditions or distances from the City sanitary sewer system, the City may allow disposal of sewage outside the City sanitary sewer system, provided: A. The property owner shall make application to the Commission for approval of an individual sewage disposal system.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Private sewage disposal permitted outside City sanitary sewer service inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • The owner must apply to the Commission; plans must be approved by the Superintendent; the facility must meet Minnesota Department of Health requirements and not harm public health and welfare.

  “Detailed plans and specifications, approved by the Superintendent, shall be submitted with the application for a permit.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage disposal inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • Only possible where City sewer disposal is not practical or economically feasible and a Commission permit is granted.

  “Where it is not practical or economically feasible due to terrain, soil conditions or distances from the City sanitary sewer system, the City may allow disposal of sewage outside the City sanitary sewer system”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental dwelling units inside Silver Bay city limits.

  • An STR permit is required. Citywide caps are six permits in Forest Reserve, four only in Golf Course Division Outlot A, with Bayview Park exempt; no other districts receive permits.

  Forest Reserve permit cap: <= 6 permits · Golf Course Division Outlot A permit cap: <= 4 permits

  “Permit Cap. The total number of STR Permits within the City shall not exceed six (6) within the Forest Reserve District and four (4) to be located only in Outlot A of the plat of SILVER BAY GOLF COURSE DIVISION. Properties located in the Bayview Park zoning district are exempt from the STR Permit Cap. No other short-term rental permits shall be issued in any other District in the City.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Conditional-use permits and exemption certificates under Silver Bay Chapter 12.

  • Application is filed with the Administrator on the official form and submitted to the Zoning Administrator and Commission under their procedures.

  “An application for a Conditional Use Permit or Exemption Certificate shall be filed with the Administrator on a form provided for that purpose. The completed Application shall be submitted in a timely manner by the Administrator to the Zoning Administrator and Commission as prescribed by its rules of procedure.”

Rules another office applies inside Silver Bay

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single- and Two-Family Residence District.

  one-family minimum floor area: >= 768 square feet · two-family minimum floor area: >= 750 square feet (Per family.)

  “B. Minimum Floor Area One-(1) family 768 square feet Two-(2) family 750 square feet per family”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single- and Two-Family Residence District.

  one-family minimum lot area: >= 7200 square feet · two-family minimum lot area: >= 5000 square feet (Per family.)

  “A. Minimum Lot Area One-(1) family 7,200 square feet Two-(2) family 5,000 square feet per family”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single- and Two-Family Residence District.

  • Corner-lot principal-structure side setback is 20 feet; accessory and utility-easement setbacks differ.

  front setback: >= 25 feet · principal side setback: >= 8 feet (20 feet on corner lot.) · principal rear setback: >= 20 feet

  “D. Minimum front yard setback 25 feet E. Minimum side yard setback: For principal structure 8 feet On corner lot 20 feet [...] F. Minimum rear yard setback: For principal structure 20 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Single- and Two-Family Residence District.

  maximum building coverage: <= 35 percent of lot area

  “H. Maximum building coverage 35% of lot area”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single- and Two-Family Residence District.

  principal maximum height: <= 35 feet · accessory maximum height: <= 16 feet

  “G. Maximum building height: For principal structure 35 feet For accessory structure 16 feet”

• Tiny homesLimited

  R-1 residential district in Silver Bay city limits.

  • Living quarters that do not meet the district's dimension requirements are not allowed except in established mobile-home parks.

  minimum one-family floor area: >= 768 square feet (R-1 district.)

  “Mobile Homes, House Trailers and any living quarters that do not meet the dimension requirements set forth herein shall not be allowed except in established Mobile Home Parks.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  R-1 residential district in Silver Bay city limits.

  • Manufactured housing is a conditional use and must meet width, length, foundation, utility, roof/design, and neighborhood-value conditions; mobile homes are otherwise limited to established mobile-home parks.

  minimum width: >= 24 feet (Manufactured housing conditional use in R-1.) · minimum length: >= 32 feet (Manufactured housing conditional use in R-1.)

  “J. Manufactured housing which shall include a Manufactured Home that is not less than twenty-four (24) feet in width and not less than thirty-two (32) feet in length, when built on site.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Silver Bay city limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Silver Bay city limits.
• Septic inspection — Individual sewage disposal systems inside Silver Bay city limits.
• Well permit — Private wells inside Silver Bay city limits.
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural construction or land use inside Silver Bay 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.