Like all Towns, Castle Valley has a basic Zoning Ordinance plus other ordinances to control land uses in the Valley. The current General Plan describes our Land Use Goal as follows: To remain a peaceful, quiet rural residential/agricultural community characterized by a sense of open space and the ability to enjoy landscape and sky.

The Town does not have and does not intend to have Commercial or Industrial zoning.

Building Permits

Building Permits are required for construction of any dwelling and for any accessory building, with the exception of farm buildings without electricity or water. Building Permits must be approved and signed by:

• Castle Valley Building Permits Agent (Fay Roth - Phone: (435) 259-9828 or 259-4743)
• Grand County Building Inspector (Phone: (435) 259-1343)
• Legal Property Owner and, if relevant, Building Contractor

• Only one single family dwelling unit is allowed per lot. As part of the Building Permit Process, applicants must sign an Acknowledgment of this requirement.
  
• Guest Houses, apartments, duplexes, or other construction creating more than one dwelling per platted lot are not permitted, and temporary second dwellings are closely restricted (see below for information on Temporary Dwellings).
  
• A dwelling is any building or portion of a building that includes one kitchen and one or more full bathroom(s) as defined in our Zoning Ordinance.
  
• An accessory building may contain one full bathroom or one kitchen as defined in Zoning Ordinance, but not both.
  
• Only one kitchen is allowed per building per platted lot.
  
• The plat of the Castle Valley River Ranchos Subdivision was approved by Grand County before the Town of Castle Valley was incorporated. During the platting process, there was no geologic evaluation of hazards associated with rock falls, flooding, soil problems, suitability, subsidence or similar geologic hazards. Building permit applicants are strongly advised to independently evaluate geologic hazards on the individual lot on which they propose to build. See Geologic Hazard Maps for initial guidance. The Building Permit process requires the signing of a Release Form that disclaims any Town liability for geologic hazards on any lot.

The Zoning Ordinance specifies the following:

Setbacks: 

• For all buildings, water wells and septic systems, fifty (50) feet from the platted public road easement lines

• For all buildings, thirty (30) feet from the property lines between contiguous lots. For water wells and septic systems fifty (50) feet from the property lines between contiguous lots

Building area and height limits (see building square footage and height calculation worksheet and examples) 

• The combined square footage of all buildings located on a lot shall not exceed 7,000 square feet.
  
• No building or addition to an existing building shall exceed twenty-five (25) feet in building height.
  
• No more than 5,000 square feet of combined square footage on a lot shall exceed building height of nineteen (19) feet tall.  
  
• Except for new additions to existing buildings, the highest point of the structure determines building height for all of the combined square footage of that building. 
  
• The highest point of a new addition to an existing building determines the building height for all of the combined square footage of that addition.
  
• Up to two accessory buildings on a lot may be excluded from the calculation of the total combined square footage on a lot if the excluded building or buildings are each no more than 120 square feet in area and no more than twelve (12) feet in building height, when measured from finished grade.
  
• Applicants who wish to build an addition to a non-complying building that was constructed or received final approval for construction prior to May 13, 2008 and is taller than 25 feet, may make one addition to that building at or below the building's existing maximum height, not to exceed a height of thirty (30) feet.  Such an addition shall not exceed 500 square feet.  No such addition however, shall be allowed which would increase the combined square footage of the building affected by the addition to more than 5000 square feet. 
  
• "Combined square footage" for each building is determined by adding together the floor area of each story of the building plus the area which is directly below exterior roofs as measured from the exterior wall of a building to the roof's edge (see Illustration B). The floor area of each story of a building is measured from exterior wall to exterior wall and includes all spaces within that area such as, but not limited to, unfinished spaces, stairwells, closets, and other non-habitable space that have a ceiling height of five (5) feet or more. A basement's floor area should also be added when determining the combined square footage of any building if the ceiling area of 50% or more of the entire basement is three feet or more above finished grade (see Illustrations A1 and A2).  Also, a basement's square footage may only be excluded from the combined square footage calculations if it is partially or completely below Finished Grade (as described above), provided that Finished Grade is no more than three (3) feet above Existing Grade.
  
• Building height is measured as the vertical distance between a horizontal line extending from the highest point of any roof, wall, or parapet (not including chimneys or vents) and the lower of either 1) the lowest point where the vertical face around the perimeter of the building intersects the Existing Grade or 2) the lowest point where the vertical face around the perimeter of the building intersects the Finished Grade.  Building Height does not include chimneys or vents.
  
• For sites which have never been disturbed, existing grade is the same as the natural grade which is the elevation of the surface of the ground that existed before any earth was moved.  For sites that have existing structures or older disturbances to the land, existing grade is the ground level established when the existing structure or disturbance was created.  Recent earthwork will not necessarily qualify as existing grade and will require a determination from the Building Permit Agent.  
• The vertical face of the structure includes, but is not limited to walls, foundations, footings, piers, or columns that support a wall.  Piers, columns or posts that support a part of the structure that is not enclosed, such as decks or porches, shall not be considered part of the vertical face of the structure when determining height.  Please be aware that enclosing an open area at a later date may change the height measurement for that structure and may not be allowed if it brings the structure out of compliance with height and square footage limits.
  
