Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Stanley, Virginia

Town of Stanley’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Buildings or structures covered by Chapter 87 when electrical power is to be furnished inside Stanley town.

  • The electrical supplier must verify either that a building permit was issued or that none was required.

  “It shall be unlawful for any electrical supply company to furnish electrical power to any building or structure covered by this chapter until it has verified that a building permit has been issued for the structure in question, or that none was required, and that all necessary inspections have been completed, or that none were required.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings or structures covered by Chapter 87 when electrical power is to be furnished inside Stanley town.

  • Only inspections that are necessary under the applicable requirements must be completed; electrical service may be furnished if none were required.

  “It shall be unlawful for any electrical supply company to furnish electrical power to any building or structure covered by this chapter until it has verified that a building permit has been issued for the structure in question, or that none was required, and that all necessary inspections have been completed, or that none were required.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Stanley limits.

  “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Stanley 12-10-1980. Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Stanley town.

  • The zoning chapter also identifies an Agriculture Zone and Floodplain Districts.

  “§ 215-12 MDR Medium-Density Residential District. [...] § 215-13 HDR High-Density Residential District. [...] § 215-14 HC Highway Commercial District. [...] § 215-15 TC Town Commercial District. [...] § 215-16 I Industrial District.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  An auto trailer parked on private property where its occupants are guests of the property owner in Stanley town.

  • A Town Clerk permit must be obtained within 48 hours after parking.
  • No toilet or sink waste or water may flow to the ground.
  • Parking is limited to 30 days, followed by an 11-month bar on parking the trailer on the same lot or parcel.

  temporary parking limit: <= 30 days (The trailer may not park on the same lot or parcel during the 11 months following departure.)

  “Temporary parking of an auto trailer on private property where the owner or occupants of such trailer are guests of the owner of the property shall be permitted under the following conditions:”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes fitting the Chapter 183 definition of an auto trailer inside Stanley town.

  • The trailer must be within an authorized and licensed auto trailer court, unless an identified existing or temporary-trailer exception applies.
  • Existing approved trailers must remain permanently occupied, not be moved, meet health requirements, and comply with other law.

  “No auto trailer shall be placed, located or kept on any property, private or public, within the Town except within an auto trailer court duly authorized and licensed by the Town pursuant to this chapter or except as provided in Subsection B of this section or as provided in § 183-4 with respect to temporary auto trailers.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Temporary auto-trailer permits inside Stanley town.

  • The fee applies to each application for a temporary auto-trailer permit under § 183-4A.

  temporary auto-trailer permit fee: 1 USD (Each application under § 183-4A)

  “Each application for a permit for a temporary auto trailer as provided for in Subsection A of this section shall be accompanied by a permit fee of $1.”

• Permit processPartial

  Temporary auto-trailer permits inside Stanley town.

  • The owner or occupants of the trailer, or the property owner, must apply to the Town Clerk within 48 hours from parking.

  application timing: <= 48 hours (From the time the trailer is parked)

  “The owner or occupants of the trailer or the owner of the property on which the trailer is parked must obtain a permit from the Town Clerk within 48 hours from the time the trailer is parked.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Stanley

Town of Stanley 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

  Principal uses in the MDR Medium-Density Residential District inside Stanley town.

  • The dimensional schedule distinguishes principal from accessory uses.

  minimum lot area: 11250 square feet (MDR principal uses) · minimum lot width: 90 feet (MDR principal uses) · minimum lot depth: 125 feet (MDR principal uses)

  “MDR Principal uses 11,250 90 125 30 15 15 35 20% 15%”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal uses in the MDR Medium-Density Residential District inside Stanley town.

  • The dimensional schedule distinguishes principal from accessory uses.

  front yard: 30 feet (MDR principal uses) · side yard: 15 feet (MDR principal uses) · rear yard: 15 feet (MDR principal uses)

  “MDR Principal uses 11,250 90 125 30 15 15 35 20% 15%”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal uses in the MDR Medium-Density Residential District inside Stanley town.

  • The schedule separately states building and impervious-surface coverage.

  maximum building coverage: <= 20 percent (MDR principal uses) · maximum impervious-surface coverage: <= 15 percent (MDR principal uses)

  “MDR Principal uses 11,250 90 125 30 15 15 35 20% 15%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal uses in the MDR Medium-Density Residential District inside Stanley town.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (MDR principal uses)

  “MDR Principal uses 11,250 90 125 30 15 15 35 20% 15%”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Stanley town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings and structures inside Stanley town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal residential uses in the MDR Medium-Density Residential District inside Stanley town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Stanley town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Stanley 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 Stanley 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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