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

Buckheart Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or alteration of a building or structure subject to the Fulton County zoning ordinance in Buckheart Township.

  • An application must first be filed with the Zoning Office and a formal permit obtained.
  • The source describes this as a zoning permit, formerly called a building permit; parcel jurisdiction and zoning-map district must be confirmed.

  “B. PERMITS: 1. When required: It shall not be lawful to commence the construction or alteration of a building or structure without first filing with the Zoning Office an application in writing and obtaining a formal permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings requiring a building permit under the Fulton County zoning ordinance in Buckheart Township.

  • A certificate is issued after request and within a reasonable amount of time under the ordinance.
  • Confirm whether the parcel is subject to the county ordinance or an incorporated municipality's ordinance.

  “Certificate of occupancy for a building: No building requiring a building permit shall be occupied before a Certificate of Occupancy has been issued. A certificate of Occupancy shall be issued within a reasonable amount of time after the request”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Buckheart Township. Fulton County's published zoning ordinance is the identified land-use ordinance; its district map must be checked for each parcel, including whether the parcel is within Bryant, Dunfermline, or St. David.

  • The official county township list identifies Buckheart Township with Bryant, Dunfermline, and St. David; incorporated-place rules may separately apply.
  • No official Buckheart Township website or township-adopted zoning ordinance was located.

  “SECTION 2 DISTRICTS AND BOUNDARIES A. DISTRICTS: Fulton County is divided into five specific zoning districts. 1. AC Agriculture/Conservation 2. R-l Residential 3. R-2 Residential 4. B Business 5. I Industrial”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning districts potentially applicable to parcels in Buckheart Township subject to Fulton County zoning.

  • District boundaries are shown on the District Map, whose original is on file with the Fulton County Clerk.
  • Parcel-specific district must be confirmed from the map; incorporated-place zoning may differ.

  district count: 5

  “SECTION 2 DISTRICTS AND BOUNDARIES A. DISTRICTS: Fulton County is divided into five specific zoning districts. 1. AC Agriculture/Conservation 2. R-l Residential 3. R-2 Residential 4. B Business 5. I Industrial”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings subject to Fulton County zoning in Buckheart Township.

  • R-1 and R-2 limit is 35 feet; AC, B, and I limit is 45 feet.
  • A structure exceeding those limits may be authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

  R-1/R-2 maximum height: <= 35 feet (May be authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals.) · AC/B/I maximum height: <= 45 feet (May be authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals.)

  “MAXIMUM HEIGHT LIMITS ESTABLISHED FOR BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. 35 feet in the R-1 and R-2 Districts. 2. 45 feet in the AC, B and I Districts. 3. Any structure exceeding the height limits set forth above may be authorized by the Zoning Board of Appeals.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in mapped floodways and other floodplains in Buckheart Township subject to the Fulton County Flood Plain Ordinance.

  • In a floodway or other floodplain without a delineated floodway, no development may increase flood heights, velocities, or public-health/safety threat except as provided in Section 6(B).
  • Other development may be permitted only with an IDNR/OWR permit or written documentation that one is not required, or FEMA approval where necessary.
  • Buildings in the floodplain must be protected from flood damage below the flood-protection elevation.

  “No person, firm, corporation, or governmental body not exempted by law shall commence any development in the floodplain without first obtaining a development permit”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning-permit process applicable to parcels in Buckheart Township subject to county zoning.

  • County page requests owner/applicant identity, parcel index number, proposed use, well/septic permits if applicable, 911 address, detailed sketch, and location measurements.
  • The ordinance additionally requires written application and a formal permit before construction or alteration.

  “Well and Septic Permit Numbers & Copies of permits (if applicable)”

Rules another office applies inside Buckheart Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems within Buckheart Township.

  • The county ordinance applies within Fulton County boundaries and incorporates specified Illinois health codes.
  • A valid county health-department permit is required for construction, renovation, alteration, or extension.

  “issued by the Fulton County Health Department”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, renovation, alteration, or extension of a private sewage disposal system in Buckheart Township.

  • Applicant must comply with the ordinance and Fulton County Board of Health rules.
  • Permit is not transferable and only applies to the issued location, building, or place.
  • The ordinance states permits are valid for one calendar year from issuance.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, renovate, alter, or extend a private sewage disposal system within the county unless he/she holds a valid permit issued by the Fulton County Health Department stating the name of such person for which the specific construction, renovation, alteration or extension is proposed.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage-system permitting and final approval in Buckheart Township.

  • The site inspection determines compliance before permit issuance.
  • Final approval is contingent on visual inspection.
  • The county recommends, but does not require in the quoted material, buyer/seller inspection for sales transactions.

  “Upon receipt of the application to construct, renovate, alter, or extend a private sewage disposal system, the Health Officer or his/her designate shall make an inspection of the proposed sewage system site to determine compliance with the provisions of this Ordinance and the Rules and Regulations adopted by the Board of Health.”

• Well permitRequired

  Construction, modification, or deepening of an individual or semi-private water supply in Buckheart Township.

  • Applicant must comply with the county ordinance and Board of Health rules.
  • The permit is not transferable and applies only to its issued location, building, or place.
  • The permit is valid for one calendar year from issuance.

  “unless he holds a valid permit issued by the Health Officer”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Proposed subdivisions in Buckheart Township requiring private sewage disposal.

  • All lots must have sufficient area for sewage-system maintenance, repair, and replacement.
  • Each proposed subdivision lot requires soil analysis.
  • The final plat must be signed by the Health Officer; unsuitable soil requires a community sewage system approved by IEPA.

  “All lots of the proposed subdivision must have soil analysis conducted to determine the type of private sewage disposal system that would need to be installed on a specific lot. The soil analysis would need to be performed by a certified soil classifier of the Illinois Soil Classifiers Association or a certified soil classifier with the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops, and Soils, a licensed professional engineer, or employees of a local health department that have been approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work in Buckheart Township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land in Buckheart Township.
• Inspections — General residential building inspections in Buckheart Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Buckheart Township.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in Buckheart Township.

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.