MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon residents who want to build something on their property are required to obtain a zoning permit from the City, said Lacie Blankenhorn, the City’s development services manager.

“Whether you’re a tenant or a property owner, you need a zoning permit,” she said on Mayor Matt Starr’s podcast. “A zoning permit covers fences, sheds, garages, a deck on your home. It could be a staircase, a front porch.”

She cited the example of a property owner who wants to build a garage.

“We first start by looking at their zoning district,” Blankenhorn said. “And that’s going to tell us the development standards as far as how far it has to be from the property line. “

Another factor the City would consider is the size of their home.

“If they’re in a residential district, they have to meet what we call lot-coverage regulations,” Blankenhorn said. “ And we look at lot coverage as a percentage. So you take the entire size of your lot and 35% of that we can cover. And this then ties into stormwater runoff and where the water goes when it’s shed from the roof. So we have to limit development areas to that. Thirty-five percent.”

There are also regulations on the height of the garage, she added.

Then there are building permits, which Blankenhorn suggests obtaining in the early stages of a project.

“So if you want to build a deck — depending on if you’re doing it yourself or you’re hiring a contractor — a good time to start is when, in my opinion, when you are checking out pricing of materials or labor," she said. “Once you get that nailed down, that’s an important piece of information to have, because our permit is based on the estimated cost of the project.”

There are also regulations for building a new home in the city, including minimum square footage.

“If you want to build a new home in the city limits in an R1 district, it is 1,200 square feet plus a garage,” Blankehorn said. If you are living in one of the city’s historic districts, there are additional regulations.

Permits are available online on the City’s website, Blankenhorn noted.