Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Sherman, Illinois

Village of Sherman’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration or enlargement of a structure inside Sherman village

  • Construction may not start until the village building permit is obtained.
  • Penalty for starting without a permit is a fine of $100 per offense, with each day counted as an additional offense (section 9-1-1 penalties).

  “no structure shall be erected and subsequently used or occupied unless a building permit has been obtained prior to construction, and unless occupancy and use permits are obtained prior to the use and occupancy of that structure.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction and alterations inside Sherman village that require a village building permit

  • The adopted editions are the 2006 International Building Code, 2006 International Residential Code, 2005 National Electrical Code, 2000 Life Safety Code (NFPA 101), 2006 International Property Maintenance Code, Illinois Plumbing Code and Illinois Accessibility Code, as listed in the village code.
  • Each building permit application must document compliance with these codes.

  “each building permit shall be required to provide satisfactory documentation and evidence of compliance with the following codes, and the following codes are hereby adopted: 2006 international building code; 2006 international residential code - one- and two- family buildings; 2005 national electric code; 2000 life safety code, nfpa 101; 2006 international property maintenance code; illinois plumbing code; and illinois accessibility code. (ord. 2009-26, 8-18-2009)”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures constructed or altered under a village building permit, before occupancy inside Sherman village

  • The occupancy (use) permit must be obtained before occupancy.
  • Occupancy without it carries a minimum fine of $100 per offense, capped at $750 per offense, with each day counted as an additional offense.

  “any person or entity using or occupying a structure, which has been constructed or altered such that a building permit was required, prior to the issuance of an occupancy or use permit shall be subject to a minimum fine of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each offense, said fine not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) for each offense.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Sherman village limits: the village's own zoning ordinance (Title 10 of the Village Code) applies

  • Village zoning regulations are Title 10 of the Village Code; the code says the title is the zoning ordinance for the village.

  “10-1-1: short title: this title shall be known, cited and referred to as the zoning ordinance for the village of sherman, illinois.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Village zoning districts and zoning map inside Sherman village

  • The zoning ordinance includes a chapter on zoning districts and map (chapter 5), and a chapter on use regulations (chapter 6); their text was not read.

  “chapter 5 zoning districts and map chapter 6 permitted, conditional permitted, and prohibited uses; land use matrix”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific

  AG agricultural district in Sherman village: minimum zoning lot area and width for a residence

  • The table gives one figure for the AG district, without a sewer/water split.

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit: >= 43560 square feet (AG district) · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet (AG district)

  “ag 43,560 150 r-1: with public sewer and water 10,000 80”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 single-family residence district in Sherman village: minimum front, side and rear yards

  • Footnote 1 says these terms apply only to lots in subdivisions for which a preliminary plan was not approved before November 21, 2000.
  • Front yard 30 feet and each side yard 10 feet are read from the table's columns.
  • The rear-yard (30 feet) and combined side-yard total (20 feet) figures could not be assigned with certainty from the flattened table; verify against the official table.

  minimum front yard depth: >= 30 feet (footnote 1 applies) · minimum width of each side yard: >= 10 feet (footnote 1 applies)

  “r-1 30 1 10 1 30 1 20 r-2 30 1 10 1 30 1 20 r-3 30 1 10 1 30 1 20”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal (septic) systems on lots inside Sherman village where no public sanitary sewer is available: the village issues the building permit, and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) approves and inspects the system

  • Village building permit is required before construction of a private system.
  • Installation must meet the state private sewage disposal licensing act and code and state EPA requirements.
  • IDPH approval and inspection apply to the installation.

  “a permit for a private sewage disposal system shall not become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the illinois department of public health (idph), which shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction”

• Septic permitRequired

  A private sewage disposal (septic) system on a lot inside Sherman village where no public sanitary sewer is available

  • A village building permit signed by the village is required before construction of the private system.
  • The application is made on a village form with plans and specifications the village requests.
  • No permit may be issued for a subsurface soil absorption system on a lot under 43,560 square feet.
  • Septic tanks and cesspools may not discharge to a natural outlet.

  minimum lot area for subsurface soil absorption system permit: >= 43560 square feet (no permit issued where lot is less than this area)

  “no permit shall be issued for any private sewage disposal system employing subsurface soil absorption facilities where the area of the lot is less than forty three thousand five hundred sixty (43,560) square feet.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sewage disposal on lots inside Sherman village that have no public sanitary sewer available

  • Privies, septic tanks and cesspools are unlawful except as the code provides.
  • Where no public sewer is available, the building sewer must connect to a private system that complies with section 8-3-3.
  • Subsurface soil absorption requires a lot of at least 43,560 square feet.

  “except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses and buildings used for human occupancy inside Sherman village; sewer only (water connection not verified)

  • Connection is required only if the public sewer is within 750 feet of the property line.
  • The connection requirement does not apply to existing residences on parcels of 5 acres or more.
  • A written permit from the Springfield Metro Sanitary District and the village is required before any connection to a public sewer (section 8-3-4 a).

  distance from property line to public sewer: <= 750 feet (connection required when public sewer is within this distance; existing residences on parcels of 5 acres or more exempt)

  “provided, that said public sewer is within seven hundred fifty feet (750') of the property line”

• Subdividing landRegulated

  Division of land into lots inside Sherman village

  • Subdivision regulations are Title 11 of the Village Code.
  • Village planning committee reviews under Title 2 chapter 3.

  “the village subdivision regulations may be accessed via the following website link: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/shermanil/latest/sherman_il/0-0-0-3819. please reference chapter 11 for these regulations.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Private sewage disposal system permit and wastewater drainage system permit inside Sherman village only; the general building permit fee schedule was not located

  • Private sewage disposal permit fee is $50 paid when the application is filed.
  • Wastewater drainage system permit carries a $25 fee collected by the village board per permit issued.
  • Commercial building permit fees from third-party or older forms were not used.

  private sewage disposal system permit and inspection fee: 50 USD (paid at application filing) · wastewater drainage system permit fee: 25 USD (per permit issued)

  “a permit and inspection fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be paid to the village at the time the application is filed.”

• Permit processPartial

  Private sewage disposal system permit application in Sherman village

  • Application is on a village form, supplemented with plans and specifications the village requests.
  • Village permit form is referenced as appendix 2 to ordinance 88-4 on file with the village clerk.

  “the application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the village (reference appendix 2 attached to ordinance 88-4 on file with the village clerk) which the applicant shall supplement with any plans, specifications and other information deemed necessary by the village.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Sherman

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

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage disposal (septic) system installed inside Sherman village where no public sewer is available; inspection by IDPH

  • The applicant must notify IDPH when the work is ready for final inspection and before any underground portions are covered.
  • The permit does not become effective until installation is complete to IDPH's satisfaction.

  “the applicant for the permit shall notify the idph when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Sherman or Sangamon County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Sherman village
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Sherman village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Sherman village
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage inside Sherman village
• Building height — Maximum building height in residential districts inside Sherman village

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.