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

Town of Jericho’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Any new dwelling, bedroom addition, or occupancy/use requiring Town conditional-use or site-plan approval inside Jericho town.

  • Certificate is issued by the Zoning Administrator.
  • Application is filed upon project completion with Selectboard-set fees.
  • A certificate may be issued when a project is substantially complete if applicant demonstrates need.

  “Any occupancy or use of any land or structure requiring Conditional Use or Site plan Approval from the Development Review Board, or any new dwelling, or addition of a bedroom to an existing dwelling shall require the issuing of a Certificate of Occupancy by the Zoning Administrator.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land development and subdivision inside Jericho town, Chittenden County, Vermont.

  • Land development or subdivision must conform to the regulations unless exempted under the Act or regulations.

  “the Town of Jericho establishes zoning and subdivision regulations known as the “Jericho Land Use and Development Regulations”.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential development inside Jericho town; specific minimum lot area varies by zoning district.

  • The current regulation refers to Table 5.6 for district minimum lot area.
  • Actual feasible density may be constrained by soils, slopes, access, natural features, and infrastructure.

  “Minimum required lot area for all lots is specified in Section 5.6 or 5.7.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures inside Jericho town; front, side, and rear yard requirements vary by district.

  • Fences and permanent sign bases are excluded from the stated yard-projection rule.
  • PUD front-yard rules and specified exceptions apply.

  “All structures, other than fences or permanent sign bases, shall not project into any minimum front, side, or rear yard as set forth in Section 5.6 or 5.7”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots inside Jericho town; maximum coverage varies by district or PUD standards.

  • Coverage includes ground-floor structures, parking areas, access drives, and walkways.
  • The applicable percentage is set in §5.6 or §5.7.

  “Total ground floor area of all structures, parking areas, access drives and walkways shall not exceed the maximum percentage of lot area as set forth in Section 5.6 or Section 5.7.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures inside Jericho town; maximum height varies by district or PUD standards.

  • Specified exceptions include certain farm structures, limited architectural elements, certain solar collectors and wind turbines, telecommunications towers, and State-regulated power facilities.

  “Height of all structures shall not exceed the maximum set forth in Section 5.6 or Section 5.7, except as specified below.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational vehicles used as camps on land inside Jericho town.

  • Camp occupancy is non-commercial, seasonal, or intermittent and limited to 180 days per year.
  • New camps are subject to district, sewage, water-supply, and access requirements.

  maximum camp occupancy: <= 180 days per year (Non-commercial, seasonal, or intermittent occupancy.)

  “CAMP: A type of BUILDING (including RECREATIONAL VEHICLES such as camper trailers and other tow-behinds) used for non-commercial, seasonal, or intermittent occupancy of up to 180 days per year.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  New mobile homes in mobile-home parks inside Jericho town.

  • New mobile-home parks require Planned Unit Development review.
  • New mobile-home parks are not allowed in the Open Space district.
  • Each mobile home must be on a dedicated site of at least 10,000 square feet or the district PUD minimum lot size, whichever is less.

  minimum dedicated mobile-home site: >= 10000 square feet (Or the district minimum lot size for a PUD, whichever is less.)

  “New mobile home parks may be constructed in all zoning districts except the Open Space (OS) district, subject to Planned Unit Development review and the following standards:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Jericho town.

  • Subdivision must conform to Town regulations unless exempted under the Act or regulations.
  • Subdivision review is by the Development Review Board.

  “Subdivision Review is required whenever any subdivision of land is proposed for the purpose of sale, lease, or development.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New private-road, driveway, or right-of-way intersections with Town roads inside Jericho town.

  • Must conform with Selectboard-adopted Access Standards.
  • State-highway or State-right-of-way access requires Vermont Agency of Transportation approval.
  • Permit is valid for one year.

  access permit validity: 1 year

  “An access permit shall be obtained for any new curb cut onto a Town road. The access permit shall be obtained directly from the Road Supervisor”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town development applications inside Jericho town.

  • Zoning applications are filed with the Zoning Administrator on a Town form and with required fees.
  • Development Review Board applications require materials listed in §10.7.2.1 and a public hearing process where applicable.

  zoning-administrator action period: <= 30 days (A complete zoning permit application; permit is deemed issued on day 31 if no action.)

  “Within thirty [30] days of receipt of a complete application, including all application materials and fees, the Zoning Administrator shall act to issue or deny a Zoning Permit in writing, or shall refer the application to the Development Review Board for consideration where applicable.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Jericho

Town of Jericho 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)

  New or expanded septic systems serving structures inside Jericho town.

  • The Town zoning permit is not in effect until the applicable State wastewater and potable-water permit is issued.

  “a wastewater and potable water supply permit subject to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Rules, as most recently amended has been issued by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation under 10 VSA Chapter 64”

• Septic permitRequired

  A structure in Jericho town requiring a new or expanded septic system.

  • A Town zoning permit is not effective until the State wastewater and potable-water permit is issued.
  • Public-water connection approval may instead be applicable to water supply.

  “No Zoning Permit for a structure requiring a new or expanded septic system or water supply shall be considered “in effect” until a wastewater and potable water supply permit subject to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Rules, as most recently amended has been issued by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Jericho town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Jericho town.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Jericho town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-household dwellings inside Jericho town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary tent camping on private land inside Jericho 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.