Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Montreat, North Carolina

Town of Montreat’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Class A and Class B manufactured homes inside Montreat town limits.

  • Before issuance, the Zoning Administrator must certify that the home meets the appearance criteria in §611.5.

  “Before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy for a Class A or a Class B manufactured home, the Zoning Administrator must certify the home meets the following appearance criteria.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the corporate limits of Montreat town.

  • The ordinance also applies in the adjacent ETJ; this claim is limited to land inside town limits.

  “the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Montreat, North Carolina, does hereby adopt this Ordinance: (a) establishing comprehensive zoning regulations for the Town of Montreat, a municipal corporation of the state of North Carolina”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-3 Residential District inside Montreat town limits.

  • R-3 is described as having increased minimum lot sizes due to limited town services and environmentally sensitive land.

  minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet (Single-family dwellings.)

  “503.41 Twenty thousand (20,000) square feet for all Single-Family Dwellings.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Residential District inside Montreat town limits.

    “501.41 Ten thousand (10,000) square feet for all Single-Family Dwellings.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the R-3 Residential District inside Montreat town limits.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “503.10 Maximum Building Height. Thirty-five feet (35’).”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of a travel trailer, camper, or recreational vehicle as a residence inside Montreat town limits.

  • A visitor may occupy one vehicle on an owner's property with permission for no more than seven days per year. Owner occasional use of a vacant vehicle is limited to no more than seven successive days and no more than four times in twelve months.

  visitor occupancy maximum: <= 7 days per year (Visitor of a town property owner; owner permission; no more than one occupied vehicle on a lot.)

  “No travel trailer, camper or recreational vehicle shall be used as a residence in the Town.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes established as residences inside Montreat town limits.

  • A manufactured residence may be located on a lot in R-1. Class A and B homes require special-use approval and must meet the cited standards. Class C homes are not allowed. Temporary exemptions may be available under §611.3.

  “611.41 Class A. This class of manufactured home shall be allowed as a Special Use in the R-1 Zoning District.”

• Short-term rentalsAllowed

  Short-term rentals inside Montreat town limits.

  • The town FAQ identifies the former rentals article as repealed effective January 10, 2013.

  “A. No. There are no areas of Montreat that prohibit Short-Term Rentals (STRs).”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town zoning, stormwater, floodplain, and related permits inside Montreat town limits.

  • All fees are subject to change at any time with approval by the Board of Commissioners.

  certificate of zoning compliance fee: 35 USD · floodplain development permit fee: 100 USD

  “Certificate of Zoning Compliance - $35.00”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit and inspection requests inside Montreat town limits.

  • Applicant must email the town contact and provide a brief project description; the town will email the appropriate permit application form.

  “Email amurphy@townofmontreat.org and give a brief description of the project and the appropriate permit application form will be emailed to you.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New residential construction inside Montreat town limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Montreat town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Montreat town limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Montreat town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Montreat 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.