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

Rules another office applies inside Lewistown Township

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

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New structures and dwellings under Fulton County zoning inside Lewistown township, outside City of Lewistown zoning (boundary not verified)

  • Structures not subject to occupancy receive a certificate of completion instead.
  • The zoning enforcement officer issues the certificate after the owner notifies the zoning office that the project is complete.

  “in order to legally occupy a new structure/building/dwelling, you must receive a “certificate of occupancy” from the zoning enforcement officer.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Fulton County zoning districts that apply to land inside Lewistown township outside City of Lewistown zoning (boundary and map designations not verified)

  • The district list shown in the ordinance table includes AC, R-1, R-2, B and I; the zoning map was not opened.
  • Which district applies to a given parcel inside Lewistown township was not verified.

  “zoning district lot width in feet lot area in square feet ac r-1 r-2 b i 150 50 50 none none 43560 5000 5000 none none”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family and other dwellings on parcels in the AC (Agriculture/Conservation) zoning district under Fulton County zoning inside Lewistown township, outside City of Lewistown zoning (boundary not verified)

  • The lot area and width may be reduced to 20,000 sq ft and 100 ft where public water service is available.
  • The lot area and width may be reduced to 15,000 sq ft and 80 ft where both public water and public sewer are available and written permission is received from the Fulton County Health Department.
  • A lot of record that is smaller than required may be used for a one-family dwelling only after a zoning board of appeals variance and written health department permission, if the owner owns no adjacent parcel.
  • Values were read from a flattened PDF table; the column alignment should be checked against the PDF.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 sq ft (reduced to 20,000 sq ft where public water is available (see conditions)) · minimum lot width: >= 150 ft (reduced to 100 ft where public water is available (see conditions))

  “in the ac district, the minimum lot area per dwelling may be reduced to 20,000 square feet and the lot width to 100 feet where public water service is available.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings on parcels in the R-1 zoning district under Fulton County zoning inside Lewistown township, outside City of Lewistown zoning (boundary not verified)

    “zoning district lot width in feet lot area in square feet ac r-1 r-2 b i 150 50 50 none none 43560 5000 5000 none none”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems on land inside Lewistown township; the Fulton County Health Department issues permits under the county Private Sewage Disposal Ordinance, which adopts state code by reference

  • The county ordinance adopts by reference the state Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act and Code and the private sewage mound code, and their amendments.
  • Permit applications go to the Fulton County Health Department on the department's application form, with fees.

  “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”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, renovation, alteration or extension of a private sewage system on land inside Lewistown township

  • The permit must be obtained before any construction, renovation, alteration or extension of the system begins.
  • Permits are not transferable and apply only to the location and owner named.
  • The application must include a scaled site plan, soil investigation results, and the required fee.

  “it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to obtain a private sewage disposal permit before any construction, renovation, alteration or extension to the system is initiated.”

• Well permitRequired

  New structures inside Lewistown township that need a well and/or septic system

  • The well or septic permit from the Fulton County Health Department is required before a zoning permit can be issued and before construction can start.
  • The FAQ does not say whether a new well requires a separate permit; the well construction rules were not captured.

  “before a zoning permit can be issued, and before construction can start, you must obtain a well and/or septic permit from the fulton county health department.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit process for new structures under Fulton County zoning inside Lewistown township (boundary not verified)

  • The FAQ covers the zoning enforcement site visit and the well/septic prerequisite; the fee schedule, application contents and inspection stages were not captured.
  • Corners or the location of the proposed structure must be marked before the zoning enforcement officer's site visit.

  “prior to the zoning enforcement officer coming out for a site visit, please make sure that the corners/location of the proposed structure are marked.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building their own home inside Lewistown township
• Building code adopted — Adoption of a building code for new construction inside Lewistown township
• Inspections — Construction inspections for new homes inside Lewistown township
• Local zoning — Whether Lewistown township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Lewistown 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.