Calhoun County Planning Department
Meeting the needs of Calhoun County and its residents while balancing prospective expansion, growth, and environmental concerns.
To better serve you use the Information Request Form to forward any questions or requests for review.
Would you like information on upcoming meeting? If so, please provide your email contact and we will gladly forward any upcoming Planning Commission Meeting dates and agendas.
All phone calls received on Friday’s will be returned on the following business day. All appointments are taken Monday – Thursday. Thank you for your understanding and patience as Friday is an internal office work day.
We look forward to working with you soon.
What fees are associated with applications or requests from the Planning Department?
Click here – Fee Schedule – Calhoun County Ordinance 2023-01 to plan ahead for expenses regarding applications, letters, permits and others applicable fees associated with both the Planning and Building Departments.
Planning Department Online Forms
- Site Plan Sketch Form – Submission link provided here
- Small Scale Map Amendment Application
- Subdivision Plat Approval Process and Application
- General Development Order
What is a Parent Tract?
A Parent Tract is a lot of record that existed on May 2, 1992, the date of the Calhoun County Comprehensive Plan adoption.
Let’s elaborate further: A Parent track of land and/or Parcel or Lot of Record is a parcel or lot of record means: 1) Any contiguous quantity of land that is part of an approved subdivision recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court; or, 2) Any contiguous quantity of land which is capable of being described with such definiteness that its location and boundaries are established, and which has been so recorded in the public records in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court prior to May 5, 1992 or, 3) Any contiguous quantity of land which is the subject of an agreement for deed or other instrument of conveyance properly executed prior to May 1, 1992, and which describes the parcel with such definiteness that its location and boundaries are established and recognized by Florida Law. 4) When a Parent Track of land is divided by a public roadway (State or County) that existed on or before May 5, 1992, each portion of the parent track created by the division by the public roadway, shall be considered a parent track for purposes of land use densities and shall be granted the right to built at least one single family residential unit. 5) When a Parent Track of land is divided by the Chipola River, each portion of the parent track created by the division by River, shall be considered a parent track for purposes of land use densities and shall be granted the right to built at least one single family residential unit.
What is a Subdivision?
It is the platting of real property into three or more lots, parcels, tracts, tiers, blocks, sites, units, or any other division. Subdivision includes the establishment of new streets and alleys, additions, and re-subdivisions; and, when appropriate to the context, subdivision applies to the process of subdividing or to the lands or area to be subdivided.
What criteria must be met for dividing a parent parcel?
A parent tract can be divided once without meeting the subdivision regulations if the following conditions are met:
- Tract has frontage on and direct access to an existing publicly maintained street and meets all frontage requirements.
- Both lots meet the minimum lot size requirement of the zoning district.
- The lot split must be memorialized in a document recorded in the public record
Any other lot splits not meeting the requirements above will be considered subdivisions and must go through the Subdivision Plat Approval Process and comply with the Subdivision Regulations found in Ordinance (#84-03), the Calhoun County Comprehensive Plan and the Calhoun County Land Development Regulations.
Are you looking at a piece of property in Calhoun County? Check out our new interactive Calhoun County Zoning Map!
You can look up the property by Parcel ID at the top left hand corner.
- Recent zoning changes may not be shown on the map right away but will be updated.
- Once you’ve confirmed your property’s zoning, you can find your zoning classification, permitted uses, and setbacks below.
Zoning Designation Key
for our interactive Calhoun County Zoning Map
Zoning Classifications, Allowable Uses and Setback Information
R RESIDENTIAL
District Intent:
To provide single family and multi-family residential settings within the county. Residential land use encompasses all subdivisions and lots of record platted prior to the 1994 adoption of this comprehensive plan. If the property is not part of an existing platted and/or recorded subdivision, then the maximum density shall be 2 dwelling units per acre.
Permitted Uses and Structures:
- Single family residential units
- Recreational uses
- Public utilities
- Places of worship
- Neighborhood commercial where activities are compatible with adjacent land uses and are adequately buffered. (such uses shall be buffered from all surrounding noncommercial uses by a minimum 10′ natural buffer.) Maximum square footage allowed in any commercial structure in this district shall be 2,500 square feet.
Development Standards:
- Minimum Building Square Footage: 600 square feet heated and cooled space
- Maximum Building Height: 35′ feet in height, except where it might be amended by Florida Department of Transportation height restrictions around airports
- Maximum Impervious Lot Coverage: 80%
Building Setbacks:
- A setback minimum of 25 feet from the front boundary of property line
- A setback a minimum of 10 feet from any rear boundary of property line
- A setback of 20′ combined but not less that 7′ on one side for side boundaries of property line
- Minimum distance between adjacent buildings on a parcel shall be ten (10) feet
- A setback minimum of 50 feet from any wetlands and/or mean high water line
M-RR MIXED USE RURAL RESIDENTIAL
District Intent:
- To establish a land use category to assist with and encourage the development of self-contained residential communities (i.e., residential, recreation, commercial and associated public facilities are provided within the development). The Rural Residential and traditional unincorporated community land use category is a mixed use category which designates use patterns in or near settlements, such as Clarksville, Carr, and Kinard and other historic development areas within the County.
