Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of West Haven, Vermont

Town of West Haven’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Land development subject to the zoning regulations inside West Haven town.

  • Exemptions include accepted agricultural practices and farm structures, accepted management practices for silviculture, certain state-regulated power facilities, hunting/fishing/trapping without supporting facilities, and specified maintenance or alterations.
  • For accepted agricultural practices, written notification and a sketch plan must be submitted before construction; structures must meet setbacks unless specifically waived by the Secretary.

  “No land development as defined herein, which is subject to these regulations, shall be commenced in the Town of West Haven until a zoning permit has been issued by the Administrative Officer”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside West Haven town, Vermont.

  • The state-hosted document identifies these as Town of West Haven zoning regulations; the town's official website identifies itself as the official town website.

  “there are hereby established Zoning Regulations for Town of West Haven which shall be known and cited as the "Town of West Haven Zoning Regulations".”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside West Haven town.

  • The Settlement District consists of two areas, SD-A and SD-B.
  • The Agricultural District is all land not in SD-A, SD-B, or the Conservation District.
  • The official zoning map is made part of the regulations together with future amendments.

  “The Town of West Haven hereby establishes the following three (3) Zoning Districts: A. SD - Settlement District: The Settlement District consists of two areas.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside West Haven town.

  • The accessory dwelling unit must be within or appurtenant to an owner-occupied dwelling unit; the property must have sufficient wastewater capacity; the unit may not exceed 30 percent of the principal dwelling's total habitable floor area; applicable setback, coverage, and parking requirements apply.

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

  “One accessory dwelling unit may be located within or appurtenant to an owner-occupied dwelling unit provided the unit complies with the following”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Accepted agricultural practices, including farm-structure construction, inside West Haven town.

  • Written notification, including a sketch plan showing setbacks from road rights-of-way, property lines, and surface waters, must be submitted to the Administrative Officer before construction.
  • Structures must meet all setback requirements unless specifically waived by the Secretary.

  “No zoning permit shall be required for the following activities: 1) Accepted agricultural (AAPs), including the construction of farm structures”

Rules another office applies inside Town of West Haven

Town of West Haven 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

  Agricultural District inside West Haven town.

  • Town permits are contingent upon receipt of State of Vermont water-supply and wastewater permits.

  minimum lot area: >= 25 acres

  “each lot shall have a minimum area of twenty-five (25) acres. permits will be contingent upon receipt of state of vermont water supply and wastewater permits.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in the Agricultural District inside West Haven town.

  • Buildings must also be at least 200 feet from the annual mean high-water mark of lakes, rivers, and ponds, except the provision does not apply to certain man-made impoundments of up to one acre that do not drain into natural streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, or wetlands.
  • Accessory structures must be at least 20 feet from lot lines, rivers, streams, lakes, or ponds; docks are exempt from this setback.

  front-yard setback: >= 60 feet · side-yard setback: >= 100 feet · rear-yard setback: >= 75 feet

  “a. front yard: every building shall be set back not less than sixty (60') feet from the front lot line. b. side yards: every building shall be set back not less than one hundred (100') feet from the side lot line. c. rear yards: every building shall be set back not less than seventy-five (75') feet from the rear lot line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings in the Settlement District inside West Haven town.

    “a. front yard: every building shall be set back not less than sixty (60) feet from the front lot line. b. side yards: every building shall be set back not less than forty (40') feet from the side lot line. c. rear yards: every building shall be set back not less than forty (40') feet from the rear lot line.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles placed on sites in West Haven's special flood hazard areas.

  • The recreational vehicle must either be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the requirements of subsection 409(D).

  on-site duration: < 180 consecutive days (Alternative compliance is available if fully licensed and ready for highway use or if subsection 409(D) is met.)

  “recreational vehicles placed on sites with special flood hazard areas shall either (i) be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, (ii) be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or (iii) meet the requirement of subsection 409(d).”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  New or replacement manufactured homes in West Haven flood-hazard areas.

  • New and replacement manufactured homes and substantially improved existing manufactured homes must be elevated on a permanent foundation, with the lowest floor at or above base flood elevation, and securely anchored.

  “New and replacement manufactured homes and existing manufactured homes to be substantially improved be elevated on a permanent foundation such that the lowest floor of the manufactured home is evaluated to at or above the base flood elevation”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Lots in West Haven town subject to the cited zoning-regulation lot-area provisions.

  • The zoning regulations make permits contingent on receipt of State of Vermont water-supply and wastewater permits.

  “Permits will be contingent upon receipt of State of Vermont water supply and wastewater permits.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Settlement District lots inside West Haven town under the cited zoning regulations.

  • Town permits are contingent upon receipt of State of Vermont water-supply and wastewater permits.

  “Permits will be contingent upon receipt of State of Vermont water supply and wastewater permits.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in West Haven's Flood Hazard Area.

  • The applicant must submit application information for referral to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Federal Insurance Administrator, and adjacent municipalities.
  • Before permit issuance, the Administrative Officer must submit the application and supporting information to the State National Floodplain Insurance Program Coordinator; the permit may issue only after Agency comments or after 30 days from mailing, whichever occurs first.

  state-comment period: <= 30 days (Permit may issue earlier upon receipt of Agency comments.)

  “A permit may be issued only following receipt of comments from the Agency or the expiration of 30 days from the date the application was mailed to the Agency, whichever is sooner.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside West Haven town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside West Haven town.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside West Haven town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside West Haven town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside West Haven 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 West Haven 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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