Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Mill City, Oregon

Mill City’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Manufactured home placement inside Mill City city limits

  • Application must include plot plan, home dimensions and materials, signed agreement, and a garage or carport permit application.

  “Prior to the issuance of a placement permit for a manufactured home on a lot, the owner shall certify that the manufactured home and its location conform to this title and to all other applicable state and local laws or administrative rules.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Inside Mill City city limits, in both Linn and Marion Counties; state building code enforced by the Linn County Building Official

  • Stated in the dangerous buildings chapter (15.08).

  “The building official is responsible to enforce state building codes and this chapter inside the city limits of the City of Mill City, in both Linn and Marion Counties.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Manufactured homes outside manufactured dwelling parks inside Mill City city limits

  • Building official certification of the Oregon Manufactured Dwelling Installation Specialty Code is required before occupancy.

  “(2) the building official certifies that the Oregon Manufactured Dwelling Installation Specialty Code and all other state manufactured housing rules, building and related code requirements have been met.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Manufactured homes outside manufactured dwelling parks inside Mill City city limits

  • Zoning official and building official certifications required before occupancy.

  “The manufactured home shall not be occupied until: (1) the zoning official certifies that all provisions of this title and other city ordinances have been met;”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Mill City city limits

  “In an R-1 zone, the following uses and their accessory uses are permitted outright:”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts inside Mill City city limits (R-1, R-2 confirmed; CC, CH and public P zones are referenced)

  • Only R-1 and R-2 chapters were opened.

  “In an R-2 zone, the following uses and their accessory uses are permitted outright:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling in the R-1 zone inside Mill City city limits

  • Manufactured homes also 1,000 sq ft minimum.

  minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “A conventional dwelling shall have a minimum floor area of one thousand (1,000) square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Detached single-family dwelling in the R-2 zone inside Mill City city limits

    “A conventional dwelling shall have a minimum floor area of one thousand (1,000) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling or manufactured home in the R-1 zone inside Mill City city limits

  • Subject to exceptions in the cross-referenced supplementary provisions.
  • Minimum average lot width 70 feet.

  minimum lot area: >= 7000 square feet · minimum average lot width: >= 70 feet

  “For a single-family dwelling or manufactured home, the minimum lot area shall be seven thousand (7,000) square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling or manufactured home in the R-2 zone inside Mill City city limits

    “For a single-family dwelling or manufactured home, the minimum lot area shall be five thousand (5,000) square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 zone inside Mill City city limits

  • Garage front setback 20 feet.
  • Side and rear yards 5 feet for one story, 7.5 feet for taller buildings.
  • Applies to all structures including accessory buildings; accessory building rules in 17.44.010 also apply.

  front and street side yard: >= 15 feet (20 feet to front of garage) · interior side yard, one story: >= 5 feet (7.5 feet if more than one story) · rear yard, one story: >= 5 feet (7.5 feet if more than one story)

  “The front yard and street side yard shall be a minimum of fifteen (15) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 zone inside Mill City city limits

  • Includes accessory buildings and temporary covered storage structures.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent of lot area

  “Buildings, including accessory buildings and temporary covered storage structures, shall not occupy more than forty (40) percent of the lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling or manufactured home in the R-2 zone inside Mill City city limits

    “For a single-family dwelling or a manufactured home, buildings, including accessory buildings and temporary covered storage structures, shall not occupy more than forty (40) percent of the lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Accessory buildings to residential uses or R-1/R-2 permitted uses inside Mill City city limits

  • Side/rear setback: 5 ft if 12 ft or less; 7.5 ft if 12-16 ft; 10 ft if 16-20 ft.
  • Main dwelling height limit not found in supplied sections.

  maximum accessory building height: <= 20 feet

  “An accessory building to a residential use of property or to a use permitted in the R-1 or R-2 zone shall not exceed a height of twenty (20) feet.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  RV used as a residence inside Mill City city limits

  • Alternatives: park host in the public P zone, owner during new home construction for up to one year, medical hardship by conditional use permit, or wildfire emergency/transitional housing in R-1, R-2 and CH zones.

  self-contained RV residence limit: <= 30 days per calendar year (park host, construction, medical hardship and wildfire housing provisions)

  “The use of a self-contained recreational vehicle as a residence does not exceed thirty (30) days in a calendar year;”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes outside manufactured dwelling parks in R-1, R-2, CC and CH zones inside Mill City city limits

  • Multi-sectional with at least 1,000 sq ft of enclosed floor area.
  • Pitched roof with slope of at least 3:12.
  • Foundation not more than 12 inches above grade, fully skirted, garage or carport required.
  • Mobile homes are not allowed outside manufactured dwelling parks.
  • Zoning and building official certification before occupancy.

  minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “Manufactured homes are permitted outright in the R-1, R-2, CC, and CH zones, subject to the following conditions:”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Guest house accessory to a dwelling inside Mill City city limits

  • No cooking facilities in the guest house; a dwelling with a kitchen as an ADU was not found in the supplied sections.

  “A guest house may be maintained accessory to a dwelling provided there are no cooking facilities in the guest house.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions and partitions inside Mill City city limits

  • Lots must abut a public street or approved private access easement at least 25 feet wide.
  • Flag lots prohibited unless no other access is possible.

  “Lot sizes and dimensions shall be consistent with the lot size and width standards of Title 17 of this code.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Mill City or Linn County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Mill City city limits
• Camping on your land — Inside Mill City city limits
• Tiny homes — Inside Mill City city limits
• Who permits septic — Inside Mill City city limits
• Septic permit — Inside Mill City city limits

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.