Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Mount Morris Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Mount Morris Township

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

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction on land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris

  • Inspections are generally made during construction; the page does not list the number of inspections as mandatory for every project.

  inspections during construction: 3 count (generally)

  “generally, three inspections are made during the course of construction.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Mount Morris township, Ogle County, Illinois, outside the incorporated Village of Mount Morris. County zoning applies there; no Mount Morris township zoning ordinance was found.

  • Applies only to unincorporated land; incorporated cities, towns and villages are excluded from the county ordinance.
  • The ordinance copy was checked on energyzoning.org, not on the county site; confirm the current text on oglecounty.org.

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall apply only to buildings, structures and land in the unincorporated area of ogle county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land in Mount Morris township

  • District maps are kept as a township zoning atlas by the county; the district list is in section 16-3-1 of the ordinance.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, that part of ogle county outside of incorporated cities, towns and villages is divided into the following districts:”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling on a lot divided from a farm in the AG-1 agricultural district, unincorporated part of Mount Morris township

  • Requires a special use permit.
  • At least one listed criterion must be met before the permit issues (physical barrier, mature tree cover, topography unconducive to agriculture, or occupancy by a family member of the owner).
  • Owner must record an agricultural acknowledgment affidavit with the deed.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre (special use lot divided from a farm) · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet (special use lot divided from a farm)

  “Lot area shall be not less than one acre”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Dwelling use of recreational vehicles on land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris

  • Temporary dwelling use of an RV is allowed when a permit application is approved by the planning, assessment & zoning committee and signed by the zoning administrator, and one or more listed conditions are met (item a. covers construction).

  “shall not be occupied for dwelling purposes except in lawfully established commercial campgrounds”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and manufactured home dwellings on land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris

  • Dwelling use is limited to lawfully established mobile home parks or mobile home subdivisions, except as the district rules allow.
  • Manufactured homes are a permitted use in the R-3 mobile home subdivision district listed in section 16-3-1.

  “Manufactured homes. Mobile homes, excluding trailers and recreational vehicles as a residence.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  New and replacement private sewage systems on land inside Mount Morris township, Ogle County, Illinois (countywide health department service, including the township)

  • Permits are issued under the Ogle County sewage disposal code and IDPH Part 905 and Part 906 as adopted by the county.
  • Ogle County Health Department also licenses private sewage installers and pumpers.

  “the ogle county health department permits new septic system installations and repairs in accordance with the ogle county sewage disposal, private systems and idph administrative code part 905 private sewage disposal code and part 906 private sewage mound code.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems and repairs on land inside Mount Morris township, Ogle County, Illinois

  • Permit is issued by the Ogle County Health Department after review, generally in 2-5 business days.
  • Septic permit is needed before the zoning department will issue a building permit.

  “new septic system installations and repairs”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New septic systems on land inside Mount Morris township, Ogle County, Illinois

  • Inspection happens before the system is covered up.
  • Additions over $25,000 require an evaluation of the septic system by a licensed installer or the health department, per the septic page.

  “onsite inspection before the system gets covered up”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural uses on land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris

  • Exemption follows state law; the county advises verifying with the zoning department and legal counsel before relying on it.

  “agricultural exemption: certain agricultural uses are exempt from meeting local zoning requirements according to state law.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Divisions of land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris

  • Preliminary and final plat approval by the county, with some one-lot divisions exempt or approved by the zoning administrator.
  • Subdivision regulations were adopted in 1979 and revised in 2000 per the county page.

  “the planning & zoning department is charged with regulating the division of land in the unincorporated areas of ogle county.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in federal special flood hazard areas on land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris

  • Applies where designated special flood hazard areas (100-year floodplain) are mapped; the county may require certified elevation information.

  “they are fairly restrictive and allow only limited development activity without variation of the regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for unincorporated Ogle County land inside Mount Morris township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for unincorporated Ogle County land inside Mount Morris township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for land inside Mount Morris township outside the Village of Mount Morris
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yard setbacks for AG-1 and the main residential districts in the unincorporated part of Mount Morris township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits for AG-1 and main residential districts in the unincorporated part of Mount Morris 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.