Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Forest, Mississippi

Forest’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land, buildings, structures, and uses within Forest corporate limits.

  • The Code applies to all land, buildings, structures, and uses located within Forest corporate limits.
  • Development within the City must comply with applicable Code requirements except as otherwise provided.

  “The provisions of this Code shall apply to all land, buildings, structures, and uses located within the corporate limits of the City of Forest, as identified on the Official Map of Zoning Districts.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Forest corporate limits.

  • District boundaries are shown on the Official Map of Zoning Districts.
  • No use may be established unless expressly designated as a permitted or conditional use by the Code.

  “In order to carry out the purposes of this Code and to allow appropriate uses in different districts, the City shall be divided into the following zoning districts, the boundaries of which shall be shown on the Official Map of Zoning Districts:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land within the jurisdiction of the Forest Development Code.

  • A final plat is required except as allowed under Mississippi General Statute.
  • The final plat must conform to an approved preliminary plat, if any.

  “A final plat shall be required for all subdivision of land within the jurisdiction of this Code except as allowed under Mississippi General Statute.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Development-approval applications within Forest.

  • Applications and associated fees must be filed with the appropriate department.
  • Filing fees are established from time to time to defray actual application-processing cost.

  “All applications and associated fees shall be filed with the appropriate department. Filing fees shall be established from time to time to defray the actual cost of processing the application.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Development approvals and permits within Forest.

  • A pre-application conference is recommended before submitting a development-approval application.
  • A pre-application conference is mandatory for the listed comprehensive-plan amendment, flexible-use permit, zoning-map change, major-subdivision, and major-site-plan reviews.
  • Applications must be submitted on forms and in quantities required by the appropriate department.

  “Before submitting an application for development approval, it is recommended that each applicant schedule a pre-application conference with the Director of Development Services or designee to discuss the procedures, standards and regulations required for development approval in accordance with this Code.”

Rules another office applies inside Forest

Forest 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 sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single Family District inside Forest corporate limits.

  • The R-1 district is described as the most restrictive residential district.
  • The stated standard is the minimum dwelling-unit size.

  minimum dwelling unit: >= 1500 square feet

  “Minimum dwelling unit (sf) 1,500 square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agriculture/Open Space Protection (AO) District inside Forest corporate limits.

    “Minimum dwelling unit (sf) 1,500 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single Family District inside Forest corporate limits.

  minimum lot area: >= 15000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

  “Minimum lot area (sf) 15,000 square feet Minimum lot width (ft) 100 ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agriculture/Open Space Protection (AO) District inside Forest corporate limits.

  • Front-yard setback is from an existing or proposed right-of-way line of any street or road, including roads shown on the Major Thoroughfares Plan.
  • Side and rear setbacks are measured to the nearest building or structure.

  minimum front yard depth: >= 40 feet · minimum side yard depth: >= 10 feet · minimum rear yard depth: >= 30 feet

  “Minimum front yard depth (ft) 40ft Minimum side yard depth (ft) 10ft Minimum rear yard depth 30ft”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Single Family District inside Forest corporate limits.

    “Minimum front yard depth (ft) 40ft Minimum side yard depth (ft) 10ft Minimum rear yard depth 30ft”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential building construction inside Forest corporate limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Forest corporate limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Forest corporate limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Forest corporate limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Forest corporate 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.