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

Rules another office applies inside Greene Township

Greene 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

  Structures and uses on unincorporated land inside Greene township (county zoning permit from the zoning administrator)

  • Applies to unincorporated land only; permits are issued by the county zoning administrator.
  • The FAQ says the permit requirement applies to all permanent, temporary and movable buildings, structures, signs or uses unless exempted in the zoning ordinance.
  • Examples the FAQ lists include sheds, fences, decks, additions, garages, pools, pole barns and porches; the FAQ also says a fence over four feet or more than 50% solid needs a permit, and a deck or porch needs one when installed or replaced.

  “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.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in Greene township that is outside any municipality or village, if Greene township has not adopted its own zoning (township zoning was not found)

  • Woodford County Chapter 154 Zoning Ordinance governs unincorporated land; the county zoning FAQ says its information applies only to the unincorporated portion of the county.
  • Residents inside a city or village must contact that municipality for permitting regulations.

  “note: the following information applies only to properties in the unincorporated portion of woodford county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land in Greene township

  • The zoning district map was not opened; which district covers Greene township land is not established.
  • The definition covers the unincorporated portions of the county only.

  “zoning district: an area or areas within the unincorporated portions of woodford county, illinois, that have been designated as set forth on the zoning district map.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Conservation district land in unincorporated Woodford County, if Greene township land is mapped conservation

  • District mapping for Greene township was not found.

  minimum lot size: 2 acres

  “§154.12.4 minimum lot sizes all uses and structures in the conservation district shall have a minimum lot size of two (2) acres.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family R-1 residential district land in unincorporated Woodford County, if Greene township land is mapped R-1

    “except as provided by special use permit, all uses and structures in the r-1 district shall have a minimum lot size as determined by the standards set forth in the §50 private sewage and woodford county health department review.”

  • Specified — Single-family R-1 residential district land in unincorporated Woodford County, if Greene township land is mapped R-1

    “a. minimum lot width. the minimum at the building setback line shall be 100 feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family R-1 residential district land in unincorporated Woodford County, if Greene township land is mapped R-1

  • Front yard follows the setback line in section 154.04.7.c.
  • Accessory structures in the R-1 section: side 5 feet and rear 5 feet; road setbacks in section 154.04.7.c also apply.

  principal structure side yard setback: >= 10 feet or 1/2 of structure height, whichever is greater · principal structure rear yard setback: 30 feet

  “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.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal and accessory structures on unincorporated land in Greene township that front a township road, in all zoning districts

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

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in the R-1 residential section of Chapter 154 on unincorporated land in Greene township, if mapped R-1

  • Stated under the performance standards for all dwellings in that section.

  maximum lot coverage by structures: <= 30 percent of lot area

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems on land in Greene township that is not served by public sewer

  • The county health program page lists private sewage disposal permits and inspections, but does not state a township-level service boundary.
  • The county zoning FAQ ties dwelling zoning permits to a septic permit.

  “private sewage disposal program activities include: approving plans for new and renovated private sewage disposal system installations inspecting private sewage disposal systems investigating private sewage complaints issuing private sewage disposal permits”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings on land in Greene township that need a zoning permit (septic permit issued by the county health department)

  • Zoning permits for dwellings cannot be processed until a septic permit and a soil erosion permit are obtained, per the zoning FAQ.
  • The septic permit itself is issued by the county health department program.

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

• Driveway accessNot required

  Driveways on unincorporated land in Greene township (zoning permit only)

  • This answer covers the zoning permit only; driveway access onto a township road is controlled by the township road commissioner and was not checked.

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

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit fees for unincorporated land in Greene township

  • The fee schedule itself was not opened; no dollar amounts are recorded here.

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

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit process for unincorporated land in Greene township

  • Process depends on the type of permit; the FAQ says it can be processed the same day if the drawing and details are complete.
  • The zoning office is at 115 North Main Street, Room 100, Eureka, IL, per the FAQ.

  “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 Greene Township or Woodford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Greene township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for Greene township, Woodford County, Illinois
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in Greene township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Greene township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in Greene 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.