Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Alma, Nebraska

Alma’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Alma city limits (and one-mile extraterritorial area)

  • Ordinance also applies to territory within one mile beyond the corporate limits.
  • Ordinance originally adopted May 6, 2019 per city page; adoption date not verified in the opened text.

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall apply within the corporate limits of the city of alma, nebraska and the territory beyond said corporate limits which is within one mile of said corporate limits”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts in Alma city

  • Districts: AG, CR, R-1, C-1, C-2, I, and AHO overlay.

  “ag agricultural district cr conservation / recreation district r-1 residential district c-1 central business district c-2 general commercial district i industrial district aho airport hazard overlay district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Manufactured/modular homes placed in Alma city (Sec. 303.87 standards); tiny homes in R-1

  • No general site-built minimum floor area found in opened text; 500 sq ft tiny-home rule in R-1.

  manufactured home minimum floor area: >= 900 square feet

  “a minimum floor area of nine hundred (900) square feet, 2. a minimum exterior width of eighteen (18) feet,”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential District inside Alma city

  • Lot must provide a marketable buildable area and comply with width, yard, parking and coverage limits.
  • Minimum lot frontage is 50 feet.
  • Lots using on-site water and sewage disposal need 2 acres.

  minimum lot area, on-site water and sewage: >= 2 acres (otherwise unrestricted) · minimum lot frontage: >= 50 feet

  “the minimum lot area for uses listed in section 411.02 shall be unrestricted, provided that each lot shall provide a marketable buildable area and all building(s) thereon shall comply with the minimum width, yard, parking area, and maximum lot coverage requirements and limitations specified in this zoning district and further provided that for lots on which onsite water supply and sewage disposal systems are to be utilized, the minimum lot size shall be two (2) acres.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Residential District inside Alma city

  • Coverage counts buildings, structures, decks, patios and accessory buildings.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 70 percent of lot area

  “the maximum area of any lot which is occupied by buildings, structures, decks, patios, accessory buildings, areas shall not exceed seventy (70) percent of the lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Residential District inside Alma city

  • Wind towers follow Sec. 523 limits.
  • Subject to airport hazard overlay height limits (Sec. 415).

  maximum height: <= 50 feet (wind towers per Sec. 523; AHO overlay)

  “411.09 maximum height: the maximum height for any structure or building shall be fifty (50) feet, except for allowable wind generation towers which meet the height limitations of section 523 if this ordinance, all subject to a”

• Tiny homesLimited

  R-1 Residential District inside Alma city

  • Tiny homes with 500 sq ft or more of main-floor living area are not excluded; smaller ones are excluded from permitted principal uses.

  minimum main-floor living area for tiny homes: >= 500 square feet

  “excluding tiny homes with less than five hundred (500) square feet of living area on the main floor.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  R-1 Residential District inside Alma city

  • Manufactured homes must meet the performance standards of Sec. 303.87 (including 900 sq ft minimum floor area and 18 ft width).
  • Mobile homes (Sec. 303.88) are excluded.

  “including manufactured homes meeting the definition for such and the performance standards for such homes as set forth in subsection 303.87 of this ordinance”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits in Alma city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Alma city
• Building code adopted — Building code in Alma city
• Inspections — Building inspection in Alma city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Alma 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.