Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Twin Valley, Minnesota

Twin Valley’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  A new structure or an addition to an existing structure or lot inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • A permit is not required for nonstructural maintenance; the city identifies new siding, windows, and shingles as nonstructural maintenance.
  • The City Council must approve new construction and remodeling projects before the project starts.

  “If you are planning on building a new structure or making an addition [...] you are required by State Law to have a Building Permit before construction begins.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • The chapter operates with the official zoning map required by § 151.05.

  “This chapter, together with the zoning map required at § 151.05, shall be known as the ‘City Zoning Ordinance’ except as referred to herein, where it shall be known as ‘this Ordinance’ or ‘this chapter.’”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • Property zoning designation is determined by the official zoning map; the map is on permanent file and available for public inspection in the City Office.

  districts: R-1 Single Family Residential; R-2 Multi-Family Residential; C-1 Central Business; C-2 Central Business; I Industrial; Rural Residential and Agricultural

  “(A) R-1 Single Family Residential District (B) R-2 Multi-Family Residential District (C) C-1 Central Business District (D) C-2 Central Business District (E) I Industrial (F) Rural Residential and Agricultural District”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • A surveyed-lot division attached to contiguous lots with no residual real-property lot is exempt.
  • Certain utility conveyances and certain described metes-and-bounds divisions permanently attached to a contiguous parcel are exempt under § 152.05.

  “shall be platted, except as provided in this chapter.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Land-use, zoning, and building permit applications inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • Applications may be mailed, dropped off at City Hall, emailed, or faxed.
  • Fees remain the applicant's responsibility and applications are not issued until payment is received in the city office.

  “OR drop off at: [...] email it back to us [...] Another option is to fax it in”

Rules another office applies inside Twin Valley

Twin Valley 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

  Rural Residential and Agriculture District inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • Upland means land above the 100-year flood elevation or non-wetland.
  • The listed minimums are subject to additional requirements, exceptions, and modifications in Chapter 151.

  minimum lot area: 2.5 acres (upland area) · minimum lot width: 200 feet · minimum lot depth: 300 feet

  “Lot area. A minimum of two and one-half acres of upland area, upland being land above the 100-year flood elevation or non-wetland. (2) Lot width. A minimum of 200 feet. (3) Lot depth. A minimum of 300 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • Corner side-yard setback is 25 feet on the side adjacent to a street, but cannot be less than the stated setback of an adjacent lot with its front yard on the same street.
  • Detached accessory-building setbacks differ from principal-structure setbacks.

  front yard setback: >= 30 feet · side yard setback: 5 feet · rear yard setback: 30 feet

  “Setbacks. (a) Front yards. Not less than 30 feet; (b) Side yards. 5 feet. (c) Side yards, corner lots. 25 feet on side adjacent to street, but in no case less than the setback of an adjacent lot which has its front yard on the same street. (d) Rear yards. 30 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Twin Valley city limits.

  • The height limitation does not apply to water towers, chimneys, flag poles, antennae, wind energy conversion systems, church spires, church belfries or church domes not containing habitable space, and support towers permitted by § 150.04.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (or two stories, whichever is less)

  “Building requirements; height. No structure shall exceed 2 stories or 35 feet, whichever is less. [...] Height limitations shall not apply to water towers, chimneys, flag poles, antennae, wind energy conversion systems, church spires, church belfries or church domes not containing habitable space and support towers permitted by §150.04.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Rural Residential and Agriculture District inside Twin Valley city limits.

    “Building requirements; height. No structure shall exceed two stories or 35 feet, whichever is less. [...] Height limitations shall not apply to water towers, chimneys, flag poles, antennae, wind energy conversion systems, church spires, church belfries or church domes not containing habitable space and support towers permitted by § 150.04.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes in Twin Valley's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  • The manufactured home must meet the standards in § 151.24.

  “Manufactured homes which meet the standards set forth in §151.24.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Lots in Twin Valley's R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

  • The lot must front on and have ingress and egress by means of a public right-of-way.

  “Access. All lots shall front on and have ingress and egress by means of a public right-of-way.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Twin Valley or Norman County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Twin Valley city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Twin Valley city limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Twin Valley city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Twin Valley city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Twin Valley 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.