Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bell Plain Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Bell Plain Township

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Bell Plain township is covered by the Marshall County zoning ordinance. No Bell Plain township zoning ordinance was found; this is county zoning, not a township ordinance.

  • The county ordinance applies to the unincorporated area of Marshall County and to municipalities without their own zoning ordinance; land inside a municipality with its own zoning is not covered.
  • Whether Bell Plain township has adopted its own zoning under the Illinois Township Code was not verified; no township site was located.
  • The ordinance map index lists Bell Plain township (pages 1-3); the map itself was not opened.

  “the zoning provisions of this ordinance shall apply only to buildings, structures and land in the unincorporated area of marshall county and in those municipalities that do not have a zoning ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts applying to unincorporated land inside Bell Plain township

  • The ordinance says the district boundaries are shown on the county zoning maps and the GIS zoning layer; the map was not opened.
  • Municipalities with their own zoning are outside these districts.

  “the unincorporated area of marshall county, illinois is hereby divided into seven (7) zoning districts which shall be as follows”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family detached dwelling lots in the R-1 rural residence district of the Marshall County zoning ordinance, for unincorporated land inside Bell Plain township

  • Applies to the R-1 district only; the agricultural (A) district lot standard was not reached.
  • Special uses set their own lot size in the special use permit (section 8.1-4b).

  minimum lot area: >= 3 acres · minimum lot width at established building line: >= 300 feet

  “single-family detached dwelling: three (3) acres minimum with a width at the established building line of not less than three hundred feet (300).”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in the R-1 rural residence district of the Marshall County zoning ordinance, for unincorporated land inside Bell Plain township

  • Front yard exception: where lots comprising fifty percent of frontage on the same block have front yards varying not more than ten feet, the average becomes the minimum front yard depth, but not more than the street-classification figure.
  • Accessory building distances and variances are governed by other sections and were not reviewed.

  front yard setback: >= 50 feet (block-average exception described in conditions) · side yard setback: >= 50 feet (measured from property line) · rear yard setback: >= 50 feet

  “front yard: every building hereafter erected or enlarged shall provide and maintain a front yard of not less than fifty feet (50')”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Buildings and structures on R-1 rural residence zoning lots under the Marshall County zoning ordinance, for unincorporated land inside Bell Plain township

  • Includes accessory buildings in the coverage calculation.

  maximum lot coverage by buildings and structures: <= 10 percent of zoning lot

  “8.1-7 lot coverage: no more than ten percent (10%) of the area of the zoning lot may be occupied by buildings and structures, including accessory buildings.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Occupying a recreational vehicle as a dwelling on land in the unincorporated part of Bell Plain township, under the Marshall County zoning ordinance

  • Exception: lawfully established mobile home parks or commercial campgrounds.
  • Temporary shelter permit: after a fire or natural disaster that makes a residence unfit, the zoning administrator may issue a permit for up to six months (section 4.19b).
  • Temporary dwelling use: may be granted only with a special use permit valid for one year, under hardship or agricultural conditions (section 4.19c).

  “recreational vehicles as defined in section 1.2 of this ordinance shall not be occupied for dwelling purposes except in lawfully established mobile home parks or commercial campgrounds.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Occupying a mobile home as a dwelling on land in the unincorporated part of Bell Plain township, under the Marshall County zoning ordinance

  • Allowed in lawfully established mobile home parks, commercial campgrounds or mobile home subdivisions.
  • Temporary dwelling use by special use permit valid one year, under hardship or agricultural conditions (section 4.19c).
  • A nonconforming mobile home outside a park may not be replaced unless the owner obtains a special use permit (section 5.3d).

  “mobile homes shall not be occupied for dwelling purposes except in lawfully established mobile home parks, commercial campgrounds or mobile home subdivisions.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions in unincorporated Bell Plain township, under the Marshall County subdivision ordinance

  • The county subdivision ordinance was adopted January 19, 1969 and has been amended; its text was not opened.
  • Mobile home subdivisions and their installations must conform to the county subdivision ordinance.

  “all installations and structures in any case must conform to the provisions of the marshall county subdivision ordinance.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in mapped flood plain areas of unincorporated Bell Plain township under the Marshall County zoning ordinance

  • Uses above the 100-year flood plain are allowed subject to regulations the section continues; the full floodplain rule was truncated and not read.
  • Floodplain ordinance and any state permit requirements were not reviewed.

  “in the area below the 100-year flood plain, land may be used to supply open space or lot area requirements of a lot partially located above; provided, however, that no building or structure shall be located below the 100-year flood plain.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Bell Plain township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for residential construction inside Bell Plain township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Bell Plain township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Bell Plain township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for dwellings inside Bell Plain 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.