Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Stayton, Oregon

Stayton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of structures inside Stayton city

  • Permits are applied for through Oregon e-permitting; the city contracts with Marion County for plan review and inspection
  • Applies to permits required by all applicable laws

  “all residential and commercial permit applications must be submitted through oregon e-permitting along with all required supporting documents.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Stayton city limits

  • Chapter 17.16 most recently amended by Ord. 1060, May 17, 2023

  “in order to designate and regulate the size and use of structures and lands within the city, the city is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Stayton city

  • Districts: LD, MD, HD, DMD, CCMU, DCMU, DRMU, CR, CG, ID, CP, IC, IL, IA, P, plus Natural Resource and Flood Plain overlays
  • Official zoning map is adopted as part of the code

  “nr natural resource overlay district fp flood plain overlay district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  New single-family detached dwellings and manufactured homes in the LD and MD residential districts inside Stayton city

  • HD district not covered by this section

  minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet · minimum horizontal dimension: >= 24 feet

  “a dwelling shall have a minimum floor area of 1,000 square feet. the dwelling must have a minimum horizontal dimension of at least 24 feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  LD, MD and HD residential districts inside Stayton city; IA industrial/agricultural district requires 5 acres

  • LD: 10,000 sq ft for lots east of the north-south line along the center line of Tenth Avenue
  • MD: tri-plex requires 10,500 sq ft
  • Decision authority may require larger lots at partition or subdivision
  • Lot width 40 ft for cul-de-sac frontage lots

  LD lot area: >= 8000 square feet (10,000 east of Tenth Avenue) · MD lot area: >= 7000 square feet (tri-plex 10,500) · HD lot area: >= 6000 square feet · IA lot area: >= 5 acres

  “10,000 square feet for all lots east of a north-south line from the north city limits to the south city limits running along the center line of tenth avenue”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  LD, MD and HD residential districts inside Stayton city

  • Front setbacks also subject to 17.20.080
  • Setbacks are minimums
  • Other zones (commercial, industrial, downtown) have separate values

  LD front/side/rear: 20/5/20 feet (25 ft to a garage entrance except back or flag lots) · MD front/side/rear: 20/5/15 feet (25 ft to a garage entrance) · HD front/side/rear: 20/5/15 feet (25 ft to a garage entrance)

  “setback requirements are minimum requirements.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  LD and MD residential districts inside Stayton city (HD has no height limit in the table)

  • Or 2 1/2 stories
  • Chimneys and antennas may exceed the limit; antennas max 55 ft unless conditional use approval

  LD building height: <= 35 feet (or 2 1/2 stories) · MD building height: <= 35 feet (or 2 1/2 stories)

  “building height is a maximum requirement.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes on individual lots in the LD and MD residential districts inside Stayton city

  • Same development and design standards as single-family dwellings: 1,000 sq ft minimum floor area, 24 ft minimum horizontal dimension, garage, gutters, roof pitch, siding, enclosed perimeter base
  • Wheels, axles and hitch must be removed
  • Only one single family or manufactured home per lot
  • Amended by Ord. 1060, May 17, 2023

  minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “if a manufactured home, the transportation mechanisms, including wheels, axles, and hitch, shall be removed.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units on lots with a single family detached dwelling in a residential zone inside Stayton city

  • One ADU per lot
  • Attached ADU meets 17.16.070.3.a setbacks; detached ADU meets setback and height limits of 17.20.040
  • ADU may not reduce the principal dwelling below 1,000 sq ft
  • Must meet structural, electrical, plumbing, fire and life safety codes

  minimum ADU floor area: >= 250 square feet · maximum ADU floor area: <= 800 square feet

  “one accessory dwelling unit may be located on a lot with a single family detached dwelling in a residential zone.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Stayton city where public sewer is not available

  • City code requires a written permit signed by the city's sewer superintendent
  • Chapter text is marked revised September 1, 1999; state (DEQ) onsite rules may also apply and were not checked

  “before commencing construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the superintendent.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Stayton city, allowed only where public sewer is not available

  • Septic tanks are unlawful except as the chapter provides; private systems are allowed only where a public sewer is not available
  • Chapter marked revised September 1, 1999

  “where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available under the provisions of section 13.24.770 of this chapter, the building sewer shall be connected to a private sewage disposal system”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies, septic tanks and cesspools inside Stayton city

  • Private sewage disposal is allowed only where public sanitary sewer is not available, with a city permit
  • Chapter marked revised September 1, 1999

  “except as provided in this article, it is unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage within the city”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings used for human occupancy inside Stayton city abutting a street, alley or right-of-way with a public sanitary sewer

  • Applies where a public sanitary sewer is now or may in the future be located in the abutting street, alley or right-of-way
  • Owner pays the cost
  • Septic tanks and similar facilities are unlawful 'except as provided in this article'
  • Water connection requirement not checked
  • Chapter marked revised September 1, 1999

  “the owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes within the city and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the city, is required at his own expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Stayton city

  • City collects its own fees and Marion County fees are paid separately online through Oregon e-permitting
  • City has a fees and charges schedule page; amounts not read

  “initial review fees are calculated and must be paid before the application proceeds through the review process.”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit applications inside Stayton city

  • Steps: submit via Oregon e-permitting, city initial review, fees, city planning and engineering review, then Marion County plan review
  • Marion County review takes about 2-3 weeks

  Marion County plan review time: 2-3 weeks (varies by project and workload)

  “please allow approximately 2–3 weeks for marion county's review.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules inside Stayton city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Stayton city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Stayton city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Stayton city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Stayton 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.