Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of English, Indiana

Town of English’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Signs and other structures in English town; a general building permit for new dwellings was not confirmed

  • The general building permit rule (chapter 10.75 building code) was not read.
  • Compliance clause in s10.01.070 requires permits 'where required by this title'; it does not itself create a permit requirement.

  “signs shall require an improvement location permit prior to installation, relocation, or alteration.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside English town's corporate limits (Crawford County, IN)

  • The ordinance also reaches English town's extraterritorial zoning and platting jurisdiction area; that area is not claimed here.
  • Section history notes cite Ord. 98-05 dated May 14, 1998; the captured text does not show later amendments, so currency is not verified.
  • Copy is hosted by Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission; the town's own website was not located in research.

  “this title is applicable to all territory located within the corporate limits of the town of english and its extraterritorial zoning and platting jurisdiction area.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of English town, including the official zoning map

  • Standard districts: rec, a, r-1, r-2, r-3, mh, b-1, b-2, i; overlay districts include fp (floodplain).
  • The official zoning map itself was not opened.

  “the standard zoning districts and overlay zoning districts are shown on the official zoning map of the town of english”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 low density residential district inside English town

  • Figures are minimum ground floor area of living space; the text gives 1,300 sq ft for one-story dwellings and 900 sq ft for dwellings over one story.
  • Figures for R-2 and R-3 were not captured.

  minimum ground floor area, one-story dwelling: >= 1300 square feet of living space · minimum ground floor area, dwelling over one story: >= 900 square feet of living space

  “minimum ground floor area of structures shall be 1300 square feet of living space for one story dwellings and 900 square feet for over 1 story.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential development in the A agricultural district inside English town

  • Residential lots in the A district must be one acre or more.
  • Residential density in the A district is 0.05 units per acre (one unit per 20 acres).
  • The R-1 lot-size minimum was not captured.

  minimum residential lot size, A district: >= 1 acre

  “very low density residential development is permitted on lots of one (1) acre or more”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the R-1 low density residential district inside English town

  • Lot coverage is the maximum share of the lot area covered by structures.
  • Lot coverage limits for R-2, R-3, B and I districts were not captured.

  maximum lot coverage, R-1: <= 75 percent of lot area

  “maximum lot coverage cannot exceed 75% of the lot area.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes placed in English town (mobile home district and mobile home standards)

  • A mobile home must be no older than five years from its date of origination; an older existing mobile home may be relocated only after a special use is approved by the board of zoning appeals.
  • Mobile homes must be connected to local water and sewer.
  • Mobile home parks require a minimum of five acres.

  maximum age of mobile home: <= 5 years (Existing older mobile home may be relocated after board of zoning appeals special use approval) · minimum mobile home park size: >= 5 acres

  “the mobile home shall be no older than five (5) years as measured from the date of its origination. however, an existing mobile home located within the jurisdiction of this ordinance may be relocated if older than five years, after a special use has been approved by the board of zoning appeals.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Individual septic disposal on private land inside English town

  • Individual septic use is a listed land use with standards: minimum lot size of 0.5 acres.
  • Use is limited to sites with no public sewer within 1,000 feet.
  • The districts where this use is permitted by right were cut off in the captured text and not confirmed.

  minimum lot size for individual septic use: >= 0.5 acres

  “individual septic disposal system. this land use includes any state or county approved septic disposal system. standards for development: 1. minimum lot size of 0.5 acres.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New homes inside English town: connection to town sewer or water depends on availability and on the type of sewage system used

  • Individual septic use is allowed only where no public sewer is available within 1,000 feet of the property.
  • Where public sewer is available, the development must attach within one year of availability.
  • Mobile homes must connect to the local water and sewer system. A general connection rule for single-family homes was not captured.

  distance to available public sewer: < 1000 feet (Individual septic disposal use applies only where no public sewer is within this distance)

  “no available public sewage disposal system within one thousand (1000) feet of any point on the subject property.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in an identified floodway inside English town

  • Applies only where the site is in an identified floodway; the town's floodplain administrator routes the application to the Indiana DNR.
  • Floodplain overlay chapter 10.05 general rules were not read in full.

  “if the site is in an identified floodway, the floodplain administrator shall require the applicant to forward the application, along with all pertinent plans and specifications, to the indiana department of natural resources and apply for a permit for construction in a floodway.”

• Permit processPartial

  Improvement location permits in English town (zoning administrator's process)

  • The captured text confirms only a pre-issuance filing for mobile home parks and a zoning administrator filing for appeals and amendments.
  • The general improvement location permit procedure in chapter 10.10 was not read.

  “prior to the issuance of an improvement location permit, an applicant must file with the zoning administrator, a letter from the following evidencing approval by such board and compliance with the requirements of such board:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of English

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic (individual sewage disposal) permits for development inside English town; county-level authority reaches the town because it is part of Crawford County (issuing office not named in captured text)

  • Recorded as countywide because the schema limits county scope to county geography; the claim applies inside English town, not as a county rule for English's own ordinance.
  • Captured text is truncated mid-sentence; the issuing office was not confirmed.
  • Sanitary sewer hook-ups are handled by the town wastewater utility (see utility_connection claim).

  “a copy of the sewage disposal permit issued by crawford county for all private disposal systems.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of English or Crawford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside English town
• Building code adopted — New dwellings inside English town
• Inspections — New dwellings inside English town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new dwellings inside English town
• Setbacks — Building setbacks for single-family homes in English town districts

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.