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

Town of Troy’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction and other land development inside Troy town that is regulated by the Town of Troy Zoning Bylaw.

  • The rule applies to construction, reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation, enlargement, and land-use change regulated by the bylaw.
  • A zoning-permit application must be filed with the Zoning Administrator; applicable fees set by the Selectboard must accompany it.

  “An application for a zoning permit shall be filed with the Zoning Administrator on forms provided by him for that purpose.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Troy town, Vermont.

  • The bylaw is subject to 24 V.S.A. Subchapter 7.

  “there is hereby established a zoning bylaw for the Town of Troy which is set forth in the text and map that constitute this bylaw. This bylaw shall be known and cited as the "Town of Troy Zoning Bylaw".”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary travel trailers associated with traveling circuses, fairs, carnivals, and similar events inside Troy town.

  • The Zoning Administrator issues the temporary permit.
  • All state and Town of Troy health and sanitary laws and regulations must be met.

  temporary permit duration: <= 21 days (Travel trailers that are part of traveling circuses, fairs, carnivals, etc.)

  “Travel trailers which are a part of traveling circuses, fairs, carnivals, etc., may secure a temporary permit not to exceed 21 days.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Required agricultural and accepted silvicultural practices, forestry operations, and associated farm structures inside Troy town.

  • A person intending to build a farm structure must notify the Town Zoning Administrator.
  • The exemption is stated to be in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §4413(d).

  “in addition, any person intending to build a farm structure shall notify the town zoning administrator and shall abide by setbacks approved by the secretary of agriculture, food and markets.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions of land inside Troy town.

  • Applications are subject to site-plan review by the Development Review Board after public notice and hearing.

  “Applications for subdivisions of land shall be subject to Site Plan Review by the Development Review Board after public notice and hearing.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Troy

Town of Troy 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

  Rural District inside Troy town.

  • Other district dimensional requirements include 125 feet of frontage, a 40-foot front yard, and 25-foot side and rear yards.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acres

  “Minimum Lot Area and Dimensions Lot area (acres): 5 Frontage (ft): 125 Front yard (ft): 40 Side yard (ft): 25 Rear yard (ft): 25”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Rural District inside Troy town.

  • The table also requires a five-acre lot and 125 feet of frontage.

  front yard: >= 40 ft · side yard: >= 25 ft · rear yard: >= 25 ft

  “Minimum Lot Area and Dimensions Lot area (acres): 5 Frontage (ft): 125 Front yard (ft): 40 Side yard (ft): 25 Rear yard (ft): 25”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Troy town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Troy town.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Troy town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Troy town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Troy 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 Troy 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.

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