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

Rules another office applies inside Cazenovia Township

Cazenovia 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 permitRequired

  New construction and alterations of structures on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township (outside the villages of Cazenovia and Low Point and the town of Washburn), Woodford County, Illinois. Zoning permit issued by the Woodford County zoning administrator.

  • The FAQ applies only to properties in the unincorporated portion of Woodford County; property inside a city or village must follow that jurisdiction's permitting.
  • Zoning permit is required for permanent, temporary and movable buildings and structures, not only permanent ones.
  • Examples listed by the county include sheds, fences, decks, additions, garages, pole barns and porches.
  • Construction may proceed only after the zoning permit is obtained, so status is conditional.

  “no building or other structure shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, removed, added to, used or the use therein changed unless and until a zoning permit is obtained from the zoning administrator.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Districts named in Chapter 154 include Agriculture (AG), Conservation, R-1 single-family, R-2 multi-family, I-1 light industrial, I-2 heavy industrial and General Commercial.
  • The official district map was defined in the ordinance but not opened; the parcel-level district for Cazenovia township was not confirmed.

  “zoning district map: the official zoning maps or series of official zoning map, showing zoning district boundaries of woodford county.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agriculture (AG) district land in unincorporated Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois (where the county district map places a parcel in AG)

  • Special use permit can change the minimum lot size.
  • Minimum lot width at the building setback line is 200 feet in the AG district.
  • R-1 minimum lot area was not captured (R-1 minimum lot width is 100 feet at the building setback line).

  minimum lot size: >= 2 acres (except as provided by special use permit)

  “except as provided by special use permit, all uses and structures in the agriculture district shall have a minimum lot size of two (2) acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  All structures on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township that front a township road, Woodford County, Illinois (applies in all zoning districts)

  • Applies to principal and accessory structures in all districts.
  • Whichever is greater of the centerline or right-of-way measurement controls.
  • Road classes: state or federal highway, county highway, township road, private road, and direct access road each have separate setbacks.

  township road setback from road centerline: >= 65 feet (or 30 feet from the right-of-way line, whichever is greater)

  “3. township road: 65 feet from the centerline of the road or 30 feet from the right-of-way line, whichever is greater.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Non-agricultural uses and structures in the AG district on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

    “a. principal structures shall have a rear setback of not less than 50 feet. b. accessory structures shall have a rear setback of not less than 15 feet.”

  • Specified — Single-family residential (R-1) district land in unincorporated Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois (only where the county district map places a parcel in R-1)

    “2. side yard. a. principal structures shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet or 1/2 of structure height, whichever is greater. b. accessory structures shall have a minimum setback of 5 feet. 3. rear yard. a. principal structures shall have a minimum setback of 30 feet. b. accessory structures shall have a minimum setback of 5 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Agriculture (AG) district land in unincorporated Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Coverage limit counts residential and agricultural structures.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 8 percent

  “the maximum allowable coverage of any lot in this district, by residential and agricultural structures, is limited to eight percent (8%) of the total lot size.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residential (R-1) district land in unincorporated Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois (only where the county district map places a parcel in R-1)

    “b. lot coverage. not more than thirty percent (30) % of the total area of the lot shall be occupied by structures.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agriculture (AG) district land in unincorporated Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Height is measured to the peak of the roof.
  • R-1 height limits were not captured.

  principal structure maximum height: <= 45 feet (to the peak of the roof) · accessory structure maximum height: <= 25 feet (to the peak of the roof)

  “a. principal structures not to exceed 45 feet to the peak of the roof. b. accessory structures not to exceed 25 feet to the peak of the roof”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on R-1 single-family residential district land in unincorporated Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois (only where the county district map places a parcel in R-1)

  • Only unoccupied recreational vehicles are permitted in R-1.
  • Agriculture (AG) and conservation district RV rules were not captured.

