Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Sodaville, Oregon

Sodaville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, moving, reconstructing, extending, enlarging or altering buildings inside Sodaville city; permits are issued by the Linn County planning and building department

  • The city zoning official must certify on the face of the county permit that it complies with the city ordinance before it is submitted to Linn County.
  • Building permit applications must include a plot plan showing existing and proposed structures, wells and septic tank and drainfield locations.

  “no building or structure subject to any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged or altered unless all applicable structural, manufactured home, and similar permits have been issued by the linn county planning and building department”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Sodaville city limits (Linn County)

  • Zones: Residential (R), Commercial (C) and Public (P) in the 19-02 text opened; later amendments (22-01, 23-02) were not reviewed.

  “the use of all land, as well as the construction, reconstruction, enlargement, structural alteration, movement, use, or occupation of any structure within the city of sodaville shall conform to the requirements of this ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zones in Sodaville city's zoning and development ordinance (R, C, P)

  • Ordinance 14-03 added a commercial mixed-use zone; the 2019 text and later amendments were not fully reconciled.

  “2.102 commercial zone (c) 2.102.01 permitted uses in a c zone the following uses and their accessory uses are permitted outright:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Manufactured homes placed in Sodaville city; no minimum for site-built homes was found

  • The 800 sq ft minimum applies only to manufactured homes.

  minimum floor area, manufactured home: >= 800 sq ft

  “the manufactured home shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide and shall have a minimum floor area of 800 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential (R) zone, single-family dwelling or manufactured home

  • Two-family and multifamily dwellings need 19,602 sq ft per dwelling unit.
  • Minimum lot depth 198 ft, which may be reduced if lot width and area are met; minimum lot width 99 ft.

  minimum lot area: >= 19602 sq ft

  “a. minimum lot area - the lot area shall have a minimum of 19,602 square feet for a single family dwelling and for a manufactured home; and 19,602 square feet per dwelling unit for two family dwellings and for multifamily dwellings.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • None — Public (P) zone

    “a. minimum lot area - none. b. lot depth - none. c. minimum lot width - none.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential (R) zone, all structures

  • In North View P.U.D., West View Development, Hillside Estates, Vine Street Subdivision and Knoll Subdivision: front 10 ft, rear 10 ft, interior side 5 ft, and CC&Rs approved by the city may modify them further.

  front yard: >= 20 feet · rear yard: >= 20 feet · interior side yard: >= 10 feet · side yard adjacent to street: >= 20 feet

  “d. minimum yard setbacks all structures shall maintain the following minimum yard setbacks: 1. front yard 20 feet 2. rear yard 20 feet 3. side yard (interior) 10 feet 4. side yard (adjacent to street) 20 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Public (P) zone

  • No lot coverage limit for the R zone was located.

  maximum building coverage: <= 50 percent of lot area

  “f. lot coverage - buildings shall not occupy more than 50% of the lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential (R) zone

  • Chimneys, spires, towers, aerials and similar objects not used for human occupancy are exempt (section 2.304.03).

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet

  “4. side yard (adjacent to street) 20 feet e. maximum structure height 35 feet”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles used as dwellings inside Sodaville city; only the medical hardship dwelling provision was found

  • The hardship dwelling must be removed within 90 days after the hardship ends.
  • It is reviewed annually by the city council, and an additional plumbing hookup to the existing sewage disposal system is required.
  • General RV occupancy rules outside the hardship provision were not found.

  minimum floor area per occupant: >= 100 sq ft

  “g. type of dwelling. the medical hardship dwelling may be a manufactured home, a mobile home, or a recreational vehicle, as long as there is at least 100 square feet of floor area per occupant in the dwelling.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping inside Sodaville city; camping on private property is governed by the zoning ordinance, and camping is unlawful in the listed public places

  • Unlawful in city parks, city-owned facilities and parking lots, and certain public rights-of-way, except as expressly authorized.
  • The city recorder may temporarily authorize camping on public property by written order.

  “except as expressly authorized by this ordinance, it is unlawful to establish, use, or occupy a campsite in the following locations: city parks, including properties identified for development of future parks.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes on individual lots in the Residential (R) zone

  • Subject to the placement standards in section 2.302, which also require skirting, a front porch and compliance with state manufactured-home law.

  minimum width: >= 12 feet · minimum floor area: >= 800 sq ft

  “the manufactured home shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide and shall have a minimum floor area of 800 square feet.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units in the Residential (R) zone

  • Reviewed through a Type I procedure.
  • One-unit and two-unit options exist; the rest of section 2.305 was not read.

  accessory dwellings, one-unit option: <= 1 per legal single-family dwelling

  “accessory dwellings, where allowed, are subject to review and approval through a type i procedure, pursuant to the city of sodaville zoning and development ordinance and shall conform to the following standards. a. number of units. two options are available subject to the following limitations: one unit option. a maximum of one accessory dwelling is allowed per legal single-family dwelling.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Buildings inside Sodaville city that need subsurface sewage disposal

  • Permits are issued by the Linn County environmental health program.
  • This applies where a septic system is required; many lots are on city water, and no sewer system was found.

  “and unless all required sub-surface sewage disposal permits have been issued by the linn county environmental health progr”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

  New structures using water for domestic purposes inside Sodaville city

  • Applies to structures built after the effective date of the ordinance.
  • No sewer connection rule was found.

  “all structures utilizing water for domestic purposes constructed after the effective date of this ordinance shall be connected to the city water system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Partitions and planned unit developments in the Residential (R) zone

  • Partitions follow section 3.105, with a public hearing before the city council, and PUDs follow section 3.104.
  • Agencies including the Linn County environmental health program are notified for review.

  “g. partitioning, subject to the provisions in section 3.105. h. planned unit developments, subject to the provisions in section 3.104.”

Rules another office applies inside Sodaville

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

• Who permits septicCounty

  Subsurface sewage disposal permits for land inside Sodaville city; the city ordinance names the Linn County environmental health program

  • Sodaville's ordinance also says wells and septic tank locations must meet DEQ regulations.

  “and unless all required sub-surface sewage disposal permits have been issued by the linn county environmental health progr”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Sodaville city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Sodaville city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Sodaville city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Sodaville city
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Sodaville 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.