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

Town of Drexel’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land use and buildings inside Drexel town limits.

  • Agricultural purposes are excepted.
  • Application must be made with the building or zoning-permit application.
  • A temporary certificate may be issued for up to six months during alterations or construction for partial occupancy, bazaars, carnivals, or revivals, subject to safeguards.

  temporary certificate maximum period: <= 6 months (during alterations or construction for partial occupancy, or for bazaars, carnivals, and revivals)

  “E. Certificate of occupancy required. No land within the Town of Drexel or its planning area shall be used or occupied except for agricultural purposes, and no building within the Town of Drexel or its extraterritorial zoning area shall hereafter be erected, structurally altered, converted or changed in use until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All property inside Drexel town limits.

  • The ordinance also applies in the town's designated ETJ, which is outside this record's municipal-limits scope.

  “A. Planning area. The provisions of this Ordinance shall be applicable to all property within the corporate town limits of Drexel, North Carolina, and that land as designated by the official zoning map as authorized by G.S. 160D-201 and 160D-202, to be known as the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Drexel town limits.

  • The listed districts also apply in Drexel's extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction.

  “A. Use districts. For the purpose of this chapter, the Town of Drexel and its extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction are hereby divided into six (6) districts designated as follows: 1) R-20 Residential District; 2) R-12 Residential District; 3) R-8 Residential District; 4) B-1 Central Business District; 5) B-2 General Business District; and 6) M-1 Manufacturing District.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Individual manufactured homes inside Drexel town limits.

  • Double-wide manufactured homes are permitted on individual lots in R-20, R-12, and R-8.
  • Single-wide manufactured homes are permitted on individual lots only in R-20.
  • Both types are subject to the conditions in § 9-3014.

  “Manufactured homes, double, are permitted on individual lots in the R-20, R-12 and R-8 Districts and manufactured homes, single, are permitted on individual lots in the R-20 District. Both manufactured homes - double and manufactured homes-single are subject to the following conditions:”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable

  Bona fide farms and related uses inside Drexel town limits.

  • Use of the property for nonfarm purposes is subject to the zoning regulations.

  “B. Bona fide farms exempt. This chapter shall in no way regulate, restrict, prohibit, or otherwise deter any bona fide farm and its related uses within the planning area as defined in (a) above, except that use of such property for nonfarm purposes shall be subject to these regulations.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Drexel town limits.

  • The regulations apply to divisions into two or more lots or building sites for sale or building development, subject to listed statutory and ordinance exceptions.

  regulated division threshold: >= 2 lots or building sites (when one or more divisions is created for sale or building development)

  “For the purpose of this chapter, subdivision regulations shall be applicable to all divisions of a tract or parcel of land into two (2) or more lots, building sites, or other divisions when any one or more of those divisions is created for the purpose of sale or building development (whether immediate or future) and shall include all divisions of land involving the dedication of a new street or a change in existing streets; but the following shall not be subject to the regulations authorized by this chapter:”

• Driveway accessLimited

  A proposed manufactured-home park inside Drexel whose street intersects a state-maintained road.

  • The driveway approval is required only where a proposed park street intersects a state-maintained road.
  • Approval is required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation under its Manual on Driveway Regulations.

  “6) Proposed streets, existing and platted streets on adjoining properties and in the proposed subdivision, rights-of-way, pavement widths, approximate grades, design engineering data for all corners and curves, and typical street cross sections. If any street is proposed to intersect with a state maintained road, the plat shall be accompanied by driveway approval as required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Division of Highways' Manual on Driveway Regulations.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Drexel zoning-permit applications.

  • An investigation and compliance fee is due with a zoning-permit application; the opened ordinance passage does not state its amount.

  “D. Fees. When making application for a zoning permit, an investigation and compliance fee shall be paid.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Drexel building or zoning permit applications.

  • A duplicate, scaled plan must accompany the application and include the listed lot, existing-building, proposed-construction, use, and necessary neighboring-lot information.