Permitted Uses and Structures:
- Single family residential units
- Recreational uses
- Places of worship
- Neighborhood commercial where activities are compatible with adjacent land uses and are adequately buffered. (such uses shall be buffered from all surrounding noncommercial uses by a minimum 10′ natural buffer.) Property which is under consideration for development must be within one mile of a paved county or state road and is within a mile radius of at least five other commercial or residential buildings which have been permitted and/or built prior to the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan. (May 2, 1992)
Development Standards:
- Minimum Building Square Footage: 600 square feet heated and cooled space
- Maximum Building Height: 35′ feet in height, except where it might be amended by Florida Department of Transportation height restrictions around airports
- Maximum Impervious Lot Coverage: 50%
Building Setbacks:
- A setback minimum of 25 feet from the front boundary of property line
- A setback a minimum of 10 feet from any rear boundary of property line
- A setback of 20′ combined but not less that 7′ on one side for side boundaries of property line
- Minimum distance between adjacent buildings on a parcel shall be ten (10) feet
- A setback minimum of 50 feet from any wetlands and/or mean high water line
M-UF MIXED USE URBAN FRINGE
District Intent:
- The Urban Fringe land use designation encourages the further development of land adjacent to the urbanizing areas of Altha and Blountstown. The Urban Fringe area can be served with municipal services in a cost affective and efficient manner.
Permitted Uses and Structures:
- Single family residential units
- Recreational uses
- Places of worship
- Neighborhood commercial where activities are compatible with adjacent land uses and are adequately buffered. (such uses shall be buffered from all surrounding noncommercial uses by a minimum 10′ natural buffer.)
Development Standards:
- Minimum Building Square Footage: 600 square feet heated and cooled space
- Maximum Building Height: 35′ feet in height, except where it might be amended by Florida Department of Transportation height restrictions around airports
- Maximum Impervious Lot Coverage: 80% (With central water or sewer) OR 50% (No central water/sewer)
- Note: If a portion of the land in this district is located in a wetland, the density shall be 1 residential unit per 20 acres for nonvested development. (Development prior to May 2, 1992 is considered vested)
Building Setbacks:
- A setback minimum of 25 feet from the front boundary of property line
- A setback a minimum of 10 feet from any rear boundary of property line
- A setback of 20′ combined but not less that 7′ on one side for side boundaries of property line
- Minimum distance between adjacent buildings on a parcel shall be ten (10) feet
- A setback minimum of 50 feet from any wetlands and/or mean high water line
A – AGRICULTURE
District Intent for Agriculture Density (1:10):
- To provide land for timber, row crop farming and related agriculture activities. The Agriculture land use category accounts for about 86% of the land area in Calhoun County and includes mainly timberlands. Other land uses include cropland, pasture land, and other agricultural uses in large scale land holdings. The lands are primarily timber production holdings.
District Intent for Agriculture Density (1:5):
- To provide land for limited residential uses in areas that are still used for timber, row crop farming and related agriculture activities. For areas to qualify for this designation, the property must have direct access to an existing County or State Roadway.
District Intent for Agriculture Density (1:3):
- To provide land for limited residential uses in agricultural areas that are no longer used for large scale timber, row crop farming and related agriculture activities. For areas to qualify for this designation, the property must have direct access to an existing paved County or State Roadway that has the required roadway right of way in public ownership. Within this area are a few clusters of existing residential dwellings.
District Intent for Agriculture Density (1:1):
- To provide land for residential uses in areas that are immediately adjacent to mixed use land use areas, but which still have limited agricultural tracts used for timber, row crop farming and related agriculture activities. For areas to qualify for this designation, the property must have direct access to an existing paved County or State Roadway that has the required roadway right of way in public ownership and must be immediately adjacent to a designated mixed use area. These residential areas shall be treated in the same manner (as pertaining to development restrictions) as the rural residential land use category.
Agriculture Uses:
- Agricultural activities
- Livestock
- Aquaculture
- Agricultural/farm dwelling units
- Residential units
- Agricultural support services
- Structures and facilities related to agricultural activities
- Agricultural product processing facilities
- Vacant land
- Places of worship
- Public facilities and grounds
- Neighborhood commercial where activities are compatible with adjacent land uses and are adequately buffered. (such uses shall be buffered from all surrounding noncommercial uses by a minimum 10′ natural buffer.) The maximum square footage allowed in any neighborhood commercial structure shall be 25000 square feet.
Development Standards:
- Minimum Building Square Footage: 600 square feet heated and cooled space
- Maximum Building Height: 35′ feet in height, except where it might be amended by Florida Department of Transportation height restrictions around airports
- Maximum Impervious Lot Coverage: 50%
Building Setbacks:
- A setback minimum of 25 feet from the front boundary of property line
- A setback a minimum of 10 feet from any rear boundary of property line
- A setback of 20′ combined but not less that 7′ on one side for side boundaries of property line
- Minimum distance between adjacent buildings on a parcel shall be ten (10) feet
- A setback minimum of 50 feet from any wetlands and/or mean high water line