Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Athena, Oregon

Athena’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Athena city limits; city-issued building permit plus site development permit

  • Site development permit applied for through the City Recorder and approved by the Planning Commission.
  • Roofing projects when required under state building code guidelines.
  • Any attached roof, patio cover or overhang requires a permit regardless of size.

  building permit threshold: > 200 square feet (attached structures require a permit regardless of size)

  “a building permit shall be required for the following: a. any construction, addition, or improvement exceeding two hundred (200) square feet in area.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Athena city limits

  • Ordinance refers to applicable Oregon state building codes and city regulations; no local code edition adopted found.

  “all work shall comply with applicable state building codes and city regulations.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Athena city limits; city zoning ordinance (Ordinance 950)

  • The ordinance says its zones apply within the city and are used by Umatilla County within the adopted Athena urban growth area.

  “2.11 classification of zones. the following use zones are established for application within the city of athena for use by umatilla county within the adopted athena urban growth area.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Use zones in Athena city

  • Zoning map is on file with the city recorder.

  “use zone designation a. suburban residential r-sub b. general residential r-gen c. residential-commercial r-com d. central commercial c-cen e. general industrial m-gen f. flood hazard overlay fh”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-gen general residential zone inside Athena city limits (R-sub uses the same development standards per 2.25)

  single-family standard construction: >= 940 square feet · manufactured homes: >= 1000 square feet

  “a. minimum dwelling unit size: 1. single-family standard construction: 940 square feet; manufactured homes: 1,000 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-gen general residential zone inside Athena city limits

  single-family or manufactured home: >= 6000 square feet · duplex: >= 9000 square feet

  “a. parcel size: a minimum of 6000 square feet for a single-family house or permitted manufactured home; a minimum of 9000 square feet for a duplex.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-sub suburban residential (rural-style residential) zone inside Athena city limits

    “2.24 dimensional standards. a. parcel size: a minimum of 20,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-gen general residential zone inside Athena city limits

  • Accessory buildings may be built to within 5 feet of the property line except within 15 feet of the front property boundary; may also reach the alley line if side setbacks are met.

  front yard: >= 15 feet · side yard: >= 5 feet (15 feet on a corner lot) · rear yard: >= 20 feet

  “d. yard areas: front - 15 feet side --- 5 feet side on a corner lot - 15 feet back - 20 feet accessory buildings may be built to within 5 feet of the property line except within 15 feet of the front property boundary.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-gen general residential zone inside Athena city limits

  • Lots of 6,000 sq ft or less may have 45% coverage.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent (45% for lots of 6,000 sq ft or less)

  “b. lot coverage: a maximum of 35% of the site area may be covered by the principal and accessory buildings. lots with an area of 6,000 square feet or less may have a maximum of 45% lot coverage.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-gen general residential zone inside Athena city limits

  • Accessory buildings in a residential zone shall not exceed 25 feet.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (accessory buildings 25 feet)

  “c. building height: a maximum of 35 feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RV occupancy inside Athena city limits

  • Dwelling unit definition excludes recreational vehicles.
  • RV park is a conditional use in the R-com zone.
  • Overnight RV spaces allowed within manufactured dwelling parks, max 10% of park area.

  RV spaces share of manufactured dwelling park: <= 10 percent

  “of commercial floor space. f. recreational vehicle park. 2.44 dimensional and development standards.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Type A manufactured homes in R-sub (and R-gen, R-com) zones inside Athena city limits

  • Must comply with section 2.331 appearance/installation standards.
  • Minimum manufactured home size 1,000 sq ft in R-gen standards.
  • Manufactured dwelling parks permitted in R-gen subject to 2.38a, 2.38b, 2.39.

  “2.22 permitted uses. a. single-family houses b. type a manufactured homes complying with section 2.331.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units in residential zones (except r-mhp, r-apt, r-com) inside Athena city limits

  • One per site.
  • No larger than two thirds the floor area of the principal unit; two bedrooms or less.
  • Private exterior entrance; detached cottage needs duplex minimum lot area.
  • Extra off-street parking space required.

  accessory dwelling per site: <= 1 unit

  “one accessory dwelling unit per site can be permitted subject to the following standards.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage disposal inside Athena city limits

  • Allowed only where a public sanitary sewer is not available.
  • Requires Oregon DEQ permit.

  “where a public sanitary sewer is not available under the provisions of article ii, the building sewer shall be connected to a private sewage disposal system complying with the provisions of this article.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

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

  • Connection within 90 days after official notice.
  • Owner pays at personal expense.
  • Existing private systems must connect within 90 days of sewer becoming available.
  • Water connection rule not found.

  connection deadline: <= 90 days (after official notice)

  “is hereby required at personal expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance, within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so.”

• Permit processPartial

  Site development permits inside Athena city limits

  • Planning Commission acts at its next regular meeting after filing.
  • Recorder issues permit within 5 days of approval.
  • Building permit process itself not described.

  permit issuance after approval: <= 5 days

  “application for such permits shall be made to the city recorder and shall be submitted to the planning commission.”

Rules another office applies inside Athena

Athena 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 septicState

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Athena city limits where public sewer is not available (city ordinance sends owner to Oregon DEQ)

  • Only where public sewer is unavailable.
  • Ordinance preserves any additional DEQ requirements.

  “before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit form the oregon state department of environmental quality.”

• Septic permitRequired

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

  • Permit is from Oregon DEQ per city ordinance.
  • Applies only where public sewer is not available.

  “before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit form the oregon state department of environmental quality.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Athena city limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Athena city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Athena city limits
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Athena city limits
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Athena 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.