Zoning, building permits and septic rules in River Heights, Utah

River Heights’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside River Heights city: Cache County Building Department issues building permits within the city; the city requires a zoning clearance permit first

  • Building permits are issued by Cache County Building Department.
  • A zoning clearance permit from the city is required first, whenever the county requires a building permit and also for any accessory structure or change in use.
  • City code tells applicants to consult the county to determine whether a building permit is required.

  “cache county building department issues building permits within and for river heights city. prior to applying for a building permit, however, the applicant must obtain a zoning clearance permit (zcp) from the city.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings under construction or repair inside River Heights city

  • Duty is stated for the city zoning administrator, who may cause inspection by others.

  “it shall be the duty of the zoning administrator to inspect or cause to be inspected all buildings during construction or repair.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside River Heights city

  • Certificate is issued by the building inspector and states compliance with Title 10 and applicable building codes.

  “no building shall be occupied until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the building inspector, stating that the building complies with the provisions of this title and all applicable building codes.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside River Heights city

  • Zoning is administered by the city zoning administrator, planning commission and appeal authority under Title 10.

  “he shall enforce all the provisions of this title, entering actions in the courts, when necessary.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside River Heights city

  • Chart also lists R-1-10 and R-1-12 in Table 2.

  “key: a r-1-8 c pr scpud cp agricultural residential commercial parks, recreation and open space senior citizen planned unit development commercial parking”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential uses: Agricultural (A) zone 5 acres; Residential R-1-8 zone 8,000 sq ft (also R-1-10 10,000 and R-1-12 12,000) inside River Heights city

  • R-1-8 minimum lot width (80 ft) may be reduced to no less than 70 ft for a lot created from a legally existing narrower lot, subject to city denial criteria.
  • SCPUD zone requirements may be altered with planning commission discretionary approval.

  A zone minimum lot size: >= 5 acres · R-1-8 minimum lot size: >= 8000 sq ft

  “minimum lot size minimum lot width (measured at setback line) 5 acres 200 feet 8,000 sq.ft. 80 feet1 10,000 sq.ft 80 feet 12,000 sq.ft. 95 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Accessory buildings in residential zones inside River Heights city (principal building height is in Table 2 and Table 3, not column-mapped)

  • Accessory height may not exceed the principal use on the same lot.
  • Commercial C1 maximums appear in Table 3.

  accessory use maximum height: <= 25 feet (and no greater than principal use height)

  “accessory uses shall be no greater in height than the height of the principal use on the same lot, and in no case shall the height of the accessory use exceed 25 feet.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside River Heights city

  • Details in Title 11 subdivision ordinance not fully reviewed.

  “the river heights planning commission shall act as the approval authority for preliminary plats. the development review committee (drc) shall act as the approval authority for final plats and minor subdivisions.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short term vacation rentals (STVR) inside River Heights city

  • Occupancy max two people per bedroom plus up to two residents in one non-bedroom space.
  • Sufficient paved off-street parking required; reviewed before a conditional use permit is granted.
  • STVR owners must have primary residency in River Heights City.
  • Owner contact list must be submitted to the city office.

  minimum distance between STVRs: >= 300 feet

  “no stvr can be within 300 feet of another stvr.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning clearance permit process inside River Heights city

  • One application per structure and per person.
  • Denial grounds include failure to comply with restrictive covenants or recorded plat conditions and situational safety concerns.

  response time: <= 10 working days

  “the public works director and zoning administrator will sign permit or respond to applicant within 10 working days.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask River Heights or Cache County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits inside River Heights city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside River Heights city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside River Heights city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside River Heights city
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside River Heights 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.