Accessory Structures and Outbuildings

Shops, Garages, Storage Buildings, etc.

An accessory structure or outbuilding is a structure that is subordinate to and customarily incidental to a permitted primary use on the same parcel, such as a residence, farm operation, or other principal use allowed by zoning. Accessory structures are intended to support an existing or approved primary use and may not be established as standalone structures without a principal use. Effective immediately, accessory structures and outbuildings will only be permitted when they are clearly associated with and accessory to a permitted primary use, and must be permitted concurrently with or subsequent to the primary structure. Standalone buildings that are not accessory to any principal use are not permitted as new development under the zoning ordinance. Existing structures lawfully established prior to this clarification may remain, but any expansion, conversion, or new construction will be subject to current zoning requirements.

Property owners proposing structures intended solely for bona fide agricultural use, such as pole barns or hay storage, should contact the Planning and Zoning Department prior to application for guidance on applicable exemptions or permitting requirements.