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

Rules another office applies inside Posey Township

Posey 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 land-use changes in unincorporated Posey Township; zoning improvement location permit issued by the Franklin County Area Plan Commission executive director

  • This is the zoning improvement location permit. Indiana building-code permits were not verified.
  • Agricultural buildings still need an improvement location permit, but are exempt from the building code under Indiana law (section 80.01 farm exemption).
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued.

  “no structure may be erected, altered or placed, or no use of land may be changed, unless an improvement location permit has been obtained from the executive director by the owner(s) of the property or by his agent.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family homes in A-1 prime agriculture district in unincorporated Posey Township

  • Minimum ground floor area: one story 900 sq. ft.; two story 800 sq. ft. (1440 total).
  • Figures are from ordinance #2014-19 passed 11/24/2014.

  minimum ground floor area, one-story single-family home: >= 900 sq. ft. · minimum ground floor area, two-story single-family home: >= 800 sq. ft. (two-story total 1440 sq. ft.)

  “single-family homes: ​ one story:​ 900 sq. ft. (ordinance # 2014-19, passed on 11/24/2014).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family homes in R-1 single-family residence district in unincorporated Posey Township

    “single-family homes: ​ one story:​ 1440 sq. ft.​ two story:​800 sq. ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residence district lots in unincorporated Posey Township

  • Where no sewer is utilized: 1 acre, or larger if needed for two septic fields.
  • Where sewer is utilized: 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Minimum lot width is 150 feet where septic is used and 100 feet where common sewer is used.

  minimum lot area with sewer: >= 10000 sq. ft. (where sewer is utilized) · minimum lot area without sewer: >= 1 acre (or larger if needed for two septic fields, where no sewer is utilized)

  “where sewer is utilized: ​ 10,000 sq. ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — A-1 prime agriculture district lots in unincorporated Posey Township

    “1 acre, or larger if needed for 1 2 septic fields where no sewer is utilized”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district lots in unincorporated Posey Township

  • Additional yard and setback requirements also apply under section 80.08.03 (yard and setback requirements), which was not read in full.
  • Agricultural buildings still need an improvement location permit that checks setbacks (section 80.01 farm exemption).

  minimum front yard depth: >= 50 feet · minimum side yard width: 10 % of minimum lot width · minimum rear yard depth: >= 15 feet

  “6. minimum width of side yard:​ 10% of minimum lot width 7. minimum depth of rear yard:​ 15 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residence district lots in unincorporated Posey Township

    “5. required yards: minimum depth of front yard: ​ 35 feet minimum width of side yard:​ 10% of minimum lot width minimum depth of rear yard:​ 15 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district lots in unincorporated Posey Township

  • Maximum lot coverage is 20% of lot.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 % of lot

  “4. maximum lot coverage: ​ 20% of lot 5. minimum depth of front yard: ​ 50 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residence district lots in unincorporated Posey Township

    “4. maximum lot coverage: ​ 25% of lot 5. required yards: minimum depth of front yard”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-1 prime agriculture district structures in unincorporated Posey Township

  • Maximum building height is 35 feet. Section 80.08.04 (height restrictions) also applies and was not read.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “8. maximum building height:​ 35 feet 9. see section 80.08 additional requirements, including yard and setback, height, parking, and fences.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Manufactured or mobile homes as a dwelling in A-1 prime agriculture districts in unincorporated Posey Township; R-1 and R-3 also list manufactured homes as permitted uses

  • Permanent-use standards are in section 80.08.07 (mobile homes, manufactured homes and RVs), which was not read in full.
  • A mobile home park is a conditional use under section 80.06.04.

  “a. permitted uses. 1. agricultural use 2. single-family dwelling 3. manufactured or mobile home”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic, sewer and water rules for land inside Posey Township outside incorporated towns

  • Franklin County Health Department applies its own rules together with current state and federal regulations.
  • Two-septic-field sites may not be disturbed without health department approval of a third site (section 80.08.09(b)).

  “sewer, septic, and water regulations shall be per franklin county health department, and all other current state and federal regulations.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Farm buildings in unincorporated Posey Township used for agriculture for commercial gain

  • Exempt from the building code only; farm houses and farm dwellings are not exempt.
  • Barns and agricultural buildings still need an improvement location permit and must meet zoning and flood plain requirements.

  “where agriculture is pursued for commercial gain, farming operations are exempt from the restrictions and regulations of the building code”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into a subdivision in unincorporated Posey Township

  • A subdivision is six or more home sites on one private lane, or two or more contiguous lots of 2 acres or less each with their own access and frontage on a public road (section 80.10.01).
  • Family exemption applies under section 80.09.01(a).

  “no plat or replat of a division of land resulting in a subdivision shall be filed with the county auditor and recorded by the county recorder unless it has first been granted final approval by the franklin county area plan commission”

• Permit processPartial

  Improvement location permit process for land in unincorporated Posey Township

  • The executive director issues improvement location permits; section 80.11.04 (permits) describes the full process and was not read.
  • Fee schedule in section 80.11.05 was not read.

  “no structure may be erected, altered or placed, or no use of land may be changed, unless an improvement location permit has been obtained from the executive director by the owner(s) of the property or by his agent.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home in Posey Township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new homes in Posey Township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in Posey Township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home in Posey Township
• Local zoning — Whether Posey Township itself has adopted and administers a zoning ordinance

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.