Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Cherokee, Oklahoma

Cherokee’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building or structure erected, enlarged or with roof line extended inside Cherokee city

  • Application filed with the city clerk
  • Permit automatically canceled if work not begun within 90 days of issuance
  • Permit fee set by motion or resolution of the city commission
  • State building permit fee assessed per Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission

  permit lapses if work not begun: 90 days

  “no building or other structure, shall be built, erected, enlarged, or have such building or structure's roof line extended without a building permit as required by the city's building code.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Cherokee city limits

  • Code adopts international codes with local additions and changes (Sec. 5-102); evidence is from the chapter 5 table of contents headings

  “international property maintenance code adopted international residential code adopted international existing building code adopted”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Cherokee city limits (Alfalfa County)

  • Source is the 2020 re-codification; later amendments not checked

  “this chapter shall be known as and may be cited and referred to as the "zoning ordinance of the city of cherokee".”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Cherokee city zoning districts (A-G, R-G, R-1, C-2 and others in the code)

  • No zoning map reviewed

  “section 12-252 uses permitted by review in a-g agricultural district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 residential district, Cherokee city

  • Frontage not less than 60 feet
  • R-G district allows 3,000 sq ft single-family lots (not separately claimed)

  minimum lot area: >= 6000 sq ft

  “all lots shall have not less than six thousand (6,000) square feet of lot area and not more than one principal building shall be placed on any one lot;”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — A-G agricultural district, Cherokee city

    “all lots shall have not less than one acre of land, and not more than one principal building shall be placed on any one lot;”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-G agricultural district, Cherokee city

  • Table also lists 10 ft side and 10 ft rear yards for the A-G district

  front yard setback: >= 25 feet

  “d. all structures shall have not less than a twenty-five (25) foot front yard setback;”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 residential district, Cherokee city

  • Paved areas are not considered improvements

  maximum lot coverage: <= 60 percent

  “c. not more than sixty percent (60%) of the lot area shall be covered with improvements. paved areas are not considered improvements within the meaning of these provisions;”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-G agricultural district, Cherokee city

  • Measured above the mean elevation of the lot

  maximum height: <= 100 feet

  “c. no improvement or structure shall exceed one hundred (100) feet in height above the mean elevation of the lot;”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile or manufactured homes in A-G agricultural district, Cherokee city

  • Only after review and approval by planning commission and city council
  • Must comply with Sec. 12-265 and Article 5 terms
  • In R-G district also by review, but not on Grand Avenue

  “the following uses may be permitted after review and approval by the planning commission and city council”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications inside Cherokee city

  • Process described in code; no separate checklist found

  “a person desiring a building permit shall submit an application therefor to the city clerk.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Cherokee city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Cherokee city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Cherokee city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Cherokee city
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Cherokee 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.