Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Glencoe, Minnesota

Glencoe’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction governed by the code inside Glencoe city limits.

  • Optional State Building Code chapters are excepted unless specifically adopted.
  • The municipal Building Inspector enforces the code through the municipality's designated Minnesota Certified Building Official.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code, as adopted by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry pursuant to Minnesota Statutes chapter 326B, including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the Minnesota Commissioner of Labor and Industry, through the Building Codes and Standards Unit, is hereby adopted by reference with the exception of the optional chapters, unless specifically adopted in this ordnance.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Glencoe city limits.

  • The city ordinance page identifies Ordinance No. 632 as amending the city zoning code in its entirety.

  “For purposes of this ordinance, the City of Glencoe is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of a trailer as a dwelling unit inside Glencoe city limits.

  • Exception: trailers located in an approved mobile home park.

  “No cellar, basement of unfinished home, garage, tent, trailer or accessory building shall at anytime be used as a dwelling unit except trailers located in an approved mobile home park.”

• Camping on your landProhibited

  Using a tent as a dwelling unit inside Glencoe city limits.

  “No cellar, basement of unfinished home, garage, tent, trailer or accessory building shall at anytime be used as a dwelling unit except trailers located in an approved mobile home park.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Trailers used as dwelling units inside Glencoe city limits.

  • Trailers may be used as dwelling units only when located in an approved mobile home park.

  “507.40A Mobile Home Park "R-3" District An approved area for the parking of occupied mobile homes (trailers).”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New subdivisions inside Glencoe city limits where municipal water connection is feasible and trunk-line sanitary sewer facilities are available.

  • Where connection with municipal water is feasible, public water facilities must be used and service lines extended to each lot.
  • Where trunk-line sanitary sewer facilities are available, the subdivider must install sanitary sewers, connect them to the trunk lines, and extend service lines to each lot.

  “527.05 Water Mains Where connection with the municipal water system is feasible, the public water facilities shall be used, and service lines extended to each lot. 527.06 Sanitary Sewer In all cases where trunk line sanitary sewer facilities are available, the subdivider shall be required to install sanitary sewers and connect the same to such trunk line sewers, and service lines extended to each lot.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions platted inside Glencoe city limits.

  • All subdivisions thereafter platted must fully comply with the city subdivision regulations.
  • For preliminary plans, the code requires a $100 cash fee plus $5 per lot, capped at $500, and may require a deposit for anticipated engineering and other expenses.

  preliminary plan fee: 100 USD (plus $5 for each lot, maximum total stated in code) · per-lot preliminary plan fee: per 5 USD (maximum preliminary-plan fee of $500)

  “A cash fee of $100.00 plus $5.00 for each lot to a maximum of $500.00. This fee will be used by the City of Glencoe to defray expenses including engineering fees of the City of Glencoe in connection with the approval and disapproval of the plans.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Residential lots within a city subdivision adjacent to a major thoroughfare.

  • No direct vehicular access is allowed from residential lots to a major thoroughfare.
  • Residential lots must be separated from major thoroughfares and railroad rights-of-way by a 25-foot buffer strip.

  buffer strip: 25 feet (residential lots along major thoroughfares or railroad rights-of-way)

  “There shall be no direct vehicular access from residential lots to a major thoroughfare and residential lots shall be separated from major thoroughfares and railroad rights-of-way by a 25 foot buffer strip”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Building sites in flood-prone areas inside Glencoe city limits.

  • Floodplain-district standards depend on property location.
  • For floodplain subdivisions, building sites must be outside the Floodway District at or above the regulatory flood-protection elevation.
  • Road access must meet the stated elevation unless the City Council has approved a qualifying flood-warning emergency plan.

  road access elevation below regulatory flood protection elevation: <= 2 feet (unless a City Council-approved flood-warning emergency plan meets the ordinance conditions)

  “All lots within the floodplain districts must be able to contain a building site outside of the Floodway District at or above the regulatory flood protection elevation.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental units inside Glencoe city limits.

  • A non-owner-occupied short-term-rental permit holder must apply for and receive an Interim Use Permit.
  • Owner-occupied dwellings that are also short-term rentals do not require an Interim Use Permit.
  • The rental must connect to city sewer and water.
  • It must be a city-licensed rental unit and undergo annual inspection by the rental housing inspector and fire marshal.
  • Rentals for less than seven days are considered hotels and require a Minnesota Department of Health license.

  maximum rental period: <= 28 consecutive nights · occupancy: <= 2 people per bedroom

  “The occupancy of a short-term rental shall be limited to not more than 2 people per bedroom.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Glencoe city limits.

  • Permit fees are assessed under the municipal fee schedule for work governed by the code.
  • A state surcharge is collected on permits for work governed by the code.
  • The City Council may amend fee schedules by resolution.

  “CITY OF GLENCOE BUILDING CODE FEE SCHEDULE Effective Date: April 1, 2014”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Glencoe city limits.

  • Applications may be dropped off, emailed, or submitted online with an account.
  • The city directs online-permit questions to SAFEbuilt.

  “Submit Permits at City Office’s Drop off at 1107 11th Street East Email to [email protected] Online with an account (see below) Submit Permits Online through Community Connect”

Rules another office applies inside Glencoe

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family structures in Glencoe's R-1 district inside city limits.

  • The table also includes separate requirements for two-family, multifamily, and mobile-home-park structures.

  lot area per one-family structure: 8700 square feet (R-1 district)

  “ZONING DISTRICTS R-1 R-2 R-3 B-1 I-1 I-2 Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit (Square Feet) 1 Family Structure 8,700 8,700 *”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district inside Glencoe city limits.

  • The maximum is stated in the R-1/R-2 district table.

  maximum land coverage by structure: <= 35 percent (R-1 district)

  “ZONING DISTRICTS R-1 R-2 R-3 B-1 I-1 I-2 [...] Land Coverage by Structure (Percent) (Maximum Permitted) 35 50 100 100 100”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Glencoe city limits.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Glencoe city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Glencoe city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Glencoe city limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Glencoe 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.