Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Meridian Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Meridian Township

Meridian Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  New homes, decks, sheds, garages and similar structures on land inside Meridian township, which is served by the Clinton County zoning ordinance (the county page says the ordinance applies to unincorporated areas)

  • Certificate of zoning compliance (the county's building permit) is required before construction; the county form lists it as the first step for new homes.
  • Applies where the county zoning ordinance governs; no Meridian township ordinance was found.
  • The FAQ is dated 2017; the 2024 residential form is the current application form.
  • Farm structures are listed among projects needing a zoning certificate in the FAQ; a separate agricultural building permit form is also posted.

  “WHAT PROJECTS REQUIRE A ZONING CERTIFICATE? Examples include but are not limited to: Homes, decks, sheds (permanent & portable), pools, garages, carports, and farm structures.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agricultural 'A' district lots inside Meridian township (county zoning applies to the township's unincorporated land)

  • Applies in the A district of the Clinton County zoning ordinance, section 40-3-6 per the county schedule.
  • Where a private sewage system relies on a soil absorption field, the minimum lot area follows Clinton County Health Department rules.

  minimum lot area: >= 40 acres (A district)

  “MINIMUM LOT AREA 40 acres 3 acres 1 acre”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R1 district lots inside Meridian township (county zoning applies to the township's unincorporated land)

    “MINIMUM LOT AREA 40 acres 3 acres 1 acre”

  • District specific (with conditions) — R2 district lots inside Meridian township (county zoning applies to the township's unincorporated land)

    “10,000 sq ft or 2,500 sq ft per dwelling unit, whichever is greater”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Front setbacks from road frontage for lots inside Meridian township under county zoning

  • The county road rule applies outside the incorporated limits of any city, village or incorporated town, so it applies to Meridian township's unincorporated land.
  • The state route rule applies along interstate and state routes (US Route 50 runs through the township per Wikipedia; the county schedule governs).

  setback from center line of county road: 100 ft (outside incorporated limits) · setback from center line of township road: 75 ft · setback from interstate/state route easement or right-of-way: 75 ft

  “Except along County roads outside the incorporated limits of any city, village or incorporated town, the minimum setback shall be 100 ft from the center line of the road, & Township roads the minimum setback shall be 75 ft from the center line of the road). Along Interstate and State Routes, the minimum setback shall be 75 ft from easements or right-of-way line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Front, side and rear setbacks for each district on land inside Meridian township under county zoning

    “The above restrictions are for particular district in which said lot/principal structure is located.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems (septic) for land inside Meridian township: the state health department sets the rules and the Clinton County Health Department issues the local permit

  • IDPH regulates installation of private sewage systems with no surface discharge and reviews plans; about 90 local health agencies also review plans by local ordinance or as IDPH's agent (IDPH page).
  • The Clinton County residential form directs septic permits to the Clinton County Health Department, so local permitting is by the county health agency.

  “The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems that have no surface discharge (such as septic tanks and seepage fields) as well as those that discharge treated effluent up to 1,500 gallons per day to the ground surface (such as sand filters and aerobic treatment systems).”

• Septic permitRequired

  A new residence or other structure containing a bathroom on land inside Meridian township

  • The Clinton County Health Department permit must be issued before the zoning building permit for a residence or structure with a bathroom.
  • The county form says to allow 2 to 3 weeks for a soil sample and at least fifteen days for the health application process.
  • A private sewage application and information packet is posted on the Clinton County Health Department website (www.clintoncountyhealth.com) per the county form.

  soil sample lead time: 2-3 weeks

  “To apply for a Certificate of Zoning Compliance for a residence or structure that will contain a bathroom, a permit from the Clinton County Health Department is required prior to a building permit being issued.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivision plats inside Meridian township

  • The county zoning office administers the subdivision ordinance; the subdivision requirements themselves were not opened.

  “The zoning office also administers the Subdivision and Floodplain Ordinances.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New entrances or mailboxes onto county highways inside Meridian township

  • Applies to a new entrance or mailbox along a county highway; the county highway department (618-594-2224) handles it.
  • Entrances onto township roads are not addressed by the pages opened.

  “To apply for a new entrance or mailbox required along a county highway, please contact:”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning certificate application for construction inside Meridian township

  • Applications go to the county zoning office (850 Fairfax St., Carlyle; [email protected]). Permits may be emailed or mailed.
  • Site plan must show property lines, distances to front, side and rear lot lines, and distance from road centerline; the owner must determine property lines (the zoning office does not locate them).
  • Health permit (sewage) is required before the building permit when a bathroom is included.

  “Application is hereby made for a Certificate of Zoning Compliance, as required under the ZONING ORDINANCE OF CLINTON COUNTY, for the erection, moving or alteration, and use of buildings and premises.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Meridian Township or Clinton County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed construction inside Meridian township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Meridian township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Meridian township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new structures inside Meridian township
• Local zoning — Land inside Meridian township, Clinton County, IL: whether the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

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.