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

Rules another office applies inside Engelmann Township

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

• Building permitLimited

  Building permits from St. Clair County Building & Zoning for work in the county, including Engelmann township; township-level permits were not located

  • Ordinary repairs need no permit. Excluded from ordinary repairs are cutting away a wall, partition or portion thereof, removing or cutting a structural beam or load-bearing support, changing a required means of egress, and altering or replacing water supply, sewer, drainage, gas, vent, electrical or other work affecting public health or general safety.
  • An assigned address from the 9-1-1 coordinating office is needed before applying.
  • The captured page does not state expressly that new residences require a permit; that is implied by the repair exception.

  “a building permit is not required for ordinary repairs to structures.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated St. Clair County land, which applies inside Engelmann township only if the township has no zoning of its own (township zoning not located)

  • The districts apply outside cities, villages and incorporated towns that have municipal zoning codes, and outside Scott Air Force Base.
  • Per the § 40-3-1 table as captured: a (agricultural industry) 40 acres; rr-1 and rr-3 (rural residential) 15 acres; sr-1, sr-2, sr-3 and sr-mh (single family) 5 acres; mhp (mobile home park) 10 acres; mr-1 and mr-2 (two and three family, multi-family) 4 acres. These are minimum zoning district sizes, not lot sizes.
  • Commercial, industrial, conservation (c-r), overlay (o-1, o-2, ao) districts are also listed in § 40-3-1.

  “the entire county of st. clair outside the limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns which have in effect municipal zoning codes and outside the boundaries of scott air force base, is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the conservation overlay zone (§ 40-4-89) in unincorporated St. Clair County; applies inside Engelmann township only for parcels within that overlay

  • Applies to lands designated under § 40-4-90 in unincorporated St. Clair County, excluding Scott AFB and zoned municipalities.
  • Designated lands include all lands subject to the 100-year flood as shown on the 1981 and 1985 FEMA flood insurance rate maps.

  minimum lot area: >= 3 acre

  “40-4-89 lot requirement. any lot shall contain a minimum of three (3) acres and not more than twenty percent (20%) of the lot or site shall be used, modified and otherwise disturbed by grading, placement of fill, removal of woodland, construction of buildings, provision of access roads, parking facilities and driveways”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the conservation overlay zone (§ 40-4-89) in unincorporated St. Clair County; applies inside Engelmann township only for parcels within that overlay

  • Covers grading, fill, woodland removal, buildings, access roads, parking and driveways as disturbance.
  • Applies to lands designated under § 40-4-90; no general lot coverage limit for other districts was captured.

  maximum share of lot disturbed: <= 20 percent

  “not more than twenty percent (20%) of the lot or site shall be used, modified and otherwise disturbed by grading, placement of fill, removal of woodland, construction of buildings, provision of access roads, parking facilities and driveways”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Individual domestic sewage disposal (septic) systems built, altered or extended in St. Clair County, including inside Engelmann township

  • Permits are issued by the St. Clair County Health Department.
  • Applies to systems with no ground surface discharge and to small surface-discharge systems under the county code definition of private sewage disposal system.
  • Municipal sewer or other municipal rules, if any, were not checked.

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter or extend individual domestic sewage disposal systems within st. clair county unless he/she holds a valid permit issued by the health department”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration or extension of a septic system in St. Clair County, including inside Engelmann township

  • The permit must name the person for whom the work is proposed.
  • Applications are made to the health department; the captured text did not give the application steps.

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter or extend individual domestic sewage disposal systems within st. clair county unless he/she holds a valid permit issued by the health department”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Subdivision of land in St. Clair County, including inside Engelmann township, for sewage disposal review. Zoning or plat regulations for subdivisions were not captured.

  • The health department requires subdividers to supply soil absorption information and may require changes to a proposed subdivision.
  • Subdivision plan review fee applies (see permit_fees claim).

  “the health department shall require persons who subdivide property to furnish information on forms provided by the health department concerning soil absorption capacities, or require changes in a proposed subdivision plat”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Lands designated in the county conservation overlay for flood hazard (§ 40-4-90) in unincorporated St. Clair County; applies inside Engelmann township only for parcels in that area

  • The captured text designates flood-prone lands in the overlay and sets a 20% disturbance cap and 3-acre lot minimum (§ 40-4-89).
  • The county's separate floodplain development permit rules were not read.

  “all lands subject to flooding, inundation or ponding by waters by the 100-year interval flood as shown on the 1981 and 1985 flood insurance rate maps of the federal emergency management agency”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Health department subdivision plan review fee in St. Clair County, including inside Engelmann township

  • Fee tiers are set by the number of proposed lots (1 lot; 11 to 25; 26 to 50; 51 or more) per the code text.
  • The dollar amounts were garbled in capture and are not verified.
  • Building permit fee amounts were not captured.

  “there shall be a fee for the review of subdivision plans. the fee shall be based upon the number of proposed lots as follows”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications to St. Clair County Building & Zoning, including for land inside Engelmann township

  • The property must have an assigned 9-1-1 address before applying.
  • Applications may be made by the owner or lessee, an agent of either, or the registered design professional on the work.
  • The submission checklist, fees and review steps were not captured on the page opened.

  “property must have an assigned address from the 9-1-1 coordinating office.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Engelmann township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for new construction inside Engelmann township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Engelmann township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Engelmann township
• Local zoning — Engelmann township's own zoning, if any, for land inside the 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.