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

Rules another office applies inside Panola Township

Panola 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

  Zoning permits for construction in unincorporated land inside Panola township

  • Applications are filed with the county zoning administrator on prescribed forms.
  • No county building permit; this is a zoning permit.

  “the zoning office is also responsible for review and issuance of zoning permits, plat approval and processing applications for variances, special use permits, text amendments and rezoning requests.”

• Building code adoptedNot adopted

  Building code adoption for land inside Panola township outside the Village of Panola

  • Statement is from the county's Building and Zoning department page.
  • Zoning, floodplain, subdivision, and septic rules still apply.

  “woodford county is a non-building code jurisdiction, no building code is adopted.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land inside Panola township (Woodford County Chapter 154)

  • Applies only to unincorporated land; land inside the Village of Panola is not covered.
  • District map and district sections are part of Chapter 154; the R-1, R-2, conservation, industrial, and commercial districts are set out in separate sections.

  “§154.13.1 purpose the single family residential district (r-1) is designed specifically for single-family residential housing opportunities”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Conservation district lots in unincorporated land inside Panola township

  • Applies only to the conservation district; R-1 and other districts have their own rules.
  • Applies to uses and structures in the conservation district.

  minimum lot size: 2 acres (conservation district)

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

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 single-family residential lots in unincorporated land inside Panola township

    “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.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential lots in unincorporated land inside Panola township

  • Stated as a limit on the share of the lot occupied by structures.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

  “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 systems on lots without public water or sewer in unincorporated land inside Panola township

  • Woodford County private sewage disposal ordinance and Woodford County Health Department review govern.
  • Lots served by public water or sewer follow the standards of the jurisdiction in which they lie.

  “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 landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions in unincorporated land inside Panola township

  • Land Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter 153) administered by the county zoning office.

  “the primary functions of this department are interpretation, administration and enforcement of the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, floodplain ordinance, erosion, sediment and storm water management and rural addressing in the unincorporated areas of woodford county”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit fees for unincorporated land inside Panola township

  • Fee schedule is linked from the county page; amounts were not opened.

  “zoning resources zoning fee schedule gis instructions - zoning districts single family dwelling requirements (pdf)”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes inside Panola township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Panola township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Panola township
• Local zoning — Whether Panola township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Panola 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.