Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bowbells, North Dakota

Bowbells’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Amateur radio antenna/tower structures inside Bowbells city limits.

  • Applicant must provide a valid FCC Federal Amateur Radio Operating License.
  • The regulation also requires compliance with applicable building and electrical codes.

  “Code Compliance: Radio antennas/towers shall comply with all applicable building and electrical codes. The applicant must provide a valid Federal Amateur Radio Operating License from the FCC to obtain a building permit for the structure.”

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Construction of private sewers and laterals on private property inside Bowbells city limits.

  • The Uniform Plumbing Code provision is limited to private sewers and laterals; the cited standards also govern covered sewer improvements in public rights-of-way and easements.

  “The Uniform Plumbing Code, latest edition, shall also apply”

• InspectionsRequired

  New City sanitary sewer lines before a contractor uses the line to carry sanitary flow.

  • The requirement applies before contractor use of a new sewer line.
  • Temporary connections and restoration must be approved by the City Representative.

  “after the new pipe has passed inspection and testing”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land and residential uses inside Bowbells city limits.

  • The official City use-regulations document establishes an accessory dwelling-unit conditional-use process and refers to named zoning districts.

  “land uses allowed in the City of Bowbells”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts inside Bowbells city limits.

  • The opened official use-regulations chapter identifies RS-6 and RM-8 but was not a complete official district schedule or zoning map.

  “Accessory Dwelling Unit a) Definition: A dwelling unit either attached to a single-family principal dwelling or located on the same lot and having an independent means of access. b) Districts Allowed: An accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed only through the conditional use process and only as accessory use to a single-family detached residential dwelling unit. c) Standards: Accessory dwelling units shall comply with all requirements in this code and also the following: 1. The setback requirements for the principal dwelling shall apply to the accessory dwelling unit, not the general setback requirements for accessory structures. 2. In the RS-6 district and areas zoned RM-8 as of the effective date of this Code, accessory dwelling units may be allowed by conditional use permit only on lots greater than 10,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units and radio antenna/tower structures inside Bowbells city limits.

  • ADUs use the principal dwelling's setbacks rather than general accessory-structure setbacks.
  • For radio antenna/towers, special setbacks differ by location and adjoining single-family residential area.

  freestanding radio antenna/tower property-line setback: >= 6 feet (All zoning districts; additional 50-foot setback applies from shared lines adjacent to single-family residential areas when fully extended.)

  “In all zoning districts, freestanding radio antennas/towers shall be located a minimum of six feet from all property lines and other structures. When adjacent to single-family residential areas, freestanding radio antennas/towers shall be set back from shared property lines by a distance of at least fifty feet when it is fully extended.”

• Permit processPartial

  Temporary uses and structures inside Bowbells city limits.

  • Where applicable, a temporary-use permit must be obtained.
  • The proposed use must meet general and specific standards.
  • Uses exceeding 30 days or otherwise limited for the specific use require conditional-use permit approval.
  • The City may require design review.

  temporary-use duration triggering conditional-use permit: > 30 days (Also applies where the particular use is otherwise limited.)

  “Any use listed in this Section may be permitted as a temporary use provided: a) If applicable, the proposed temporary use obtains a temporary use permit in accordance with the requirements in Section Temporary Use Permits; and b) The proposed temporary use is consistent with the general and specific standards for temporary uses and structures in this subsection. c) Temporary uses permitted for a period exceeding 30 days or otherwise limited for the specific use shall require approval of a conditional use permit in accordance with Section Conditional Use Permits.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Bowbells city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Bowbells city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings inside Bowbells city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Principal single-family residential lots inside Bowbells city limits.
• Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Bowbells city 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.