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

Town of Oriental’s own rules

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Oriental planning and development regulation jurisdiction.

  • The official Growth Management Map is kept in the Land Use Administrator’s office.
  • The map dated February 3, 2009 is adopted by reference and may be amended.

  “The following residential districts are hereby established R-1, R-2 and R-3.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential lots in R-1, R-2, R-3, MU, and MU-1 districts inside Oriental town limits.

  • Minimum lot sizes are permissible only where potable water and sewer facilities are or can be made available to every lot.
  • Nonconforming-lot deviations may be made under Section 192.1.

  R-1 minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet · R-2 and R-3 residential minimum lot area: >= 5000 square feet · MU/MU-1 residential minimum lot area: >= 5000 square feet

  “All lots in the following districts shall have at least the amount of square footage indicated in the following table:”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in Oriental development districts.

  • Subject to Section 192 and subsections 2 and 3 of Section 113.
  • Measurements are from the property line or street right-of-way perpendicular to the nearest extension of the building.
  • Multiple eave heights may use more than one setback table.

  “Subject to Section 192 (Non-conforming Lots), Sub-section (2) and Sub-section (3), no portion of any building may be located on any lot closer to any lot boundary line or to the street right-of-way line than is authorized in the tables set forth in Section 113.4 below.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in Oriental R-1, R-2, R-3, MU, and MU-1 districts.

  • MU/MU-1 solely residential buildings have a 35-percent building-FAR limit.
  • Impervious-area provisions differ from building FAR.

  R-1 maximum building FAR: <= 30 percent of lot · R-2/R-3 maximum building FAR: <= 35 percent of lot · MU/MU-1 maximum building FAR: <= 40 percent of lot (35 percent if solely residential.)

  “No building or combination of buildings located in the R-1 district shall have a FAR greater than thirty percent (30%) of the lot on which it is located.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings inside Oriental town limits.

  • Height above mean sea level must be shown on the application and certified by a surveyed elevation provided by owner/developer.
  • New construction may exceed specified height limits up to five feet only with the listed increased setbacks.
  • Existing structures raised solely to comply with Pamlico County minimum elevation are exempt only to the extent needed.

  maximum total height: <= 35 feet above lowest adjacent finished grade (43.5 feet above mean sea level, whichever is higher.)

  “No building shall exceed a total height of 35 feet above the lowest adjacent finished grade, or 43.5 feet above mean sea level, whichever is higher.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles in RV parks inside Oriental town limits.

  • The RV-park article applies only to parks in MU and MU-1 districts.
  • Permanent residence is prohibited except for permanent full-time RV-park employees.
  • Occupancy beyond 179 days in any 12-month period is presumed permanent and prohibited; occupants may not return for 60 days.

  maximum occupancy before presumption of permanent occupancy: <= 179 days in any 12-month period (Permanent full-time RV-park employees.)

  “No RV park or recreational vehicle therein shall be used as a permanent residence for any period of time, notwithstanding Section 14, except for permanent full-time employees of the RV park.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development activity within Special Flood Hazard Areas in Oriental town planning and development regulation jurisdiction.

  • The permit must conform to the ordinance and be obtained before development commences.
  • Applications must be made to the Floodplain Administrator before activity in Special Flood Hazard Areas.

  “A Floodplain Development Permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this ordinance prior to the commencement of any development activities within Special Flood Hazard Areas determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 262.2 of this ordinance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town development approvals inside Oriental town limits.

  • A complete application includes relevant compliance information, a dated applicant signature, and payment of required application fee.
  • Special-use applications must be submitted at least 10 calendar days before the next regular Planning Board meeting.

  special-use application lead time: >= 10 calendar days (Before the next regular Planning Board meeting.)

  “An application for development approval must be made by one or more of the following: the landowner of the affected property, a lessee or person holding an option or contract to purchase or lease the property, or an authorized agent of the landowner.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Oriental

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site septic approval for development inside Oriental town limits.

  • The checklist calls this septic-tank approval and identifies the Pamlico County Health Department as issuer.

  “septic permit from Pamlico Co. Environmental Health [...] town zoning permit if required by your town.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Oriental town limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Oriental town limits.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Oriental town limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Oriental town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Oriental 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.