  “C. Application for a building or zoning permit. Each application for a building or zoning permit to the administrative officer of Drexel shall be accompanied by a plan in duplicate, drawn to scale, one copy of which shall be returned to the owner upon approval.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Drexel

Town of Drexel does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  First dwelling unit in Drexel's R-20 Residential District.

  • For each unit in excess of two, an additional 3,000 square feet is required; density may not exceed 13 units per acre.

  minimum lot area for first dwelling unit: 20000 square feet

  “1) Minimum required lot area for the first dwelling unit, twenty thousand (20,000) square feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in Drexel's R-12 Residential District.

    “1) Minimum required lot area shall be twelve thousand (12,000) square feet for single-family dwellings.”

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in Drexel's R-8 Residential District.

    “1) Minimum required lot area shall be eight thousand (8,000) square feet for singlefamily dwellings and twelve thousand (12,000) square feet for two-family dwellings. For residential structures having three (3) or more dwellings units the lot area shall be increased by three thousand (3,000) square feet for each dwelling unit in excess of two (2). In no case shall dwelling unit density exceed thirteen (13) units per acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Drexel's R-12 Residential District.

  • Corner lots require an additional 10 feet along the side-street line.

  front setback: 35 feet · side yard: 10 feet (corner lots require an additional 10 feet along the side-street line) · rear yard: 30 feet

  “3) Minimum required front setback line, thirty-five (35) feet. 4) Minimum required side yard, ten (10) feet. Corner lots must have an additional ten (10) feet along the side street line. 5) Minimum required rear yard, thirty (30) feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Drexel's R-20 Residential District.

    “4) Minimum required front setback line, thirty (30) feet. 5) Minimum required side yard, fifteen a) Fifteen (15) Feet each. Corner lots must have an additional ten (10) feet along the side street line. 6) Minimum required rear yard, forty (40) feet.”

  • Specified — Drexel's R-8 Residential District.

    “3) Minimum required front setback line thirty-five (35) feet. 4) Minimum required side yard ten (10) feet each. Corner lots must have an additional ten (10) feet along side street line. Multiple-family lots fifteen (15) feet each. 5) Minimum required rear yard, thirty (30) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Drexel's R-12 Residential District.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 50 percent (principal and accessory buildings)

  “6) Maximum permissible lot coverage. The total ground area covered by the principal building and all accessory buildings shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the total lot area.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Drexel's R-20 Residential District.

    “7) Maximum permissible lot coverage. The total ground area covered by the principal building and all accessory building shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the total land area.”

  • Specified — Drexel's R-8 Residential District.

    “6) Maximum permissible lot coverage. The total ground area covered by the principal building and all accessory buildings shall not exceed forty (40) percent of the total lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Drexel's R-12 Residential District.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “7) Height of buildings shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet. (Ord. of 10-1-02)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Drexel's R-8 Residential District.

    “7) Height of building shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet. (Ord. 10-1-02)”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Individual manufactured homes inside Drexel where municipal utilities are unavailable.

  • Applies only if municipal utilities are not available.
  • The cited Drexel rule requires Burke County Health Department approval of the well and/or septic tank.

  “B. If municipal utilities are not available, the well and/or septic tank must be approved by the Burke County Health Department.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Proposed development inside Drexel that is in the Special Flood Hazard Area or 100-year floodplain.

  • A floodplain development permit may be needed before construction.
  • If development increases flood levels, a Conditional Letter of Map Revision is required before permitting and construction; otherwise a No-Rise Certification is required.

  “Per 44 CFR 60.3.d.3 and the North Carolina Executive Order 123 – Any new proposed development located within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), 100-yr Floodplain, may need a Floodplain Development Permit prior to construction. • If the proposed development causes an increase in flood levels, a Conditional Letter of Map Revision will be required prior to permitting and construction. • If the proposed development does not cause an increase in flood levels, a No-Rise Certification will be required.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Drexel town limits.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Drexel town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings inside Drexel town limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Drexel town limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Drexel 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.