Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Otter Creek, Wisconsin

Town of Otter Creek’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residences inside the Town of Otter Creek.

  • The Town's required-permits form identifies a building permit issued by the Town building inspector.

  “building permit - issued by town of otter creek building inspector – 715-556-0066”

• InspectionsLimited

  Mobile homes or trailers proposed to be moved into the Town of Otter Creek.

  • The inspection and approval must occur before the mobile home or trailer is moved into the Town.

  “note: a mobile home/trailer may not be moved into the town of otter creek until the building inspector – matt flatland – has inspected and approved of the mobile home/trailer.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes or trailers moved into the Town of Otter Creek.

  • The building inspector must inspect and approve the mobile home or trailer before it is moved into the Town.

  “note: a mobile home/trailer may not be moved into the town of otter creek until the building inspector – matt flatland – has inspected and approved of the mobile home/trailer.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Access driveways connecting to a Town of Otter Creek town road.

  • The Town must be notified at least one day before work begins.
  • Driveways must meet permit requirements and special conditions.
  • Minimum sight distance from the end of the driveway in the town right-of-way is 100 feet each way.
  • Town-road access without an approved driveway may lead to stated penalties.

  minimum sight distance: >= 100 feet (each way from end of driveway in town right-of-way) · right-of-way driveway slope: 1 to 5 percent (must slope away from public road)

  “minimum site distance each way from end of the driveway in the town right-of-way shall be 100 feet. the driveway within the area of the town right-of-way shall slope away from the public road at a minimum of 1 percent and a maximum of 5 percent to prevent erosion onto the town road.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town land-use permits inside the Town of Otter Creek.

  • The Town says its land-use permit is issued after zoning permits and building permits have been obtained and copies supplied to the clerk treasurer.

  Town land-use permit fee: 50 USD

  “the town issues a land use permit ($50) after obtaining other permits and providing clerk treasurer with copies of documents.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Otter Creek

Town of Otter Creek 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 septicCounty (with conditions)

  POWTS, plumbing sanitation, and privies for residences inside the Town of Otter Creek.

  • The Town's residence-permit form identifies Dunn County as the issuing authority.

  “sanitation/plumbing or private onsite wastewater treatment system (powts) or privy (issued by dunn county – 715-231-6520)”

• Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

  Non-plumbing sanitation systems, including privies, inside the Town of Otter Creek.

  • A county or state sanitary permit is required before installation, establishment, or construction.
  • A county permit for a pit privy must include soil data from a Certified Soil Tester.

  “a county or state sanitary permit shall be obtained by the property owner, his agent or contractor, prior to the installation, establishment or construction of any structure which requires a private sewage system or non-plumbing sanitation system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside the Town of Otter Creek.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside the Town of Otter Creek.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside the Town of Otter Creek.
• Local zoning — Land inside the Town of Otter Creek.
• Zoning districts — Land inside the Town of Otter Creek.

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.