Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bethlehem Township, Indiana

Rules another office applies inside Bethlehem Township

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana, outside any city or town plan commission jurisdiction. This is the county zoning ordinance, not a township ordinance; no Bethlehem township zoning ordinance was found.

  • Section 107 excludes land under the jurisdiction of a city or town plan commission, defined by maps in the Cass County recorder's office under IC 36-7-4-205. Whether any part of Bethlehem township is in such an area was not checked.
  • The ordinance text is the 2024 edition; the county's 2026 pending zoning amendments were not reviewed.

  “this ordinance shall apply to all unincorporated land within cass county, except for those land areas under the jurisdiction of a city or town plan commission as defined by description or maps in the cass county recorder’s office in accordance with ic 36-7-4-205.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land in Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana, under the county zoning districts

  • District zone maps are in section 301 and were not opened. Only the district list in section 302 was read.

  “302 establishment of districts: the jurisdictional area of the county divided into the following zoning districts for purposes as stated”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  AG agricultural district land in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

  • Table B footnotes (a), (b) and (c) were not read, so exceptions are not known.
  • The 43,560 sq ft figure applies with no central sewage; the 24,000 sq ft figure applies with central sewage.

  minimum lot area, no central sewage: >= 43560 sq ft (footnote (a) not read) · minimum lot area, with central sewage: >= 24000 sq ft (footnote (a) not read) · minimum lot width, no central sewage: >= 150 ft (footnote (b) not read) · minimum lot width, with central sewage: >= 100 ft (footnote (b) not read)

  “1. minimum lot area (a) no central sewage with central sewage 43,560 24,000 43,560 20,000 36,000 14,000”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — RR rural residential district land in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

    “1. minimum lot area (a) no central sewage with central sewage 43,560 24,000 43,560 20,000 36,000 14,000”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  AG agricultural district land in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

  • Table B footnote (b) was not read, so exceptions are not known.

  minimum front yard: >= 50 ft (footnote (b) not read) · minimum side yard: >= 20 ft (footnote (b) not read) · minimum rear yard: >= 25 ft (footnote (b) not read)

  “5. minimum front yard (b) 50 50 45 25 25 40 40 40 40 6. minimum side yard (b) 20 20 15 15 15 20 20 20 20 7. minimum rear yard (b) 25 25 20 20 20 25 25 25 25”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — RR rural residential district land in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

    “5. minimum front yard (b) 50 50 45 25 25 40 40 40 40 6. minimum side yard (b) 20 20 15 15 15 20 20 20 20 7. minimum rear yard (b) 25 25 20 20 20 25 25 25 25”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  AG agricultural district land in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

  • The table shows 10 or 30 with an asterisk; the asterisk note (30% on ...) was cut off in the extracted text and was not confirmed.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 10 or 30 percent (asterisk footnote not fully read)

  “* 30% only applies to residential used properties that are less than 1 acre on pre-existing properties established before 10/2017”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — RR rural residential district land in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

    “4. maximum lot coverage (c) 10 or 30* 30 40 80 80 50 50 50 50”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes on unincorporated land in Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

  • A mobile home must have a title and be newer than 20 years old, judged by the Indiana serial number, to conform to the ordinance.
  • A mobile home must be installed in conformance with the Indiana one and two family dwelling code.
  • Mobile home park and modular home rules (sections 507 and 508) were not read.

  maximum age of mobile home: <= 20 years (stated in the definition of mobile home)

  “all homes must have a title and be newer than 20 years old, as indicated by the serial number issued by the state of indiana, to be considered conforming to this ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes on unincorporated land in Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes in unincorporated Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana
• Inspections — Building inspections on unincorporated land in Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy on unincorporated land in Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size on unincorporated land in Bethlehem township, Cass County, Indiana

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.