Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Albany, New Hampshire

Town of Albany’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Albany town, Carroll County, New Hampshire.

  • Uses must conform to the ordinance and applicable regulations.

  “This ordinance shall be known as, and may be cited as, the Albany Zoning Ordinance, hereinafter referred to as "This Ordinance".”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Albany town.

  • The Commercial/Residential Zone is shown on the Albany Zoning Map, on file at the Town Office.
  • Residential uses are permitted throughout the town, including commercial and light-industrial areas.

  “A. RESIDENTIAL ZONE [...] B. COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL ZONE [...] C. LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ZONE”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Access serving the specified subdivision exception in Albany's Residential Zone.

  • Applies where a lot with less than 200 contiguous feet of frontage on an existing state highway or town road is subdivided.
  • The right-of-way must be approved by the Selectmen.

  right-of-way width: 50 feet (The cited rule applies to the specified subdivision exception.)

  “Access to the lot shall be provided by a fifty (50) foot right-of-way and shall be approved by the Selectmen.”

• Permit processPartial

  Submission of forms published by Albany town, including residential and commercial building-permit forms.

  • The page directs form submission by mail, email, or fax; it does not state when a permit is required or the review criteria.

  “Please complete and mail all forms to 1972-A NH Route 16, Albany, NH 03818 or e-mail to contact@albanynh.org or fax to (603) 452-5633”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Albany

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  An Albany property owner's installation of a new subsurface waste-disposal system for the owner's own domicile.

  • The owner must comply with department rules.
  • The owner or a permitted installer must perform all construction work.
  • The owner must hire a permitted designer or installer to certify construction conforms to the approved design and department rules.
  • The owner must certify by affidavit that the property will be the owner's domicile for at least two years starting on the department's approval-to-operate date; violation is subject to RSA 485-A:43 penalties.

  owner occupancy period: >= 2 years (Begins on the date the waste-disposal system receives department approval to operate.)

  “Any person who desires to install a new waste disposal system for a property they are developing to be their own domicile shall not be required to obtain an installer's permit”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in Albany's Commercial/Residential Zone.

  • The lot must have 200 contiguous feet of Route 16 frontage.
  • A lot of record with at least 50 contiguous feet of Route 16 frontage may be used as a commercial lot if sufficiently sized under Site Plan Review Regulations.

  minimum lot area: 2 acres (Commercial lots of record may use the stated frontage exception if sufficiently sized for the proposed use under Site Plan Review Regulations.)

  “Lot size shall be a minimum of two (2) acres and shall have 200 contiguous feet of frontage on Route 16.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in Albany's Commercial/Residential Zone.

  • The setback is measured from the road line or right-of-way line, whichever is closer, and from rear and side property lines.

  minimum setback: 25 feet

  “Every building placed on a lot shall be a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from the road line or right-of-way line, whichever is closer”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings in Albany's Residential Zone.

    “Every building placed on a lot shall be a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from the lot or right-of-way line, whichever is closer”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in Albany's Residential Zone.

  • Chimney height is excluded.
  • Farm buildings are excepted.

  maximum building height: <= 2 1/2 stories (Chimney height excluded; farm buildings excepted.)

  “A building erected on a lot shall not exceed 2 1/2 stories in height, measured from the top of the foundation.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage and waste-disposal systems serving buildings inside Albany town.

  • Local requirements remain possible and are minimum additional requirements only where applicable.

  “without prior approval of the plans and specifications of the sewage or waste disposal system by the department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of a building inside Albany town from which sewage or other wastes will discharge, and construction of a sewage or waste-disposal system.

  • Prior department approval of the system plans and specifications is required.
  • The state requirements are minimum requirements and do not lessen local-authority powers.

  “No person shall construct any building from which sewage or other wastes will discharge or construct a sewage or waste disposal system without prior approval”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  A sewage or waste-disposal system serving property inside Albany town before it is covered or placed into operation.

  • Inspection and approval must be by an authorized agent of the department.

  “Covering or placing into operation a sewage or waste disposal system without final inspection and approval by an authorized agent of the department;”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Albany town.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Albany town.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Albany town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupied buildings inside Albany town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Albany town.

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.