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

Rules another office applies inside Smithton Township

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts that apply to land inside Smithton township outside incorporated cities and villages that have their own zoning codes, because Smithton township's own zoning was not found; the county code is the zoning rule applied there

  • Applies to properties in the unincorporated part of St. Clair County; land inside the village of Smithton limits is governed by the village if it has its own municipal zoning code (not verified).
  • Districts listed include a (agricultural industry), rr-1 and rr-3 (rural residential), sr-1, sr-2 and sr-3 (single family), sr-mh (single residence mobile home), mhp (mobile home park), and mr-1 and mr-2 (two and three family), with further districts listed in section 40-3-1.
  • Scott Air Force Base properties are excluded.
  • The code's revision stamp is May 30, 2023; that is a revision date, not an effective date.

  “for the purpose of this zoning code, 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:”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage (septic) systems on land inside Smithton township, administered by the St. Clair County Health Department; the county code is countywide and so covers Smithton township land without a township rule

  • Applies to individual domestic sewage disposal systems constructed, altered or extended within St. Clair County.
  • Smithton village land, if it is served by a municipal sewer, is not addressed by this county code.

  “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

  New, altered or extended private septic systems on land inside Smithton township; permit issued by the St. Clair County Health Department

  • A permit is issued only to a homeowner and/or a St. Clair County licensed private sewage disposal system installation contractor installing the system (section 19-2-4(c)).
  • A residential structure requiring a private sewage disposal system needs a minimum lot of one acre usable space excluding lakes, ponds and easements; a greater area may be required by the Health Department for drainage, soil or other health factors, and a variance may be granted in some cases.
  • Permit application forms are provided by the Health Department (section 19-2-4(d)); the full list of conditions and any fees in sections 19-2-4(d) onward were not read.

  minimum usable lot size for residential structure with private sewage system: >= 1 acre (larger area may be required by health department; variance possible; smaller area may be requested if a community sewage collection system is proposed)

  “a permit shall only be.issued to a homeowner and/or a st. clair county licensed private sewage disposal system installation contractor installing a private sewage disposal system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new residential construction inside Smithton township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes inside Smithton township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for new construction inside Smithton township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Smithton township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate or occupancy permit for new homes inside Smithton 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.