Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Vonore, Tennessee

Town of Vonore’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Excavation, construction, moving, or alteration of a building or structure, including temporary and accessory buildings, inside Vonore town limits.

  • A building inspector must issue the permit before work commences.
  • A permit becomes void after six months unless substantial progress has been made; 90-day extensions may be approved by the building inspector.

  permit void period without substantial progress: 6 months (Extensions in 90-day increments may be approved upon application to the building inspector.)

  “It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for, or the construction of, any building or structure (including temporary), including accessory buildings, or to commence the moving or alteration of any building, until the building inspector has issued a building permit for such work.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land or buildings erected or altered in use, occupancy, or structure inside Vonore town limits.

  • The building inspector must find the land, building, and proposed use conform to the ordinance and, where applicable, adopted construction codes.

  “No land or building or part thereof hereafter erected or altered in its use, occupancy, or structure shall be used until the building inspector shall have issued a certificate of occupancy”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within the incorporated Town of Vonore, Tennessee.

  • The town's official site identifies a Vonore Zoning Ordinance and directs users to the Monroe Planning-hosted ordinance.

  “Vonore Zoning Ordinance: www.monroeplanning.com”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Vonore town limits.

  • The official zoning map is the final authority on a parcel's current zoning status.

  published districts: R-1 Low Density Residential; R-2 High Density Residential; A-1 Agriculture; C-1 Neighborhood Business; C-3 Highway Business; M-1 Light Industrial; M-2 Heavy Industrial; F Flood Plain

  “R-1, Low Density Residential District R-2, High Density Residential District A-1, Agriculture District C-1, Neighborhood Business District C-3, Highway Business District M-1, Light Industrial District M-2, Heavy Industrial District F, Flood Plain District”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Multifamily developments in the R-2 High Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

  • The rule applies to a multifamily use defined as three or more residential units sharing a common wall on one parcel.
  • The use requires review and approval by the Board of Zoning Appeals and a planning-commission site plan.

  “The complex shall be connected to public water and public sewer;”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development activities within the incorporated Town of Vonore, Tennessee.

  • The floodplain ordinance applies to all incorporated areas of the town.
  • The development permit must precede commencement of development activities.

  “A development permit shall be required in conformity with this Ordinance prior to the commencement of any development activities.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Applications for building permits under the Vonore zoning ordinance.

  • The applicant must provide a dimensioned sketch or scale plan, existing and intended uses, and other information the building inspector requires.
  • The proposal must conform to the zoning code and other then-effective town ordinances.

  “the applicant shall complete the building permit application form and shall submit a dimensioned sketch of scale plan”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Vonore

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

  • The applicable minimum varies based on whether the dwelling is served by public water and sewer.

  minimum lot area with public water and sewer: 15000 square feet · minimum lot area without public water and sewer: 32000 square feet

  “Minimum lot area for single family dwellings served by public water and sewer systems: 15,000 square feet. Minimum lot area for single family dwellings not served by public water and sewer: 32,000 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Farm or other parcels in the A-1 Agriculture District inside Vonore town limits.

    “No farm or other parcel of land shall be reduced in area to provide separate lots or building sites less than three (3) acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and other structures in the A-1 Agriculture District inside Vonore town limits.

  • Accessory buildings have a 15-foot side and rear yard requirement.

  front yard minimum depth: 30 feet · side and rear yard minimum: 20 feet (Accessory buildings: 15 feet.)

  “The minimum depth of the front yard shall be thirty (30) feet. Side and Rear Yard: The minimum side and rear yard shall be twenty (20) feet and for accessory buildings, fifteen (15) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal buildings in the R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

    “Minimum depth of front yard: 30 feet. Minimum depth of rear yard: 20 feet. Minimum depth of side yards: 12 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the A-1 Agriculture District inside Vonore town limits.

  maximum principal and accessory building coverage: <= 20 percent of total lot area

  “Principal and accessory buildings shall cover no more than twenty (20) percent of the total lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

    “On any lot, the area occupied by all buildings shall not exceed forty (40) percent of the total area of such lot.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the A-1 Agriculture District inside Vonore town limits.

  • The limit is subject to § 11-504.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (Except as provided in § 11-504.) · maximum stories: <= 3 stories (Except as provided in § 11-504.)

  “No building shall exceed three (3) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height except as provided in Section 11-504.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in the R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

    “No structure shall exceed three (3) stories or forty (40) feet in height except as provided in Section 11-504.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Travel-trailer parks in the A-1 Agriculture District inside Vonore town limits.

  • Travel-trailer parks are special exceptions requiring Board of Zoning Appeals review and approval.
  • A site plan must be submitted to the planning commission; the commission may deny it for failure to comply with site-plan requirements or inadequate design.

  “Travel trailer parks, provided the conditions in Section 11-608 are met.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Mobile homes in the R-2 High Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

  • Mobile homes must satisfy the conditions in § 11-606.

  “Mobile homes, provided the conditions in Section 11-606 are met.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Allowed — Mobile homes in the A-1 Agriculture District inside Vonore town limits.

    “Detached single-family and two-family dwellings including mobile homes.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Multifamily uses in the R-2 High Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.

  • The provision applies to multifamily uses defined as three or more residential units sharing a common wall on one parcel.
  • The use is subject to Board of Zoning Appeals approval.

  minimum paved street width: >= 20 feet (Requires two-foot-wide paved or gravel shoulders.) · minimum paved or gravel shoulder width: >= 2 feet

  “The property shall front on and have direct access to a street that has a paved surface that is a minimum of twenty (20) feet in width with a minimum of two (2) foot wide paved or gravel shoulders;”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Vonore or Monroe County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Vonore town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Vonore town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Vonore town limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping outside an approved travel-trailer park inside Vonore town limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Vonore town 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.