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

Oxbow’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, relocation or alteration of buildings inside Oxbow city, including manufactured homes

  • Permit created by building inspector and approved/issued by city council or its designee
  • Application needs legal description, lot map, building type, materials and building cost
  • Denial can be appealed to board of adjustment
  • Zoning permit also required under sec. 2.00

  “before proceeding with the work, or commencing any excavation in connection with it, obtain a permit from the city. these provisions shall also apply to manufactured homes.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Completed buildings inside Oxbow city, including placement of manufactured homes

  • Building inspector is a city-appointed official or firm

  “the building inspector shall inspect the completed building, including placement of manufactured homes, and ensure that all provisions and conditions set forth under this code are met.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Completed buildings inside Oxbow city

  • Section is headed certificate of occupancy or use; the text quoted describes the final inspection

  “all certificates of occupancy will be issued by the city council. the city council may designate an individual to approve and sign a certificate of occupancy on behalf of the city council.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Oxbow city limits and its one-mile extra-territorial area (Cass County, ND)

  • Code adopted Dec. 29, 2014, amended Aug. 3, 2015 (cover page)
  • Also applies to extra-territorial area within one mile of city limits

  “these regulations shall apply to all lands and structures above or below the ground within the corporate limits of the city of oxbow, north dakota, 2 and its extra-territorial area authorized by the north dakota laws applying to each quarter-quarter section of unincorporated area, the majority of which is located within one mile of its limits in any direction.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Oxbow city

  • Chapter 4 covers district boundaries and map; chapter 5 holds district regulations (SFR-1 and several other residential districts)

  “5.01. sfr-1 - single family residential district. 1. 2. purpose. the (sfr-1) single family residential district is primarily established to promote a suitable residential environment”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Large-lot district listed immediately before SFR-1 in chapter 5 (section 5.00, name not captured) inside Oxbow city

  • Minimum lot depth 500 feet; minimum lot width 500 feet
  • No conditional uses permitted

  minimum lot area: >= 40 acres

  “no conditional uses are permitted in this district. any use not specifically allowed is not permitted. lot area and lot width. a. the minimum lot area shall not be less than forty (40) acres.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — SFR-1 single family residential district inside Oxbow city

    “the minimum lot area shall not be less than twenty-three thousand (23,000) square feet. the minimum lot width shall not be less than one hundred (100) feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential district with 15,000 sq ft minimum lots and 4-in-12 roof slopes in chapter 5 (section number not captured) inside Oxbow city

  • Front yard minimum 40 feet and maximum 50 feet; rear yard minimum 30 feet
  • Corner lot side yard at least 25 feet from street and 15 feet on non-street side
  • Must also comply with section 6.15; other districts have different setbacks

  minimum side yard: >= 15 feet (corner lot street side 25 feet) · minimum rear yard: >= 30 feet

  “the minimum rear yard, measured from the rear lot line, shall not be less than thirty (30) feet. the minimum side yard, measured from the side lot line, shall not be less than fifteen (15) feet on each side of a lot. for a corner lot, the minimum side yard shall not be less than twenty-five (25) feet from the street and not less than fifteen (15) feet on a non-street side.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  SFR-1 single family residential district inside Oxbow city

  • Other residential districts also use 30%; a multi-family district allows 50%

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent (excluding the yard requirements)

  “the maximum lot coverage, excluding the yard requirements, shall not be more than thirty percent (30%).”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential district with 15,000 sq ft minimum lots and 4-in-12 roof slopes in chapter 5 (section number not captured) inside Oxbow city

  • Other buildings limited to 35 feet from top of foundation
  • Lowest access point of foundation at least 2.5 feet above base flood elevation

  maximum residential height: <= 35 feet (or two stories, from top of foundation)

  “the building height for residential buildings shall not exceed two (2) stories or thirty five (35) feet from the top of the foundation.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured, modular and mobile homes inside Oxbow city

  • Must have at least 900 square feet of living space
  • Must be placed on a permanent foundation or basement
  • Must bear HUD manufactured-home construction and safety standards label
  • Building permit and zoning permit still apply; district permitted-use lists not reviewed

  minimum living space for manufactured home: >= 900 square feet

  “transportable in one or more sections, with at least 900 square feet of living space, that are designed as year-round dwelling units and shall be placed on a permanent foundation or basement. the manufactured dwelling units shall bear a label certifying that such units were built in compliance with the latest manufactured home safety construction and safety standards adopted by the u.s. department of housing and urban development for manufactured homes.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside Oxbow city and its extra-territorial area

  • Chapter 7 holds the subdivision regulations; plat approval by city council (not read in detail)

  “to regulate the use and division of land within the city limits and within the extra-territorial area, as authorized by north dakota laws.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Residential district with 15,000 sq ft minimum lots inside Oxbow city (section not captured); other flood rules not reviewed

  • Foundation elevation rule only; full floodplain ordinance not read

  foundation access point above base flood elevation: >= 2.5 feet

  “the lowest access point of the foundation shall not be less than two and one-half (2 ½) feet above the base flood elevation (bfe).”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Oxbow city

  • Building inspector prepares permit; city council approves and issues, or designates an individual to sign
  • Denial appealable to board of adjustment

  “each application for a building permit shall be accompanied by a legal description and a map showing the actual dimension of the lot to be built upon”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Oxbow city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Oxbow city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Oxbow city
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Oxbow city
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Oxbow city

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.