Zoning, building permits and septic rules in McLeansboro, Illinois

McLeansboro’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • The applicant must obtain a Certificate of Zoning Compliance and Building Permit before construction.
  • The application must be made by the owner or the owner's duly authorized agent and include a legal description and site plan.
  • If construction meets zoning requirements, a permit shall be issued.

  “Before beginning any construction, a Certificate of Zoning Compliance and a Building Permit must be obtained from the Zoning/Building Administrator.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work authorized by an initial Certificate of Zoning Compliance inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • Inspection is required before the final Certificate of Zoning Compliance is issued.
  • The inspection determines whether authorized work was completed according to approved plans.

  “The Administrator shall not issue a final certificate of zoning compliance until it has been determined, by inspection”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Post-Code development, structures, and uses inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • The final certificate is a Certificate of Zoning Compliance.
  • It cannot issue until inspection confirms work matches approved plans.

  “shall be used, occupied or put into operation until a certificate of zoning compliance has been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • The zoning map is incorporated into the Code; official copies are kept by the City Clerk.

  “the entire City is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • District boundaries are established on the incorporated zoning map; official copies are kept by the City Clerk.

  districts: A-1 Agricultural; SR-1 Single Family Residence (Large); SR-2 Single Family Residence (Small); MR-1 Multi-Family Residence; B-1 Downtown Business; B-2 Highway Business; I-1 Industrial; O-PD Preservation District Overlay; O-FP Flood Plain District

  “ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS. In order to implement this Code, and to achieve the objectives in Article I, the entire City is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on private land inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • No travel trailer or other recreational vehicle may be used as a dwelling or permanent storage.
  • Rules do not apply to vehicles in a permitted compliant travel-trailer park; specified provisions do not apply on a permitted recreational-vehicle sales lot.
  • No more than two may be parked outside an enclosed garage per dwelling, and no vehicle may be parked in a front yard.

  recreational vehicles parked outside enclosed garage: <= 2 vehicles per dwelling

  “No travel trailer or other recreational vehicle shall be used as a dwelling or permanent storage.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured-home occupancy inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • Manufactured and modular homes are special uses in A-1 Agricultural District.
  • Mobile homes and manufactured mobile homes are prohibited uses in SR-1 Single-Family Residence District.

  “SPECIAL USES. The following uses may be allowed by special-use permit in accordance with Section 40-10-24, et seq. of this Code in the “A-1” - Agricultural District:”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Use of an accessory structure as a dwelling inside McLeansboro city limits.

  “Use of any accessory structure as a dwelling is strictly prohibited throughout the City.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewerage systems inside McLeansboro city limits where public sanitary sewer is not reasonably accessible.

  • A private sewerage system must conform to the Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act, Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Code, pertinent current Illinois EPA regulations, and applicable City codes and regulations.
  • A Certificate of Zoning Compliance cannot issue until the Administrator is satisfied after consulting City Engineers that requirements will be met.

  “Whenever the public sewerage system is not reasonably accessible, a private sewerage system shall be installed and used.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Sanitary sewage disposal for buildings and places where people live, work, or assemble inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • Connection is required when the nearest public sewer with available capacity is no more than 100 feet from the property.
  • When it is not reasonably accessible, a private sewerage system must be installed and used.

  public-sewer accessibility distance: <= 100 feet (Nearest public sewer must have available capacity.)

  “the nearest public sewer with available capacity does not exceed one hundred (100) feet”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings and structures on agricultural land inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • Buildings and structures must conform to applicable setback regulations.
  • When a portion of a tract ceases primarily agricultural use, all pertinent Code provisions apply to that portion.

  “except that such buildings or structures shall be required to conform to applicable setback regulations.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Lots developed with buildings inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • A lot must abut or have a permanent easement of access to a public or private street.

  “No building shall be erected on any lot unless such lot abuts, or has permanent easement of access to”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning occupancy permits and procedures inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • Fees must be paid in advance to the City Clerk.
  • Fees for projects started before the Initial Zoning Occupancy Permit are doubled.

  single-family dwelling zoning occupancy fee: 50 USD · accessory-building fee: 25 USD (Accessory building larger than 100 square feet.)

  “The City Council establishes the following schedule of fees for the various permits and procedures listed in this Code. The fees are intended to defray the administrative costs connected with the processing/conducting of such permits or procedures; the fees do not constitute a tax or other revenue-raising device. All such fees shall be paid in advance by the applicant to the City Clerk as follows:”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Initial Certificates of Zoning Compliance for development inside McLeansboro city limits.

  • The Administrator determines which listed application items are applicable.
  • A filing fee is required under § 40-9-14.

  “The Administrator shall decide which items are applicable.”

Rules another office applies inside McLeansboro

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Principal buildings in McLeansboro SR-1 Single-Family Residence District.

  • Every principal building erected in SR-1 must conform to these requirements.

  minimum lot area: 10000 square feet · minimum lot width at established building line: 80 feet · minimum lot depth: 100 feet

  “LOT AND BUILDING REQUIREMENTS. Every principal building erected in the “SR-1” District shall conform to the following requirements:”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in McLeansboro SR-1 Single-Family Residence District.

  • Every principal building erected in SR-1 must conform to these requirements.

  front setback: 25 feet · total both-side-yard setback: 25 feet · minimum either-side-yard setback: 10 feet · rear setback: 25 feet · side yard abutting street setback: 25 feet

  “Minimum Setbacks (1) From front lot line 25 feet (2) Total for both side yard lines 25 feet (3) From either side lot line 10 feet (4) From rear lot line 25 feet (5) From side yard abutting street 25 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal buildings in McLeansboro SR-1 Single-Family Residence District.

  • Every principal building erected in SR-1 must conform to these requirements.

  maximum percent coverage per lot: <= 25 percent

  “Minimum Off-Street Parking Per Dwelling Unit 2 spaces (G) Maximum Percent Coverage Per Lot 25%”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Uses located in McLeansboro O-FP Flood Plain Overlay District.

  • The overlay applies additional restrictions to both permitted and special uses in the underlying district.
  • The zoning code states its intent is to restrict permitted flood-plain development to low-damage uses and otherwise allowed primary-district uses with protective measures.

  “this overlay district imposes additional restrictions on both permitted and special uses.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask McLeansboro or Hamilton County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside McLeansboro city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside McLeansboro city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside McLeansboro city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside McLeansboro city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside McLeansboro city limits.

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.