1 Do I need a building permit to build in the unicorporated area of the county?
2 Do I need a building permit to construct a fence?
3 Can I have an apartment in my garage or a guest house on my property?
4 What are the required setbacks for my property?
5 Where are my property lines? How do I get accurate information?
6 What should I do if I notice construction and suspect that the owner or builder did not obtain a building permit?
7 How do I get a new address?
8 If I want to make a complaint against someone regarding a possible zoning violation, can I remain anonymous?
9 What is the process for sub-dividing land?
10 I received a Notice of Public Hearing in the mail. What does it mean?
11 How do I find the zoning district of my property?
12 How do I determine if my property is within a floodplain?
13 Can I build within the 100-year floodplain?
14 Can I build within the 500-year floodplain?
15 Can I build within the floodway?
| | 1. Do I need a building permit to build in the unicorporated area of the county? |  | |  | Yes. No building, Structure or addition thereto constructed, built, moved, remodeled or reconstructed after the effective date of these Regulationss shall be occupied or used for any purpose; and no land vacant on the effective date of the the County Regulations shall be used for any other purpose; and no use of any land or structure shall be changed to any other use, unless a building permit is first obtained from the Zoning Administrator certifying that the proposed use or occupancy complies with all the provisions of the Regulations. |  | | 
| | 2. Do I need a building permit to construct a fence? | | | | Generally fences are exempt from zoning regulations and, therefore, do not require a permit for construction. The only possible exception to this rule would be if the fence is in a subdivision. Please check with your subdivision for rules. In addition, to ensure the fence is not in the road right-of-way check with the Road & Bridge Department or KDOT. | | |
| | 3. Can I have an apartment in my garage or a guest house on my property? | | | | Only one residence may be on any parcel of land. However, you may have a guest house in addition to the main residence on a parcel as long as the guest house meets the requirements of the County Regulations. A guest house is defined as: Living quarters within a detached accessory building located on the same premises with the main building for use by temporary guests of the occupants of the premises, such quarters having no kitchen facilities or separate utilities and not rented or otherwise used as a separate dwelling. | | |
| | 4. What are the required setbacks for my property? | | | | Building setback requirements from right-of-way or property lines varies by zoning district. To determine these requirements, you should contact the Planning & Zoning Department. | | |
| | 5. Where are my property lines? How do I get accurate information? | | | | The only definitive way to determine your property lines is to have your lot or tract surveyed by a Licensed Land Surveyor. They will need to locate or establish the property survey pins at the corners of the lot or tract. If you can locate your own property corner pins, that should allow or help you and the surveyor establish the correct property lines. | | |
| | 6. What should I do if I notice construction and suspect that the owner or builder did not obtain a building permit? | | | | Occasionally the owner or builder is not aware of the building permit requirement and begins construction without a permit. If you want to know whether or not a building permit has been issued for a particular project, please contact the Planning & Zoning Department at (785) 863-2241. Please have specific information regarding the location, such as address, legal description or owner of property. | | |
| | 7. How do I get a new address? | | | | If you need an address for new construction, you will need to apply for a building permit. The address is then issued at the same time as the building permit. If you need an address prior to construction because of unusual circumstances, check with the Planning & Zoning Department. | | |
| | 8. If I want to make a complaint against someone regarding a possible zoning violation, can I remain anonymous? | | | | Yes. However, it is advantageous to leave your contact information so that staff can respond regarding the violation or to obtain additional information from you. For more on enforcement issues, please contact the Planning & Zoning Department. | | |
| | 9. What is the process for sub-dividing land? | | | | The requirements and procedures for sub-dividing are outlined in the Jefferson County Zoning Regulations and Subdivision Regulations. Please contact the Planning & Zoning Department for more information and to make an appointment to speak with the Zoning Administrator. | | |
| | 10. I received a Notice of Public Hearing in the mail. What does it mean? | | | | Kansas Statute requires that surrounding property owners within 1000 feet be directly notified whenever a rezoning, variance or conditional use is requested. In addition, Jefferson County also mails out a Notice when a plat is to be reviewed. This Notice provides the time, date and place where the public hearing is being held, the requested change and where the property is located. You are welcome to attend the public hearing to voice your support or concerns regarding the requested change or to just ask questions about the proposal. You may also call the Planning & Zoning Office for more information. | | |
| | 11. How do I find the zoning district of my property? | | | | If your property is in the unincorporated area of the county, you may call the Planning & Zoning Department for zoning information. In order to ensure that we are giving the correct information on the property you are interested in, please provide the following:
1. the property owner;
2. the property's legal description; or
3. the property's address. | | |
| | 12. How do I determine if my property is within a floodplain? | | | | The Planning & Zoning Office is in possession of maps produced by FEMA that indicate where the floodplains are for all of the unincorporated areas of the county. For assistance in determining flood risk on a particular parcel, please contact the Planning & Zoning Department. | | |
| | 13. Can I build within the 100-year floodplain? | | | | Generally, you can build in the 100-year floodplain if the floor of the structure is elevated one foot above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). The 100-year floodplain represents a potential flood area that has a 1% probability of being equaled or exceeded in any given year and is regulated by FEMA. All construction within the 100-year floodplain requires a Floodplain Development Permit before construction begins. For more information, please contact the Planning & Zoning Department. | | |
| | 14. Can I build within the 500-year floodplain? | | | | Yes. The 500-year floodplain is the area that could experience a flood-having a .2% probability of occuring in any given year. It is an area that is not regulated by floodplain regulations and, therefore, building is permitted provided that all other County Regulation requirements are met. For more information, please contact the Planning & Zoning Department. | | |
| | 15. Can I build within the floodway? | | | | Generally, it is very difficult to construct any structure within the floodway because an engineer must determine that the structure will not obstruct flood flows in any way or create rise in the base flood elevation. As a member of NFIP, the county's objective is to ensure that the floodway is reserved to do its natural job: carrying floodwater. The preferred approach is to avoid all development there. | | |
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