Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of St. Ignatius, Montana

Town of St. Ignatius’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within the corporate limits of St. Ignatius town, Montana.

  • The ordinance also describes a possible one-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction shown on the official zoning map; this claim is limited to town limits.

  “This ordinance shall be known and cited as the "ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF ST. IGNATIUS, MONTANA."”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Proposed subdivisions inside St. Ignatius town limits subject to municipal subdivision review.

  • The cited provision concerns conditional uses that are also subject to subdivision review.
  • Joint and concurrent Planning Board and Zoning Commission review, including a joint public hearing, is required for that circumstance.

  “Where the proposed conditional use is subject to review as a subdivision under the Montana Subdivision and Platting Act [...]”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Every principal building erected or placed on a lot inside St. Ignatius town limits.

  • Access must be to a public street other than an alley, or to an approved private street.
  • All structures must provide required off-street parking and safe, convenient emergency-vehicle access.

  “Every principal building erected or placed on a lot shall have legal and physical access [...]”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Buildings and structures proposed in identified flood-hazard areas inside St. Ignatius town limits.

  • No building or structure may be erected or located within an identified 100-year floodway or an area identified by the Town Council as presenting a flood hazard.
  • Any erection or location must conform to city or county floodplain-management regulations.

  “No building or structure may be erected or located within an identified 100 year floodway [...]”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning-permit applications for uses and construction inside St. Ignatius town limits.

  • The completed application must include required information and scale plans.
  • The administrator may issue a permit only when the proposal meets the zoning ordinance.
  • The permit is effective for one year from approval.

  zoning permit term: 1 year (from the date of approval)

  “a person must submit a completed zoning application form to the Zoning Administrator, with all of the required information [...]”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside St. Ignatius town limits.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside St. Ignatius town limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside St. Ignatius town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside St. Ignatius town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside St. Ignatius 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.