Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Belen, New Mexico

Belen’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Belen city limits

  “the following table indicates allowable land uses in specific districts of the city of belen:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Belen city zoning districts (A-R, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-4, C-R, C-1, C-2 and others)

  • Per-district use columns could not be parsed from the table text.

  “a-r = agricultural/residential r-1 = single-family residential r-1a = single-family mixed r-2 = multifamily residential r-2a = high density residential r-3 = small lot residential r-4 = medium residential c-r = commercial/residential c-1 = general commercial c-2 = mixed use”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential district inside Belen city

  • A-R district lot size not retrieved.

  minimum lot area: >= 6000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 60 ft

  “each lot shall have a minimum ground area of six thousand (6,000) square feet and a minimum width of sixty (60) feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential district inside Belen city

  • Accessory buildings under 200 sq ft may sit in the rear setback with 10 ft separation from other buildings.
  • A-R district setbacks not retrieved.

  front setback: >= 20 ft · rear setback: >= 15 ft (accessory buildings under 200 sq ft) · side setback: >= 5 ft

  “front, twenty (20) feet; 2. rear, fifteen (15) feet:”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Single-Family Residential district inside Belen city

  • Except as otherwise provided in the title.

  maximum height: <= 35 ft

  “no building or structure shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet except as otherwise provided in this title.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs on lots in the R-1 district inside Belen city

  • RV may be stored only if not used as a dwelling or living quarters and not connected to utilities.
  • Must be stored in a rear or side yard.

  “storage of a boat, camper, trailer, or other recreational vehicle as long as such boat, camper, trailer, or vehicle is not used as a dwelling or additional living quarters and is not connected to utilities. the boat, camper, trailer or vehicle must be stored in a rear or side yard.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile/manufactured homes on permanent foundations inside Belen city

  • Installation permit required with fee; allowed districts per use table not parsed.

  installation permit fee: 250 USD

  “for consideration of mobile/manufactured homes on a permanent foundation an installation permit fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00);”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Off-street parking driveways for new buildings inside Belen city

  • Applies to off-street parking facilities required at time of new construction.

  minimum driveway width: >= 20 ft

  “all driveways shall be of sufficient width to permit access into parking spaces, but in no case less than twenty (20) feet wide.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Subdivisions and manufactured home parks in Belen city special flood hazard areas

  • Chapter 15.28 floodplain development permit requirements (sections 15.28.132, 15.28.142) apply.

  “all proposals for the development of subdivisions including the placement of manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall meet floodplain development permit requirements of section 15.28.132;”

• Permit feesPublished

  Zoning applications inside Belen city (variance, conditional use, zone change, appeal, mobilehome installation)

  • Fee not required where the city or its officials are the moving party.
  • Filing fee not refunded if application withdrawn after advertising.

  variance: 150 USD · conditional use permit: 150 USD · zone change/amendment: 250 USD · appeal to city council: 100 USD

  “for consideration of a variance application, one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00); 2. for consideration of a conditional use permit, one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00); 3. for consideration of zone changes and amendments to this chapter, two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00); 4. for consideration of an appeal to the city council under the provisions of this chapter, one hundred dollars ($100.00);”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Belen city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Belen city
• Building code adopted — Building codes inside Belen city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Belen city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Belen 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.