  “c. mobile homes / recreational vehicles. unoccupied recreational vehicles are permitted.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Occupancy of a mobile home on the premises of a dwelling destroyed or made uninhabitable, on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Allowed only for a reasonable time, not to exceed 120 days.
  • Applies only until the destroyed or damaged structure can be rebuilt or repaired.
  • Applies to occupants of a structure destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by fire or natural disaster.

  maximum occupancy period on the premises: <= 120 days (reasonable time until the structure is rebuilt or repaired)

  “it is not a violation of this ordinance for the inhabitants of a structure used as a dwelling, upon said structure being destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by fire or natural disaster, to occupy a mobile home on the premises of the destroyed or damaged structure, for a reasonable time, not to exceed 120 days, until said structure can be rebuilt or repaired.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage (septic) systems for lots inside Cazenovia township that have neither public water nor public sanitary sewer, Woodford County, Illinois. The county ordinance text does not address the villages of Cazenovia and Low Point or the town of Washburn.

  • Applies only where the lot has no public water supply system and no public sanitary sewer system.
  • Lots served by public water or sewer follow the standards of the jurisdiction in which the lot lies.

  “a lot without a public water supply system and without a public sanitary sewer system shall conform to the standards of the woodford county private sewage disposal ordinance and woodford county health department review.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois: a septic permit must be obtained before the zoning permit for the dwelling can be processed

  • Applies to zoning permits for dwellings, per the county zoning FAQ.
  • Also requires a soil erosion permit before the dwelling zoning permit is processed.
  • Septic permit is issued by the Woodford County Health Department; permit requirements are in the county private sewage ordinance, which was not opened.
  • Construction may proceed after permits are obtained, so status is conditional.

  “zoning permits for dwellings cannot be processed until a septic permit and soil erosion permit is acquired.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sanitation for a lot inside Cazenovia township with neither public water nor public sanitary sewer, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Lots without public water and sewer must conform to the county private sewage disposal ordinance and Health Department review.
  • Specific septic design and installation standards were not captured (septic ordinance not opened).

  “a lot without a public water supply system and without a public sanitary sewer system shall conform to the standards of the woodford county private sewage disposal ordinance and woodford county health department review.”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Lots platted or created on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Applies to lots created after the effective date of the zoning ordinance.
  • Lots may not be reduced in area, width or depth by sale, development or subdivision below the ordinance minimums.
  • A county subdivision ordinance was not opened; platting rules may apply separately.

  minimum lot depth: >= 100 feet (measured along the shorter side lot line)

  “6. no lot hereafter platted or created shall be less than one-hundred (100) feet in depth. 7. the minimum lot depth shall be measured along the shorter side lot line.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Structures and lots on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township that must abut a road for access, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Each tract must abut a public or private road.
  • Private lanes and shared private lanes have their own widths in the glossary; not captured in full.

  minimum direct road abutment: >= 20 feet (for each lot under six acres; 60 feet for lots of six acres or more)

  “a minimum of twenty (20) foot of road frontage for each lot or parcel less than six (6) acres and sixty (60) foot for each lot or parcel that is six (6) acres or more in size shall be provided for any lot created.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Not required — A zoning permit for a driveway on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

    “q: do i need a permit for a driveway, landscape/retaining wall or sidewalk? a: no.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Structures on unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township that are in designated floodplain areas, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Applies to structures in the flood-hazard areas regulated by the county; the floodplain regulations (Chapter 150) were not opened.
  • Flood-hazard requirements for septic systems and flood-proofing are in the same section.

  “all structures shall comply with the provisions in the floodplain regulations §150.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit fees for unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • The county says its fee schedule is posted under zoning resources on the county website; the schedule itself was not opened, so amounts are not captured.

  “the fee schedule is located under "zoning resources" on the county website or contact the office for more information.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit application for unincorporated land inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois

  • Permit can typically be processed the same day when the elevation drawing, location, use, dimensions and construction cost are supplied.
  • Dwelling permits wait on septic and soil erosion permits.
  • Zoning office: Woodford County courthouse, first floor, Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm; phone 309.467.3023.

  “typically, we can process an application that day if we have the elevation drawing, location, use, dimensions and construction cost of the structure.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a dwelling inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois
• Building code adopted — New construction inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois
• Inspections — New construction inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of a new dwelling inside Cazenovia township, Woodford County, Illinois
• Local zoning — Land inside Cazenovia township's limits, Woodford County, Illinois: whether the township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance

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.