Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Uplands Park, Missouri

Village of Uplands Park’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Dwelling units inside Uplands Park village limits, under the village's occupancy permit requirement in Chapter 520 and Chapter 515 (Occupancy Permits).

  • Section 520.210(b) bars occupying or letting for occupancy any dwelling that does not meet the Chapter 520 requirements.
  • Section 520.200 requires owners who hold real estate with dwelling units for sale or rent to obtain a notice from the building commissioner and post it at the front entrance.
  • Chapter 515 Occupancy Permits (sections 515.010 to 515.070) was listed but not opened; the application process, fees and inspection steps are unknown.
  • Ordinance No. 113 was enacted October 9, 1969.

  “notice no person may occupy this dwelling unit without first obtaining an occupancy permit in accordance with ordinance no. 113 enacted october 9, 1969”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Uplands Park village limits. The village adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, Title IV Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations.

  • Chapter 405 Zoning Regulations (sections 405.010 to 405.190) is listed in the village code table of contents under Title IV: Land Use.
  • The ordinance text found in the opened pages is largely a 1945 ordinance (Ord. No. 29) with later amendments; the eCode360 page carries a 2023 update stamp that is not an effective date.

  “the village of uplands park is hereby divided into one (1) district designated as: "a" residence district”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Uplands Park village limits. The village zoning ordinance divides the village into one residence district, the "A" Residence District.

  • Section 405.020 says the district boundaries are shown on a district map attached to the chapter; that map was not located in the opened pages.
  • No agricultural or rural-residential district was found in Chapter 405.

  “the village of uplands park is hereby divided into one (1) district designated as: "a" residence district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Every dwelling unit occupied or let for occupancy inside Uplands Park village limits (housing standard in Chapter 520, not a zoning district rule).

  • Applies to any dwelling or dwelling unit occupied or let for living.
  • Additional occupants require 100 square feet each; the source prints this as 'one hundred (100) feet of floor space'.
  • Ordinance No. 113 sections 2 to 9 enacted October 9, 1969.

  minimum floor space for first occupant: >= 150 square feet (100 square feet for each additional occupant)

  “every dwelling unit shall contain at least one hundred fifty (150) square feet of floor space for the first occupant thereof”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family dwellings in the A Residence District (the village's only zoning district) inside Uplands Park village limits.

  • Lots of record smaller than required at the time of the 1945 ordinance may be occupied by a one-family dwelling and the usual accessory buildings (section 405.040(a)(5)(b)).
  • Section 405.040(a)(5)(a) says the rule does not preclude provision for domestic servants employed and living in the household or on the premises.

  minimum lot area per family (one-family dwelling): >= 5600 square feet (undersized lots of record existing when Chapter 405 was passed)

  “every one-family dwelling hereafter erected or structurally altered shall provide a lot area of not less than five thousand six hundred (5,600) square feet per family”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the A Residence District (the village's only zoning district) inside Uplands Park village limits.

  • Front yard: where 25 percent or more of properties on a street block are built, a mean front yard line applies with a variation of up to 6 feet; otherwise the building line on the plat of record governs; otherwise 40 feet minimum.
  • Side yard: each side at least 8 percent of the lot frontage, and never less than 3 feet.
  • Section 405.030(c) bars building into the required front, side and rear yards.
  • Section 405.050 exceptions: fire escapes, stairs and balconies up to 5 feet into a yard with building commissioner approval; chimney and pilaster projections; cornices up to 14 inches in side yards.

  minimum rear yard depth: >= 25 feet · minimum front yard depth (default where no mean line applies): >= 40 feet (mean front yard line or plat building line may govern) · minimum side yard width: >= 8 percent of building lot frontage (never less than 3 feet)

  “there shall be a rear yard having a minimum depth of twenty-five (25) feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the A Residence District (the village's only zoning district) inside Uplands Park village limits.

  • Section 405.050(1): public, semi-public, church, school and similar buildings may reach 85 feet if yards are increased.
  • Section 405.050(2): chimneys, towers and similar structures follow other village ordinances.
  • Section 405.050(3): accessory buildings are limited to 15 feet, or 23 feet when servants' quarters are included.

  maximum building height: <= 40 feet (or 2 1/2 stories; institutional buildings up to 85 feet under section 405.050(1))

  “no building hereafter shall exceed forty (40) feet or two and one-half (2 1/2) stories, except as hereinafter provided in section 405.050(1).”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units, such as servant quarters, on a lot in the A Residence District inside Uplands Park village limits.

  • Accessory buildings and uses are permitted only when customarily incident to the one-family use, and not used for a business.
  • Section 405.050(3) limits an accessory building to 30 percent of a required rear yard and 15 feet in height, or 23 feet when servants' quarters are included.
  • Section 520.210 applies to any dwelling unit.

  accessory building max share of required rear yard: <= 30 percent · accessory building max height: <= 15 feet (23 feet when servants' quarters are included)

  “accessory buildings and uses customarily incident to the above uses, not involving the conduct of a business, including servant quarters and one (1) private garage”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Uplands Park or St. Louis County directly.

• Building permit — New construction inside Uplands Park village limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Uplands Park village limits.
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside Uplands Park village limits.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage for buildings inside Uplands Park village limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on land inside Uplands Park village 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Uplands Park means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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