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

Town of Vershire’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, conversion, relocation, enlargement, listed land-use changes, and subdivision inside Vershire town.

  • Maintenance or repair, interior alterations, and renovations are excepted if the building or structure's use remains substantially unchanged.
  • Other enumerated exemptions in § 2.3 apply.

  “Except as provided herein, no construction, conversion, relocation, or enlargement of any building or structure, nor any mining, extraction or landfill, nor any change in the use of any building or structure, or land, or extension of use of land, or land subdivision may commence unless a Development Permit has been duly issued by the Development Administrator.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Land development regulated or approved under the Vershire Development Ordinance.

  • Before entering private property, the Development Administrator must obtain permission from the owner of record and other involved party of interest.

  “The Development Administrator, being duly authorized to enforce this Ordinance, is empowered to enter upon land or any building for the purpose of assuring that any land development, as defined or approved, is in compliance with the requirements of this Ordinance and any Development Permit that may have been granted.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Vershire town, Vermont.

  • The ordinance applies except to land, buildings, structures, or subdivisions previously approved under a prior ordinance or exempted under the ordinance.

  “Except as may have been previously approved under a prior Ordinance or exempted under this Ordinance, no land, building, or structure shall be used, occupied, or changed, or land subdivided unless in conformity with this Ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Development areas inside Vershire town.

  • The Official Base Development Area Map is maintained at the Vershire Town Office and amendments are subject to the ordinance's amendment provisions.

  development areas: Village Development Area; Rural Residential Development Area; Open Space Development Area; Flood Hazard Development Area

  “The following development areas are hereby established within the Town: (a) Village Development Area (b) Rural Residential Development Area (c) Open Space Development Area (d) Flood Hazard Development Area”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile, modular, prefabricated housing, and mobile-home parks inside Vershire town.

  • Such development may require a conditional-use permit.

  “As required under V.S.A Title 24, Ch. 117 § 4412, this Ordinance is in no way intended to have the effect of excluding Low/Moderate Income Housing, Mobile Homes, Modular Housing, Prefabricated Housing and/or Mobile Home Parks. Such types of development may be required to obtain a conditional use permit.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwellings appurtenant to an owner-occupied single-family dwelling inside Vershire town.

  • The property must have sufficient wastewater capacity.
  • The unit may not exceed 30 percent of the primary dwelling's total habitable floor area.
  • Applicable setback, coverage, and parking requirements must be met.

  maximum accessory dwelling floor area: <= 30 percent of total habitable floor area (Of the single-family dwelling.)

  “An accessory dwelling unit that is located within or appurtenant to an owner occupied single family dwelling shall be a permitted use. [...] (a) The property has sufficient wastewater capacity. (b) The unit does not exceed 30 percent of the total habitable floor area of the single-family dwelling. (c) Applicable setback, coverage, and parking requirements specified in the bylaws are met.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Wastewater-disposal systems inside Vershire town.

  • A state Agency of Natural Resources subdivision permit or deferral is required where applicable before the Town Development Permit.
  • A Vershire Board of Health sewer permit is required in situations where the Board requires it before installation or replacement.

  “An applicant for a Development Permit, whose land requires a Subdivision Permit from the Protection Division of the Agency of Natural Resources, shall obtain such Permit or Deferral of Permit prior to the issuance of a Development Permit. [...] In situations where a Sewer Permit is required from the Vershire Board of Health prior to the installation or replacement of a wastewater disposal system, prospective applicants for a Development Permit shall first obtain a Sewer Permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation or replacement of a wastewater-disposal system inside Vershire town when a sewer permit is required by the Vershire Board of Health.

  • The applicant must file the sewer permit with the Town Clerk for recording within 30 days of receipt.
  • State permit or deferral requirements may also apply.

  recording deadline: <= 30 days (After receipt of a Vershire Board of Health sewer permit.)

  “In situations where a Sewer Permit is required from the Vershire Board of Health prior to the installation or replacement of a wastewater disposal system, prospective applicants for a Development Permit shall first obtain a Sewer Permit. Such permits shall be filed with the Town Clerk for recording by the applicant within 30 days of receipt.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sewage-disposal systems planned, constructed, or operated inside Vershire town.

  • The system must comply with state and local water-pollution and sewage-disposal ordinances.

