Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Mead, Nebraska

Village of Mead’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and applicable renovations inside Mead's zoning jurisdiction (zoning permit)

  • This is the zoning permit under section 11.06; a separate building-code permit was not verified

  “it shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for the construction of any building, or any accessory buildings, or to commence the moving or alteration of any buildings, including accessory buildings, until the zoning administrator has issued a zoning permit for such work.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Mead village limits (Saunders County)

  • Ordinance file is dated 7-1-2024 in its file name; no effective date stated in the quoted text.

  “this ordinance shall be known and may be cited and referred to as the zoning ordinance of the village of mead, nebraska.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Mead village

  • Districts: TA-1, SR, R-1, R-2, RM, C-1, C-2, I-1, I-2 per table of contents.

  “section 5.09 r-1 low-density residential district 86 section 5.10 r-2 medium density residential district 88 section 5.11 rm mobile home residential district 89”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low-Density Residential District inside Mead village (first table row, single-family lot)

  • Table row label for the use is not preserved in extracted text; first row is read as single-family.
  • Footnote markers (*) not resolved.
  • TA-1 and SR districts not extracted.

  minimum lot area R-1: >= 7000 sq ft · minimum lot width R-1: >= 60 feet

  “5.09.06 height and lot requirements: the height and minimum lot requirements shall be as follows: use lot area (sq. ft.) lot width (feet) a front yard (feet)** b rear yard (feet) c side yard (feet)****** max. height (feet) max. building coverage (%)****** 7,000 60*** 20 20***** 5 35 40”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Low-Density Residential District inside Mead village (first table row)

  • Footnotes on front/rear/side yards not resolved.

  front yard: >= 20 feet (footnote **) · rear yard: >= 20 feet (footnote *****) · side yard: >= 5 feet

  “use lot area (sq. ft.) lot width (feet) a front yard (feet)** b rear yard (feet) c side yard (feet)****** max. height (feet) max. building coverage (%)****** 7,000 60*** 20 20***** 5 35 40”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Low-Density Residential District inside Mead village

  max building coverage R-1: <= 40 percent

  “max. height (feet) max. building coverage (%)****** 7,000 60*** 20 20***** 5 35 40”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Low-Density Residential District inside Mead village

  max height R-1: <= 35 feet

  “max. height (feet) max. building coverage (%)****** 7,000 60*** 20 20***** 5 35 40”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Mead village in districts indicated in the ordinance

  • Conditional use permit required
  • One ADU per lot
  • Must fit within allowable development area
  • Size limited to lesser of 1,000 sq ft or 40% of principal dwelling (excluding garages etc.)
  • Further conditions in section 9.22 not fully captured

  max ADU size: <= 1000 sq ft (or 40% of principal dwelling, whichever is less)

  “one accessory dwelling unit per lot may be allowed by conditional use permit in the indicated zoning districts in section 5.07 under the following conditions: 1. the accessory dwelling unit shall fit within the allowable development area of the lot. 2. the total square footage of the adu shall not exceed the lesser of 1,000 square feet or 40% of the square footage of the principal dwelling”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals inside Mead village

  • Must meet performance standards in 9.21.01 (e.g., located in a primary residential structure or ADU; not part of multi-family dwelling)
  • Noncompliance may result in permit revocation
  • Not used for housing sex offenders, sober living, drug sales, liquor sales or sexually oriented business

  “failure to comply with the regulations in section 9.21.01, may result in any permit for a short-term rental to be revoked.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit process inside Mead village

  • Applicant submits dimensioned sketch or scale plan; village also posts building, septic, well permit application forms

  “in applying to the zoning administrator for a zoning permit, the applicant shall submit a dimensioned sketch or a scale plan indicating the shape, size and height and location of all buildings to be erected, altered or moved and of any building already on the lot.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Mead village
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Mead village
• Inspections — Inspections inside Mead village
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Mead village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Mead village

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.