Zoning, building permits and septic rules in St. Marys Point, Minnesota

St. Marys Point’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection or structural alteration of structures inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • No site preparation work, including rough grading, driveway construction, footing excavation, tree removal, or other physical changes may occur before the building permit and other zoning-use permits.
  • The application must include the specified site plan and information; new homes and additions or rebuilds exceeding 50% of the existing home's square footage require a certificate of survey.
  • The work must start within 60 days unless a 90-day extension is approved and must be completed within one year.

  commencement deadline: 60 days (A 90-day extension may be approved by the Building Official.) · completion deadline: 1 year

  “No structure shall hereafter be erected or structurally altered until a building permit shall have been issued, indicating that the existing or proposed structure and the use of the land comply with this chapter and all Building Codes.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings regulated inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The posted municipal code is identified by the city as a 2001 code book and the planning page says its posted zoning code is preliminary review material.

  “The Building Official is hereby authorized and directed to enforce all the provisions of the Minnesota State Building Code.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New or structurally altered buildings used for non-agricultural use, and changes of land use, inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • Agricultural purposes and construction of essential services and transmission lines are excepted from the stated prohibition.
  • A temporary certificate may issue during completion for no more than 12 months, subject to Building Code provisions.
  • The posted code is preliminary-review material according to the city planning page.

  temporary certificate maximum period: <= 12 months (During completion of erection or alteration and subject to Building Code provisions.)

  “No person may change the use of any land (except for agricultural purposes or for construction of essential services and transmission lines), or occupy a new or structurally altered building used for non-agricultural use, after the effective date of this Ordinance, unless he has first obtained a certificate of occupancy.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The city planning page characterizes the posted code as circa 2014 and for preliminary review; later ordinances may exist.

  “Attached is the zoning code for the city.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The city hosts a zoning map and posted zoning code, but cautions that the code is circa 2014 and only for preliminary review.

  “601.02 Establishment of Base Districts. The following base zoning districts are hereby established: R-1 Single Family Residential R-2 Single Family Residential”

• Septic permitRequired

  Uses requiring on-site sewage treatment and disposal in areas inside St. Marys Point city limits without public sewer facilities.

  • A building permit may not issue until the septic permit has issued.
  • The applicant must show that a suitable on-site treatment and disposal system can be installed, conforming to the community ordinance, including percolation tests and borings.

  “In areas without public sewer facilities, no building permit ,for any use requiring on-site sewage treatment and disposal shall be issued until a septic permit has first been issued.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Individual sewer-disposal systems in the Lower St. Croix Riverway portion of St. Marys Point where public or municipal facilities are unavailable.

  • A septic tank/drainfield is the only acceptable system unless infeasibility and no pollution problem from the proposed alternative are demonstrated.
  • The system also must meet Washington County Development Code Chapter 4 and the city ordinance Section 4.

  “A septic tank/drainfield system shall be the only acceptable system for installation unless it can be demonstrated that this system is not feasible on the particular lot in question and it can be demonstrated that the system being proposed as an alternate will not cause a pollution problem.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Mobile-home parks inside St. Marys Point city limits where a public water supply is available to or at the park boundary.

  • The located rule concerns mobile-home parks, not all new homes citywide.
  • Water and sewer systems must be built to plans and specifications approved by the community engineer.
  • The city planning page says the posted code is preliminary review material.

  “where a public water supply is available to the mobile home park or at the boundary of the park, a connection to said public water supply shall be provided for each mobile home.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural-purpose land-use changes and occupancy rules inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The cited certificate-of-occupancy provision expressly excepts agricultural purposes, but this does not establish a general exemption from all permits or zoning controls.
  • The city planning page warns that the posted code is preliminary review material.

  “No person may change the use of any land (except for agricultural purposes or for construction of essential services and transmission lines), or occupy a new or structurally altered building used for non-agricultural use, after the effective date of this Ordinance, unless he has first obtained a certificate of occupancy.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • Land found unsuitable for the listed hazards and limitations may not be subdivided.
  • The official permits page includes minor and major subdivision in the city zoning and permit application.
  • The city advises that the posted code is preliminary review material.

  “The City's Zoning & Permit application provides for items such as; Variance, Conditional Use Permit, Grade & Fill Permit, Demolition Permit, Subdivision (minor & major) Planned Unit Development, ROW Permit, Garbage Hauler, etc.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  City zoning and permit applications inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • An application may require a fee.
  • Fees change annually, and current fees apply regardless of any fee schedule included with the application.

  “The attached application may also require a fee submitted with the application. Please see the Fee Schedule (fees change annually - current fees will apply regardless of the Fee Schedule included here) and Setback information used in the community for zoning purpose.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  St. Marys Point building-permit applications.

  • The completed building-permit application is scanned and emailed to Stensland Inspections.
  • The Building Inspector advises on fees and remittance.
  • All permits must be presented to the City Clerk for processing.

  “St. Mary's Point Building Permit can be printed. When completed please scan and send via email to Isaac at Stensland Inspections at: stenslandinspections@gmail.com”

Rules another office applies inside St. Marys Point

St. Marys Point 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 sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and R-2 Single Family Residential Districts inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The posted schedule lists 1,050 square feet for each listed district; the city says its posted zoning code is circa 2014 and for preliminary review.

  minimum floor area R-1: 1050 square feet · minimum floor area R-2: 1050 square feet

  “District R-1 R-2 Min Lot Size 18,000 square feet 2.5 acres Min. Floor Area* 1,050 sq. ft. 1050 sq. ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and R-2 Single Family Residential Districts inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The city planning page says the posted zoning code is circa 2014 and preliminary review material.

  minimum lot size R-1: 18000 square feet · minimum lot size R-2: 2.5 acres

  “District R-1 R-2 Min Lot Size 18,000 square feet 2.5 acres”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and R-2 Single Family Residential Districts inside St. Marys Point city limits.

  • The city planning page says the posted zoning code is circa 2014 and preliminary review material.

  R-1 front-yard setback: 30 feet · R-2 front-yard setback: 50 feet · side-yard setback R-1 and R-2: 20 feet · rear-yard setback R-1 and R-2: 10 feet

  “Min. Front Yard Setback 30ft. 50 ft. Min. Side Yard Setback 20ft. 20ft. Min. Rear Yard Setback 10ft. 10ft.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Rural District, Urban District, and Urban District with Public Sewer and Water in the Lower St. Croix Riverway portion of St. Marys Point.

  • The dimension is from the posted code, which the city describes as preliminary review material.

  maximum structure height: 35 feet (Applies to each of the listed Lower St. Croix Riverway districts.)

  “Maximum structure height 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Floodway and floodplain areas inside St. Marys Point covered by the Lower St. Croix Riverway ordinance.

  • No structures may be placed in a floodway.
  • Structures proposed within a floodplain must be consistent with community and state floodplain ordinances.
  • The city planning page says the posted code is preliminary review material.

  “No structures shall be placed in any floodway. Structures proposed within a floodplain shall be consistent with Community and State Floodplain Ordinances.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. Marys Point or Washington County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside St. Marys Point city limits.
• Inspections — Construction inside St. Marys Point city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside St. Marys Point city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside St. Marys Point city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside St. Marys Point 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.