  “No sewage disposal system planned, constructed, or operated within the Town shall violate State and local Ordinance governing water pollution or sewage disposal.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Accepted agricultural practices, including construction of farm structures, inside Vershire town.

  • Written notification, including a sketch plan with structure setbacks from road rights-of-way, property lines, and surface waters, is required before construction.
  • Structures must meet setback requirements unless specifically waived by the Secretary.

  “No development permit shall be required for the following activities, however written notification to the Development Administrator of intent to build is required: (a) Accepted agricultural practices (AAPs), including the construction of farm structures, as those practices are defined by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, in accordance with the Act [§4413(d)].”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Major land subdivisions inside Vershire town.

  • Final Planning Commission approval is required before construction, land clearing, building development, offers or contracts for sale, sales, reconfiguration, issuance of a Development Permit, or plat recording.
  • The ordinance directs compliance with § 4.19 and applicable state statutes.

  “Before any construction, land clearing, or building development incidental to a major subdivision is commenced, before any offer or contract for sale, or sale of any part, division or reconfiguration of an existing parcel or lot is exercised, before any Development Permit for a structure or use is granted within a proposed major subdivision, or before any plat is recorded or filed with the Town Clerk, the owner of the existing parcel or lot shall first apply for and secure final approval of the proposed major subdivision from the Planning Commission.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Construction or reconstruction of access roads, ditch or drainage obstruction, or culvert work within a public-road right-of-way inside Vershire town.

  • A Selectboard permit is required for a Town road; a Vermont Agency of Transportation permit is required for a State road.
  • Farm and forestry entrances are excluded from the access-road count; temporary construction-equipment access drives are excluded from these standards.

  intersection offset: >= 100 feet (From the intersection of right-of-way lines of intersecting roads.)

  “Prior to any property owner or person constructing or reconstructing an access road, obstructing a ditch or drainage course, or installing or replacing a culvert within the right-of-way of a public road, a permit shall first be issued by the Selectboard in the case of a Town road or the Vermont Agency of Transportation in the case of a State road.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Administration of the Vershire Development Ordinance.

  • Fees are established and revised by the Selectboard in consultation with the Planning Commission.
  • Fees must cover necessary and reasonable administration and enforcement costs.

  “Fees for the administration of this Ordinance shall be established and revised by the Selectboard in consultation with the Planning Commission. Such fees shall be sufficient to cover all necessary and reasonable costs required to administer and enforce this Ordinance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Development-permit applications inside Vershire town.

  • The application must be complete and include materials and fees.
  • Where Board, legislative-body, or state-agency approval is required, the Development Administrator cannot issue the permit until that approval is obtained or, for state review, a state response is received or 30 days expires after submission.

  Development Administrator decision period: <= 30 days (From receipt of a complete application including application materials and fees.)

  “Within thirty (30) days of receipt of a complete application, including all application materials, fees, the Development Administrator shall act to either issue or deny a development permit in writing, or to refer the application to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and/or state for consideration.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Vershire

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in the Rural Residential Development Area inside Vershire town.

  • Stream setbacks are 35 feet.
  • There are no setback requirements for fences or driveways.

  minimum structure setback: >= 20 feet

  “The Minimum setback for structures within this Development Area is 20 feet. (c) Minimum setback from streams (see section 4.7) is 35 feet. [...] There are no setback requirements for fences or driveways.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in the Village Development Area inside Vershire town.

    “The Minimum setback for structures within this Development Area is 10 feet. (c) Minimum setback from streams (see section 4.7) is 35 feet. [...] There are no setback requirements for fences or driveways.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in the Rural Residential Development Area inside Vershire town.

  • Exceptions in § 4.9 and height approved by the Development Board of Adjustment may apply.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet

  “Maximum height for structures (see section 4.9) is 35 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in the Village Development Area inside Vershire town.

    “Maximum height for structures (see section 4.9) is 35 feet.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in the Flood Hazard Area inside Vershire town.

  • The operative Flood Hazard Bylaw was identified by the Development Ordinance, but its permit standards were not available in the opened official materials.

  “The rules and regulations governing the Flood Hazard Area are outlined in Vershire’s stand alone Flood Hazard Bylaw. A copy of that ordinance is available for review at the Vershire Town Office.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Vershire town.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Vershire town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Vershire town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Vershire town.
• Lot coverage — Land development inside Vershire 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Vershire means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.