Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Spring Bay Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Spring Bay Township

Spring Bay 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 structures and alterations on land in the unincorporated portion of Woodford County, including unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township; applies to the county zoning permit, not a township permit

  • Official FAQ states it applies only to properties in the unincorporated portion of Woodford County; properties inside a city or village follow that local jurisdiction's permitting rules.
  • Zoning permits for dwellings cannot be processed until a septic permit and soil erosion permit is acquired.
  • Application requires dimensions of the structure, location, use, construction cost and an elevation drawing or similar picture.
  • FAQ lists sheds, fences, decks, additions, garages, pole barns and porches among projects that need permits; siding, roofing, windows and doors that do not change dimensions, and interior finish work do not need one.

  “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.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Road setbacks for principal and accessory structures on unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township, applying to all zoning districts; side and rear yard setbacks by district not captured

  • Standard applies to all districts for principal and accessory structures (subsection c, minimum road setbacks).
  • Dates in parentheses after each item (for example (03/18/08)) are amendment stamps, not effective dates.
  • Lot-line and yard setbacks by district were not captured; see followups.
  • Setbacks may not be reduced except through action by the ZBA or hearing officer, per the yard provisions in the same section.

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

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site private sewage systems for dwellings on unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township; the Woodford County Health Department, not the township, issues the septic permit

  • Applies outside village and city limits; properties inside a municipality are governed by that municipality.
  • Health department is the county health department; authority recorded at county level.

  “woodford county health department 1831 s. main street, eureka, il 61530 fax: (309) 467-5104 health.woodfordcountyil.gov phone: (309) 467-3064 application/permit for private sewage disposal system non-refundable fee: $225.00”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement private sewage (septic) systems for dwellings on unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township

  • Zoning permits for dwellings cannot be processed until a septic permit and soil erosion permit is acquired.
  • Application form asks whether the property is within 300 feet of a public sewage system and whether it is in a 100-year floodplain; a yes answer to floodplain says stop and contact county zoning before submitting.

  non-refundable septic permit application fee: 225 USD

  “is the property located within a 100-year floodplain? yes no if yes – stop – contact woodford county zoning prior to submitting septic permit application”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development inside the special flood hazard area (SFHA) on unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township

  • Listed in the zoning permit section as an activity requiring a zoning permit; the lead-in sentence of that list was not captured.
  • Zoning permit application must show minimum floor elevations of the lowest habitable floor, including basement, relative to mean sea level.
  • Applications for a permit in a flood area also go through the zoning application requirements.

  “6. to undertake any development in the sfha.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning permit fees for unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township

  • Fee schedule is published on the county website under zoning resources; the FAQ directs applicants to that schedule or the zoning office.
  • The septic application fee ($225) is a separate county health department fee.

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

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning permit process for unincorporated land inside Spring Bay township

  • Application is filed in person at the zoning office, Eureka courthouse, Room 100, 115 North Main Street.
  • Dwelling permits wait on the septic permit and soil erosion permit.
  • Permit requirement and process are county-administered; township process not found.

  “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 Spring Bay Township or Woodford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Spring Bay township
• Building code adopted — Which building code, if any, applies to construction inside Spring Bay township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Spring Bay township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Spring Bay township
• Local zoning — Whether Spring Bay township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits

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.