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

Rules another office applies inside Preston Township

Preston 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 zoningAbsent

  Land inside Preston township outside the corporate limits of any municipality (unincorporated Richland County). No zoning ordinance adopted by Preston township was found.

  • The statement is the Richland County Engineer's memorandum about the county; no statement from Preston township itself was located.
  • Richland County Engineer memo says municipal zoning can extend 1.5 miles outside corporate limits by statute; parcels near Olney, Noble, Parkersburg, Calhoun or Claremont should be checked with that municipality.
  • Septic, floodplain, subdivision and road-entrance rules still apply.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Land inside Preston township outside any municipality (unincorporated Richland County)

  • No zoning districts exist because the county has no zoning ordinance for unincorporated areas.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Minimum dwelling size on land inside Preston township outside any municipality (unincorporated Richland County)

  • Answered from the county's no-zoning statement; no county minimum dwelling size rule exists under zoning. Building code rules were not researched.

  “richland county does not have a zoning official.”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage on land inside Preston township outside any municipality (unincorporated Richland County)

  • Answered from the county's no-zoning statement.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Septic and private sewage systems with no surface discharge installed inside Preston township (state rule applies statewide)

  • IDPH says about 90 local health agencies also review plans under a local ordinance or as IDPH's agent; whether Richland County or a local agency reviews in Preston was not confirmed.
  • Richland County's county health department was not located on the search.

  “the illinois department of public health (idph) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems that have no surface discharge (such as septic tanks and seepage fields)”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing a septic or private sewage system with no surface discharge inside Preston township

  • IDPH staff review and approve plans before construction; the application process, fees and whether a local agent handles it were not found for Richland County.

  “staff also review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems and alternative private sewage disposal systems before construction.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions on land inside Preston township outside any municipality (unincorporated Richland County)

  • Richland County has a sub-division ordinance; its platting and lot-size requirements were not opened.
  • Applies to unincorporated land only; municipal subdivision rules may apply within municipal limits or extraterritorial zones.

  “richland county does have a solar farm development ordinance, a floodplain construction ordinance, a setback line ordinance, a sub-division ordinance, and a trailer park operation ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New or extended driveway entrances onto county highways in Preston township (unincorporated Richland County)

  • Requests go to the Richland County Engineer in writing; the memo does not state fees or a permit form.
  • Entrances onto township roads go to the township highway commissioner, per the same memo; the memo does not say which road district covers Preston.

  “requests for new entrances or extensions to entrances on richland county highways should be made to the richland county engineer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Preston township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building inside Preston township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for construction inside Preston township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Preston township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Preston 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.