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

Island City’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Island City city limits, Union County, OR

  • Code adopted April 2022 (Series 2019); the city's page links this code and a 2019 zoning map.

  “the r-1 (single family residential), r-2 (residential duplex), and r-e (residential environmental) zones designate land principally for single-family residential development and attached duplex housing.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Island City city limits

  • Districts per table of contents: R-1, R-2, R-E, R-M, commercial, industrial/business park, SM surface mining, P public/semi-public.

  “the r-1 (single family residential), r-2 (residential duplex), and r-e (residential environmental) zones designate land principally for single-family residential development and attached duplex housing.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 (single family residential) zone inside Island City city

  • R-2 zone has different minimums (6,000 sq ft detached).

  minimum lot size, R-1 detached single-family: >= 7200 sq ft (attached 5,000; duplex 9,000; ADU 9,000)

  “minimum lot size. 1. r-1 a) detached single-family dwelling units - 7,200 sq. ft. b) attached single-family dwelling units - 5,000 sq. ft. c) duplexes - 9,000 sq. ft. d) accessory dwelling units - 9,000 sq. ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-E (residential environmental) zone inside Island City city

    “3. r-e detached single-family dwelling units - 20,000 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1, R-2 and R-E zones inside Island City city

  • Garage front yard is 18 feet; street side yard is 15 feet.

  front yard: >= 15 feet (garage 18 feet) · rear yard: >= 15 feet · side yard: >= 5 feet (street side 15 feet)

  “front yard: 15 feet deep from lot line to any structure, except for the garage which shall be 18 feet. 2. rear yard: 15 feet deep from lot line to any structure. 3. side yard: 5 feet in width on each side of any structure, except that a street side yard shall be 15 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1, R-2 and R-E zones inside Island City city

  • A separate maximum impervious surface limit follows in 4.04(d)(2).

  maximum lot coverage by structures: <= 40 percent

  “d) lot coverage requirements. 1. the maximum lot coverage by structures shall be 40 percent. 2. the maximum impervious surface coverage shall be 50 percent.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1, R-2 and R-E zones inside Island City city

  • Chimneys, antennae and similar appurtenances excepted.

  maximum height, primary residential building: <= 35 feet (accessory structures 24 feet)

  “except for chimneys, antennae and similar appurtenances, the maximum height from grade to the top of the primary residential building shall be 35 feet. accessory structures are limited to 24 feet in height.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in R-1, R-2 and R-E zones inside Island City city

  • Must be placed on an excavated and back-filled foundation, not more than 12 inches above grade
  • Must have a pitched roof and siding/roofing similar to surrounding dwellings
  • Must be certified to meet a thermal envelope standard (further standards follow in the code)

  minimum enclosed floor space, manufactured home: >= 960 sq ft (multi-sectional only)

  “c) manufactured homes that meet the following standards: 1. the manufactured home shall be multi-sectional, designed by the manufacturer as an integral unit, and enclose a space of not less than 960 square feet.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units in R-1 zone inside Island City city

  • Lot-size minimum applies; use-approval pathway not verified beyond the dimension table.

  minimum lot size for ADU, R-1: >= 9000 sq ft (R-2 is 8,000 sq ft)

  “c) duplexes - 9,000 sq. ft. d) accessory dwelling units - 9,000 sq. ft.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Island City city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Island City city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Island City city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Island City city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Island City 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.