Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Forest Hills, North Carolina

Village of Forest Hills’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Completed improvements inside Forest Hills village limits for which a Village zoning certificate was issued.

  • The inspection supports issuance of the required certificate of compliance; this is zoning-compliance inspection, not an independently sourced State Building Code inspection rule.

  “The Certificate of Compliance shall certify that Jackson County has inspected the completed improvements”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New, added-to, enlarged, altered, or moved buildings inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • The ordinance calls the document a Certificate of Compliance, issued by the Jackson County Planning Office; temporary occupancy may be authorized for specified portions for up to six months at a time.

  “No new building or part thereof, no addition or enlargement of any existing building, and no existing building that has been altered or moved shall be occupied until a Certificate of Compliance has been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Village of Forest Hills limits in Jackson County, North Carolina.

  • The Village Council developed the ordinance; Jackson County Planning Office issues zoning certificates and certificates of compliance under it.

  “The Forest Hills Village Council does hereby ordain and enact into law the following Sections as the Zoning Ordinance of the Village of Forest Hills, North Carolina.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • Districts are designated on the Village zoning map; the ordinance's Chapter 3 includes R-1, R-1-A, R-2, R-3, R-4, M-1, and P-1 district provisions.

  “Zoning Districts. Zoning districts established by this Ordinance and designated on the Zoning Map of the Village of Forest Hills.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Manufactured homes in the R-2 Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • Applies to manufactured homes constructed after July 1, 1983.

  heated area above ground: >= 1420 square feet (Manufactured homes in R-2 constructed after July 1, 1983.)

  “Not less than 1,420 square feet of heated area above ground.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential lots in the R-1 Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • One-half acre applies when served by public water and sewer; one acre applies when service is from well or septic. Width is 100 feet for lots created after the ordinance effective date and 50 feet for lots created before adoption.

  minimum lot area: >= 0.5 acre (If served by public water and sewer.) · minimum lot area: >= 1 acre (If service is received from well or septic system.)

  “Minimum lot size and width: minimum ½ acre if served by public water and sewer or minimum 1 acre if service is received from well or septic system.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential lots in the R-3 Rural Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

    “Minimum lot size: minimum ½ acre if served by public water and sewer or minimum 1 acre if service is received from well or septic system except as permitted through the conditional use permit process for Residential Planned Unit Developments.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in the R-1 Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • If the right-of-way is not defined in Jackson County public records, the road-centerline setback is 45 feet; doors, windows, canopies, and awnings may encroach.

  adjoining-property-line setback: >= 25 feet · right-of-way setback: >= 25 feet (Public or private road.) · road-centerline setback: >= 45 feet (If no right-of-way line is defined among Jackson County public records.)

  “No building within the R-1 Residential District shall be erected within twenty-five feet of the property line of an adjoining ownership nor within twenty-five feet of the edge of the right-of-way line of any public or private road.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings in the R-3 Rural Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

    “No building within the R-3 Rural Residential District shall be erected within twenty feet of the property line of an adjoining ownership nor within twenty-five feet of the edge of the right-of-way line of any public or private road.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in the R-1 Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • Basements are excluded from the two-habitable-story limit; the ordinance refers to Chapter 2, Section 2.2 for measurement.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet · maximum habitable stories: <= 2 stories (Exclusive of basement.)

  “No structure located within the R-1 Residential District shall have more than two habitable stories, exclusive of basement, nor shall the height of the structure exceed 35 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in the R-4 Rural Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

    “No structure located within the R-4 Rural Residential District shall have more than three habitable stories, exclusive of basement, nor shall the height of the structure exceed 45 feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Camping trailers, motor homes, and similar recreational vehicles on residential property in the R-1 Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • The vehicle may be parked only if it is not occupied, is not connected to water or sewer, and is within applicable side- or rear-yard setback lines.

  “A camping trailer, motor home, or similar recreational vehicle or equipment may be parked on residential property, provided that it is not occupied, not connected to a source of water or sewer, and is parked within applicable setback lines of the side and/or rear yard.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in the R-2 Residential District inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • The manufactured home must have been constructed after July 1, 1983; have at least 1,420 square feet of heated area above ground; have towing equipment removed; have a permanent masonry curtain wall or foundation; be at least 24 feet wide; have a 1:4 minimum roof pitch with shingles; and have the specified siding.

  minimum heated area above ground: >= 1420 square feet (Manufactured homes in R-2 constructed after July 1, 1983.) · minimum finished base-unit width: >= 24 feet (Manufactured homes in R-2.)

  “Manufactured homes constructed after July 1, 1983, and provided all of the following conditions are met:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • The County page identifies a Village subdivision ordinance; requirements and procedures were not fully extracted.

  “The Village Council has developed zoning and subdivision ordinances to manage and maintain the residential character of the community.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Village zoning and development applications inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • An administrative fee is applicable to all applications under the Village page; applicants are directed to bring the application and fee to Jackson County offices.

  “An administrative fee, per the Schedule of Fees, are applicable to all applications. Bring application and fee to the Jackson County offices.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning certificates for construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, moving, or demolition inside Forest Hills village limits.

  • Application is filed with Jackson County Planning Office and may be made prior to or with a State Building Code permit application; the administrator may approve minor construction without the otherwise required scaled building drawing.

  site-sketch scale: 1 inch to 40 feet

  “Applications for a Zoning Permit need to be filed with the Jackson County Planning Department and may be made prior to or in conjunction with applications for a building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building-code permit for residential construction inside Forest Hills village limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Forest Hills village limits.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Forest Hills village limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Forest Hills village limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Forest Hills village 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.