Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Flora, Mississippi

Town of Flora’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  A manufactured home located in a manufactured home park inside Flora town limits.

  • Application is required before connection of water, sewer, or electricity.
  • Electrical wiring and plumbing connections must be performed by qualified, licensed, and bonded electricians and plumbers under the identified code editions.
  • The person placing the manufactured home must comply with the stated tie-down standards.

  “Prior to the connection of utilities (water, sewer, electricity) to serve any manufactured home located in a manufactured home park, the owner of the manufactured home, or the owner (or his authorized representative) of the manufactured home park in cases where both the space and the manufactured home are leased or rented, shall apply for a building permit.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Construction or use conversion performed under Flora zoning-related permits.

  • The listed check occurs before issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

  “Check construction (or use conversion) performed under zoning-related permits to determine if the work (or use conversion) meets the requirements before issuing a certificate of occupancy.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Flora town limits.

  • The official zoning map is incorporated by reference and its certified Town Hall copy is the final authority for zoning status.

  published districts: A-1 Agricultural; R-E Residential Estate; R-1 Single-Family; R-2 Moderate Density; R-2A Patio Home; R-3 High Density; R-3A Townhouse; MHP; MHS; PUD; FS; C-1 through C-4; I-1; I-2; S-1

  “For the purpose of promoting public health, safety, morals, or general welfare, the Town of Flora, Mississippi, is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: A-1 Agricultural District R-E Residential Estate District R-1 Single-Family Residential District R-2 Moderate Density Residential District R-2A Patio Home Residential District R-3 High Density Residential District R-3A Townhouse Residential District MHP Manufactured Home Park District MHS Manufactured Home Subdivision PUD Planned Unit Development District FS Flora Station District C-1 Office Commercial District C-2 General Commercial District C-3 Highway Commercial District C-4 Adult Entertainment District I-1 Limited Industrial District I-2 Heavy Industrial District S-1 Special Use District”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Flora town limits.

  minimum lot area: 12000 square feet · minimum lot width: 80 feet

  “703.02 MINIMUM LOT AREA: 12,000 square feet. 703.03 MINIMUM LOT WIDTH: 80 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Flora town limits.

  front yard: 30 feet · side yards: 10 feet · rear yard: 25 feet

  “703.04 MINIMUM YARDS: A. Front yard: 30 feet. B. Side yards: 10 feet. C. Rear yard: 25 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Flora town limits.

  maximum building height: 35 feet

  “SECTION 703 - DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENT 703.01 MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT: 35 feet.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes in manufactured home parks inside Flora town limits.

  • A building-permit application is required before utility connection.
  • New and expanded parks must comply with applicable ordinance provisions.
  • Park dimensions, setbacks, utilities, drainage, access, and flood/ponding requirements apply.

  “No building permit to construct a new manufactured home park or to expand (by the addition of one or more spaces) an existing manufactured home park shall be issued until the applicant for the building permit has complied with the provisions of Sections 2607 through 2610 relative to site plan review.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Manufactured homes located in manufactured home parks inside Flora town limits.

  • Water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, and storm drainage must be provided in accordance with applicable codes adopted by Flora.
  • A building-permit application is required before water, sewer, or electricity is connected.

  “Utilities (electrical power, natural gas, water, and sanitary sewerage) and storm drainage shall be provided in all manufactured home parks in accordance with the requirements of the applicable codes adopted by the Town of Flora.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  New single-family residential subdivisions in R-1 districts inside Flora town limits.

  • No new single-family residential subdivision may be developed in R-1 after the ordinance effective date without public sewerage.

  “No new single-family residential subdivisions shall be developed in R-1 districts after the effective date of this Ordinance without public sewerage.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Structures constructed, moved, or structurally altered inside Flora town limits.

  • Access must be to a public dedicated street or to an approved private street or parking area.
  • The access must provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection, and required off-street parking.

  “Every structure hereafter constructed, moved, or structurally altered shall have direct access to a public (dedicated) street or to an approved (through a building permit issued by the Zoning Administrator) private street or parking area, and shall be so located as to provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection, and required off-street parking.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Manufactured home parks inside Flora town limits.

  • Parks must be on ground not susceptible to flooding and graded to prevent ponding.
  • Proposed floodway modifications require site-plan review.

  “All manufactured home parks shall be located on ground which is not susceptible to flooding and graded so as to prevent any water from ponding or accumulating on the premises.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Flora building permits, change-of-use permits, site plans, variances, conditional uses, and zoning amendments.

  • The mayor and board establish the schedule and may amend it.
  • No processing occurs until applicable fees, charges, and expenses are paid in full.
  • Zoning-related fees are not refundable.

  “The Mayor and Board of Aldermen shall establish a schedule of fees for the issuance of building permits, change of use permits, the processing of all site plans required under Section 2607, and the processing of applications for variances, conditional uses and zoning amendments. Said schedule of fees shall be posted in the Town Hall, and the Town Clerk or other designated Town official shall be responsible for their collection.”

• Permit processPartial

  Site-plan applications subject to the Flora zoning ordinance.

  • Applicants or their designated representatives must attend Planning Commission and Board meetings or no action is taken.
  • Final site-plan approval constitutes authority to proceed subject to issuance of a building permit.

  “Applicants (or their designated representative) for site plan approval shall be present at meetings of the Planning Commission and Board of Aldermen when their proposed site plan is to be reviewed, or no action will be taken by those bodies.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Flora or Madison County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Flora town limits.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Flora town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Flora town limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Flora town limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Flora town 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.