Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Willernie, Minnesota

Willernie’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures in Willernie city.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code, established pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 326B.101, et seq., one copy of which is on file with the City Clerk, is hereby adopted and shall be in full force and effect in the City.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Apartment-building common areas, fire-suppression systems, and alarms in Willernie rental housing.

  • Inspection or review is performed by, or at the direction of, the City Building Inspector.

  “Apartment building common areas, fire suppression systems and alarms shall be subject to a Fire Code inspection and/or review performed by, or via direction from, the City Building Inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Willernie city limits.

  • The code applies to all area inside the corporate limits.

  “Dividing Willernie into zones and districts restricting and regulating therein, the location, and use of structures and land.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential or commercial lots inside Willernie; overlay-district lots have a separate minimum.

  • Outside the overlay district, the minimum average lot width is 80 feet.

  minimum lot size outside overlay district: 6400 square feet (Residential or commercial lots) · minimum lot size in overlay district: 12800 square feet

  “The minimum lot size for residential or commercial lots not in the overlay district shall be 6,400 square feet with a minimum average width of 80 feet. In the overlay district the minimum lot size shall be 12,800 square feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures inside Willernie, with a separate overlay-district rule.

  • Overlay-district structures are subject to Chapters 301 and 1801.
  • Distances are measured from the nearest building point to the applicable property line or street.

  street setback outside overlay district: 20 feet · rear setback outside overlay district: 5 feet · side-yard setback outside overlay district: 5 feet

  “All structures not in the overlay district shall be set back a minimum of twenty (20) feet from any street, five (5) feet from the rear lot line and five (5) feet from any side yard lot line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the Wetlands, Soil Erosion, Restrictive Soils Overlay district.

  • The table also requires structures to be set back at least 150 feet from the wetland or ordinary high-water level.

  maximum impervious surface coverage: 30 percent (Wetlands, Soil Erosion, Restrictive Soils Overlay)

  “Maximum impervious surface coverage — 30 percent (30%)”

• Building heightSpecified

  Detached garages inside Willernie city limits.

  • The garage must be one floor and 1,000 square feet or less.
  • The Building Inspector shall not issue a permit for a proposed detached garage that fails Chapter 301 requirements.

  maximum detached-garage side-wall height: 12 feet

  “Detached garages within the City shall be limited to one floor and shall be 1000 square feet or less in size. A maximum side wall height for any proposed detached garage shall be twelve (12) feet.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Each new building in Willernie where a public sewer is available.

  • A rear building may share an extended building drain only where no private sewer is available or constructible to that rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard, or driveway and after City and Inspector approval.

  “The drainage and plumbing system of each new building and of new work installed in an existing building shall be separate from and independent of that of any other building except where provided in Section 1206.020 hereof, and every building shall have an independent connection with a public sewer when such is available.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of parcels inside Willernie city limits.

  • A variance may allow a proposed or residual parcel below the applicable minimum lot size.
  • Subdivision includes a sale to a buyer of less than the owner's entire adjoining property, including splitting an individual lot.

  overlay-district subdivision threshold: < 12800 square feet (City Council approval required) · outside-overlay subdivision threshold: < 6400 square feet (City Council approval required)

  “No parcel of land consisting of less than 12,800 square feet in the overlay district or 6,400 square feet outside the overlay district may be subdivided without the approval of the City Council.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways inside Willernie city limits.

  • The provision identifies driveways as items for which a zoning permit is required.

  “A zoning permit is required for items such as driveways, fences, accessory structures under one hundred twenty (120) square feet and the like.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  City zoning-permit applications.

  • Information or documents may be waived by the City Clerk when not relevant or necessary to determine compliance.
  • A zoning permit is required for items such as driveways, fences, and accessory structures under 120 square feet.

  “Every application for a zoning permit shall contain at least the following information and shall be accompanied by at least the following documents, unless any specifically required information or document is waived in by the City Clerk as not relevant or necessary to determine that all provision of this Code have been met in a particular case:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Willernie city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Willernie city limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Willernie city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Willernie city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Willernie 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.