The thought of navigating through the permitting process of land use activities in Cook County can seem a little challenging sometimes, but the review and issuing of permits does perform a vital service for property owners, their neighbors and for the community at large. There are a variety of land use types of permits that may be required depending on the type of project you wish to pursue, and a simple phone call to the Cook County Land Services Department is a good place to begin.
People have asked, why do we even require permits for land use activities? It is important to know that the purpose of issuing permits for construction activities is to make sure that our projects can be completed in line with the standards that have been adopted through local, state and federal regulations.
Cook County in particular has been blessed with an abundance of beautiful and pristine natural resources, and care needs to be taken to ensure the preservation of those resources for future generations. The adopted standards such as setback distances from lakes and neighboring property lines are in place to help ensure that the positioning of structures or septic systems on our properties do not adversely impact our lakes and rivers or our neighbors.
Sometimes the terms “building permit” and “land use permit” are used interchangeably; however, land use permits differ substantially from building permits. Like most of the rural counties around the state, Cook County utilizes land use permits as a way of determining the placement of any structure on the ground in relation to property lines, water resources and roads, etc., but not to evaluate the design of the building itself.
The use of building permits is tied to those counties and other jurisdictions who have opted to administer the Universal Building Code (UBC), which carries with it a much more intensive level of review and inspections of the actual building design specifications in addition to its placement on the property. Other types of land use related permits that are processed through the county include grading and filling, stormwater, and septic permits.
The two main areas within the county that dictate what types of regulatory standards may be in place for land use type permits are “shoreland” and “non-shoreland.” With as many lakes and rivers as we have, shoreland areas are abundant around Cook County and are defined by the state as any land within 1,000 feet of a lake or 300 feet of a river or stream. Since shoreland is more environmentally sensitive than the upland areas of the county, greater attention is needed to ensure compliance with state and local land use standards.
One of the more impactful provisions to bear in mind with regards to construction projects within shoreland areas is the state requirement that the septic system on the property be inspected for any permit of any type issued to that property. Outside of shoreland areas, only projects that add a bedroom to a structure would trigger a septic inspection.
So, when is a land use permit required? Simply put, a permit is required any time that any structure (including a deck) is constructed, placed, moved onto or within the property, removed and replaced, or altered in its exterior dimensions. There are a few exceptions for accessory structures that are less than 161 square feet in size or un-sided woodsheds, provided that they still meet the appropriate setback distances.
The best way to determine whether your project needs a permit is to contact the Cook County Land Services Office. We have found that many of the regulatory issues those property owners encounter could be avoided by consulting with Land Services staff early in the planning process.
Finally, Cook County has been working over the past several years to make the permitting process more streamlined for property owners and contractors. The biggest improvement was to move the application process online so that property owners can visit the county website and utilize the online permitting system to begin their application.
Once the application is submitted, the appropriate county staff will review the application, contact the property owner with any clarifying questions, perform a site review, and issue the permit when it’s clear that all of the requirements have been met.
The state requires that decisions be made for permits within 60 days from the time of application, but our goal is to get the permits out within a week or two of submission.
Whenever there are any questions as to whether your project would need to be permitted by the county, please contact the Land Services Department at 218-387-3630, or visit the website at www.co.cook.mn.us for further information.
County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County—Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service
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