Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Lincoln, Vermont

Town of Lincoln’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Lincoln town, Addison County, Vermont.

  • Town zoning is administered by the Zoning Administrator and Development Review Board.

  “The Zoning Administrator receives permit applications, administers, and enforces the Zoning/Subdivision Regulations.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land within Lincoln town.

  • Flood Hazard, Viewshed, and River Overlay Areas impose additional requirements where applicable.

  zoning districts: Village 1; Village 2; Transitional; Outlying

  “Section 310 Village 1 and Village 2 Section 320 Transitional Section 330 Outlying”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Village District 1 and Village District 2 within Lincoln town.

  • Other requirements may apply under the zoning bylaws.

  Village District 1 minimum lot size: 1/4 acre · Village District 2 minimum lot size: 1/2 acre

  “Site Criteria Village District 1 Village District 2 Minimum Lot Size ¼ acre ½ acre Density 4DU/acre 2DU/acre”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Village District 1 and Village District 2 within Lincoln town.

  • Other requirements may apply under the zoning bylaws.

  Village District 1 front setback: 15 feet · Village District 1 side setback: 10 feet · Village District 1 rear setback: 20 feet · Village District 2 front setback: 15 feet · Village District 2 side setback: 15 feet · Village District 2 rear setback: 20 feet

  “Front Setback 15’ 15’ Side Setback 10’ 15’ Rear Setback 20’ 20’”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured housing in Lincoln Village Districts and the Outlying District.

  • The Village provision applies to uses or structures under 3,500 square feet above grade; other zoning requirements may apply.

  “Single Family Dwellings (includes mobile/ manufactured housing)”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units in Lincoln Village Districts and the Outlying District.

  • The Village provision applies to uses or structures under 3,500 square feet above grade; the bylaws refer to the definition of Accessory Dwelling Unit.

  “Accessory Dwelling Unit (See Definitions)”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision applications within Lincoln town.

  • Subdivision applications are administered and enforced by the Zoning Administrator; the Development Review Board hears subdivision applications.

  “The Development Review Board is a quasi-judicial board that hears applications for unique situations, such as conditional use, waivers, or subdivisions”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  New construction or land development in a floodplain designated by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation within Lincoln town.

  • No permit may be granted before 30 days after submission of the report to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation; the Development Review Board reviews flood-hazard-area applications as conditional uses.

  waiting period: >= 30 days (Following submission of the required report to Vermont DEC.)

  “no permit may be granted for new construction of the development of land in any area designated as a floodplain”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Lincoln zoning, subdivision, and access-related applications.

  • Fee schedule states it is effective July 1, 2019; all permits and applications add $15.00 per page for recording; subdivision and boundary-line-adjustment mylars add $25.00.

  residential/seasonal dwelling fee: greater of $0.15/SF of living space or $150.00 USD · camping/camper fee: 25 USD (120 days; LZR §502.2)

  “Residential/Seasonal Dwelling Greater of $.15/SF of living space or $150.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permits for development within Lincoln town.

  • Conditional-use permits issue only after Development Review Board instruction following a public hearing; activities authorized by a permit must be completed within two years of issue or reapplication is required.

  appeal period: 15 days (Permit does not take effect until the appeal period has passed or an appeal is resolved.)

  “the appeal period has expired (15 days after the permit issues).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Lincoln

Town of Lincoln 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 (with conditions)

  Potable water supplies and wastewater systems, including systems serving land inside Lincoln town.

  • Local wastewater provisions are superseded except as provided by state law for delegated municipalities and exempt systems.

  “a person shall obtain a permit from the Secretary”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  A substantially completed permitted wastewater system or potable water supply in Lincoln town.

  • Certification is required prior to use and operation; an installation certification need not be submitted when the authorizing permit or amendment does not contain that condition.

  “Subsequent to the substantial completion of a potable water supply or wastewater system and prior to the use and operation of the wastewater system or potable water supply, a signed and dated installation certification from an installer, or a designer if required in Subsection (f), shall be submitted to the Secretary that states:”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building construction within Lincoln town.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences within Lincoln town.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction within Lincoln town.
• Inspections — Residential buildings within Lincoln town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of development within Lincoln town.

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.