• For structures for which no part is enclosed, such as carports, height shall be measured from the highest point of the structure to the lowest point in the Finished Grade directly below the structure (see illustration C1 and C2).  A window well that is entirely within five feet of an exterior wall of the structure or the stair to a basement that is entirely within eight feet of an exterior wall of the structure shall not be considered in determining the finished grade (see Illustrations C1 and C2).
• Up to two accessory buildings on a lot may be excluded from the calculation of the total combined square footage on a lot if the excluded building or buildings are each no more than 120 square feet in area and no more than twelve (12) feet in building height, when measured from finished grade.
  
• Buildings used for agricultural purposes that are not for human habitation and do not contain plumbing or wiring are exempt from having to receive a building permit as stated in state statutes. However, such buildings must obtain a certificate of land use compliance from the Town of Castle Valley Building Permit Agent before they can be constructed or moved into the Town.
  
• Applicants who wish to build an addition to a non-complying building that was constructed or received final approval for construction prior to May 13, 2008, and is taller than 25 feet may make one addition to that building at a height that is more than 25 feet tall but not more than 30 feet tall. Such an addition shall not exceed 500 square feet. No such addition, however, shall be allowed which would increase the combined square footage of the building affected by the addition to more than 4000 square feet.
  
• No changes shall be made to any wash, drainage or waterway that affects the exit point of surface water from your property; nor shall the concentration of discharge at that point be changed. A Drainage Review by the Road Supervisor is required as part of the Building Permit.
  
• Driveway culverts must be sized and approved by the Roads Department Manager (or in the case of Castle Valley Drive, referred to the County Roads Department).  Please read our Driveway Culvert Ordinance.
  
• The Town has Ordinances regarding outdoor lighting and fencing.

Fire Prevention

Fire is a very serious hazard in Castle Valley, even more so in recent years with the spread of cheat grass across the Valley. In the summer/fall of 2007, we had four separate fires; and, in one case, a house under construction was totally destroyed.

Thanks to the good work of the Castle Valley Fire District, Castle Valley is a Firewise Community, committed to operating in ways which reduce the potential for fire and improve the ability of our volunteer fire force to fight fires when they occur.

In planning construction, we ask property owners to consider the following critical issues which could make the crucial difference between saving your home and losing it:

• Roofs and outside walls should ideally be constructed of fire-resistant materials
• Mark the address of your house clearly on the road and have a driveway that fire equipment can easily use
• Create a defensible space around your house for at least 30 feet on all sides, providing a low fuel environment in the case of a spreading wildfire.
  
• If appropriate, have an irrigation system near the house
• Use low-growing, low flammability plants that are widely spaced.
  
• Think about your driveway and any paths or walkways for their potential as firebreaks
• During construction, be certain to have fire suppression equipment
• If there is cheat grass on your property, plow it under in the spring and/or mow it down!

Non-Permanent Conditional Use Permit

• Nurseries, botanical
• Premises Occupations
• Home Occupations
• Raising or boarding of livestock or other animals for sale or compensation.
• Day care nurseries, family day care center, and foster care homes
• Fences which exceed four (4) feet in height and which enclose more than one (1) acre of land on lots designated for commercial agricultural use as provided in Ordinance 2003-3 . 

Permanent Conditional Use Permit

• Public buildings
• New or substantial changes to existing irrigation ditches, spring fed ponds, water pipelines, flood control structures, and windmills
• Above ground water storage tanks that are more than twelve (12) feet in height when measured from the top of the tank to natural grade or that do not have a flat, non reflective finish that is similar in color to the surrounding soil and vegetation as specified in our Zoning Ordinance.
• Schools, churches, cemeteries, parks, playgrounds and arboretums

The Ordinance specifies a number of conditions for such uses, e.g. impact on public health and safety, impact on neighbors, storage of material, generation of traffic, etc. All of these conditions are based on the fundamental desire to keep the residential/rural nature of the Town, to protect our local environment and to not endanger residents' privacy, safety, and peace and quiet.

Anyone who has a home-based business in Castle Valley or uses their physical Castle Valley address as their business address is required to obtain a Home/Premises Conditional Use Permit and a business license, unless they meet the requirements for a permitted agricultural business as listed in our Zoning Ordinance.  Home/Premises Conditional Use Permits are considered to be Routine or Non-Routine, based upon their potential impact on the community. All other Conditional Use Permits are always considered Non- Routine.

Property owners must submit a Conditional Use Permit Application Questionnaire to the Planning and Land Use Commission (PLUC) Clerk to determine the type of Conditional Use Permit that is appropriate for them. For Non- Routine Conditional Use Permits, The PLUC clerk notifies neighbors of the application and encourages them to comment in a required Public Hearing. The PLUC then recommends approval to the Town Council, which makes the final decision. Click for a description of the Approval Process and Frequently Asked Questions regarding the various types of Conditional Use Permits.

The Non-Permanent Conditional Use Permit, if granted, lasts until the end of the calendar year. Renewal applications are required each year but renewals cannot be refused as long as the resident has not made any changes to the conditional use and as long as all of the conditions of the permit are still being met. Please read the details regarding Conditional Uses in the Zoning Ordinance.

Permanent Conditional Use Permits run with the land and transfer to new owners automatically in the event of the sale of the lot and are not required to be renewed each year.