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

Rules another office applies inside Franklin Township

Franklin 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 in unincorporated Franklin township, Henry County, Indiana: the county-adopted Henry County Development Code applies here as county zoning. This is county zoning, not a township ordinance.

  • Applies to unincorporated land in Franklin township; a parcel inside an incorporated town that has designated the planning commission as its planning agency is governed by that town listing in Section 1.5.
  • Agricultural uses and structures specified in the code are excepted from its general application.

  “except such agricultural uses and structures as are specified in this code, the provisions of this code shall apply to all lands and land uses and structures in the unincorporated areas of henry county”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in the A1 (agricultural) district of Henry County Development Code, for unincorporated land in Franklin township zoned A1

  • Figures are minimum ground-floor area in square feet.
  • Two-story figure of 720 applies to ground floor only (footnote marked with asterisk).
  • Applies only to land zoned A1 on the official zoning map.

  minimum ground floor area, one-family one story: >= 900 sq ft (A1 district) · minimum ground floor area, one-family two story: >= 720 sq ft (ground floor only, A1 district)

  “d. minimum building size - square feet of ground area 1. one-family, one story 900 2. one-family, two story 720*”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential uses in the A1 (agricultural) district, for unincorporated land in Franklin township zoned A1

  • Health department may require a larger lot for proper sewerage.
  • Maximum gross density with septic system is 1 unit per 20 acres.
  • Minimum lot width with septic system is 150 feet.

  minimum lot size, residential uses: >= 1.5 acres (unless otherwise required by the Henry County Health Department for proper sewerage)

  “1. the minimum lot size for residential uses shall be one and one-half (1.5) acres unless otherwise required by the henry county health department for proper sewerage.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Land zoned RR (rural residential) under the Henry County Development Code within unincorporated Franklin township

    “1. the minimum lot size in the rr district shall be 1.5 acres, unless otherwise required by the henry county health department for proper sewerage.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal structures in the A1 (agricultural) district, for unincorporated land in Franklin township zoned A1

  • Front setback 85 ft where lot abuts a principal or major collector highway.
  • Residential-use side setback is 35 ft and residential-use rear setback is 40 ft (A1 other requirements items 3 and 4), which override the general 50 ft figures for residential uses.
  • Health department may require larger lots for septic.

  front setback, lot abutting minor collector or local road: 60 ft (A1) · side yard setback (general): 50 ft (A1; residential uses 35 ft) · rear yard setback (general): 50 ft (A1; residential uses 40 ft)

  “e. minimum front yard setback 1. lots abutting a principal or major collector highway 85 feet 2. lots abutting a minor collector or local road or street 60 feet f. minimum side yard setback (two required) 50 feet (3) g. minimum rear yard setback 50 feet (4)”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal residential structures in the A1 (agricultural) district, for unincorporated land in Franklin township zoned A1

  • Agricultural structures are excluded from the height limit.
  • Building height regulations of Section 11.3 also apply.

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (agricultural structures not included; 2.5 stories)

  “maximum building height (agricultural structures not included) 1. in stories 2.5 2. in feet 35”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage (septic) systems on land inside Franklin township, Henry County, Indiana, administered by the Henry County Health Department (a county-level health department serving the county, including Franklin township)

  • The Henry County Health Department administers septic permitting, inspection and approval under state and local regulations.
  • Health department page does not limit septic service by township; applied to Franklin township on a county-wide basis.

  “the henry county health department oversees the permitting, inspection, and approval of on-site sewage disposal systems to ensure they meet state and local regulations.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New on-site septic system on land inside Franklin township, Henry County, Indiana

  • Final inspection is performed by the health department; a copy of the approval is kept on file at its office.

  “the henry county health department will conduct the final inspection of your septic system”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new home construction in Franklin township, Henry County
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for permits in Franklin township, Henry County
• Building code adopted — Residential building code applied to new homes in Franklin township, Henry County
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in Franklin township, Henry County
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Franklin township, Henry County

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.