Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Big Lake Township, Minnesota

Rules another office applies inside Big Lake Township

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

• Building permitRequired

  Construction and placement of structures, additions, and structural alterations on land inside Big Lake Township within Sherburne County's unincorporated permitting jurisdiction.

  • Building-permit requirements are governed by the specific provisions of the Minnesota State Building Code.
  • Typical permitted work includes dwellings, decks, garages, basement finishing, and swimming pools.
  • The Township's handout directs applicants to Sherburne County Planning & Zoning's online portal.
  • Most building permits require a current septic compliance inspection: within 3 years for an application adding bedrooms and within 10 years for other building-permit applications; the handout lists roofing, deck maintenance, air conditioner/furnace work, siding, razing, foundation repair, window/door replacement, overhead garage-door work, and water-heater work as maintenance permits not requiring septic compliance.

  “The Sherburne County Ordinance requires a permit for the construction and placement of structures on property, as well as additions and structural alterations to existing structures.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Big Lake Township that is within Sherburne County's unincorporated zoning jurisdiction; the Township states that Sherburne County Planning & Zoning handles all Big Lake Township planning and zoning.

  • The County zoning ordinance provides for land use, development standards, and environmental-protection regulations.
  • The County ordinance excludes Becker Township and portions of Haven Township within the Orderly Annexation area; those stated exclusions do not name Big Lake Township.
  • Requirements are administered by Sherburne County, not recorded here as a Township-adopted ordinance.

  “Sherburne County Planning & Zoning Handles all Big Lake Township Planning & Zoning”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage treatment systems on land inside Big Lake Township within Sherburne County's applicable jurisdiction.

  • The County administers the SSTS program for all townships except Becker Township and Baldwin Township; Big Lake Township is not an identified exception.
  • County jurisdiction excludes incorporated and unincorporated areas that administer an SSTS program by ordinance at least as restrictive as the County's.
  • All sewage generated in unsewered areas of the County must be treated and dispersed by an approved SSTS complying with Section 25 or by a system permitted by the MPCA.
  • It is unlawful to construct, install, modify, or replace an SSTS without the appropriate permit from the Department; obtaining that permit does not remove the responsibility to obtain any other required permit.

  “The county administers the SSTS program for all the townships excluding Becker Township and Baldwin Township.”

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.