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

Rules another office applies inside Owen Township

Owen 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 in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township; the county's improvement location permit is the permit to build

  • Construction may proceed only after the improvement location permit is issued.
  • The application must include a site plan with required setbacks, septic location, driveway and floodplain information (Section 13-3).

  “no construction of any structure shall take place without the issuance of an improvement location permit, as required by this ordinance.”

• Local zoningVaries (with conditions)

  Land inside Owen township, Jackson County, Indiana, outside the incorporated boundaries of Seymour, Brownstown, Medora and Crothersville (county aggregate conclusion; no Owen township zoning ordinance located)

  • The county zoning ordinance applies to all land in Jackson County except the incorporated boundaries named in Section 1-4, so it governs unincorporated land in Owen township.
  • Cities and towns named in Section 1-4 administer their own zoning, which is why the aggregate value is varies.
  • No Owen township zoning ordinance or official township statement on zoning was found; this claim does not state that the township has or lacks zoning.

  “this ordinance applies to all land within jackson county, indiana, with the exception of the incorporated boundaries of the city of seymour, town of brownstown, town of medora, & town of crothersville”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Parcels inside Owen township that are in unincorporated Jackson County

  • The official zoning map is adopted as part of the ordinance and covers unincorporated Jackson County only.
  • Districts listed: agricultural, forest & recreational, residential 1, residential 2, lake residential, general business, industrial. Full map not opened.

  “the zoning map shows the designated zoning district in reference to each parcel of land within the jurisdiction of unincorporated jackson county.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  New lots in the residential 1 district in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township parcels in that district

  • Table columns read as: on-site septic at 1 acre (43,560 square feet) with 150.00 ft width, and municipal sewer at 10,000 square feet with 70.00 ft width; the column layout was read from flattened PDF text and should be confirmed against the original table.
  • All lots also require approval of two approved septic sites or one repairable system by the Jackson County health department.
  • Non-conforming lots of record may receive a building permit with dated deed proof and septic approval (Section 5-3(a)).

  minimum lot area, on-site septic: >= 1 acre (43,560 square feet) · minimum lot width, on-site septic: >= 150 ft · minimum lot area, municipal sewer: >= 10000 square feet · minimum lot width, municipal sewer: >= 70 ft

  “1 acre (43,560 square feet) 10,000 square feet 150.00’ feet 70.00’ feet *note: all lots shall also require approval of two (2) approved septic sites or one (1) repairable system by the jackson county health department.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — New lots in the agricultural district in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township parcels in that district

    “agricultural 1 acre (43,560 square feet) 150.00’ feet * note: all lots shall also require approval of two (2) approved septic sites or one (1) repairable system by the jackson county health department.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures in residential districts (including residential 1, residential 2, lake residential) in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township parcels in those districts

  • Any structure over the maximum height requires variance approval.
  • Agricultural, forest & recreational districts share the 35.00 ft limit; agricultural structures may exceed it as needed for operation up to 75 ft.

  maximum building height, residential districts: <= 35 ft (Taller structures require variance approval) · maximum building height, agricultural and forest & recreational districts: <= 35 ft (Agricultural structures may be any height necessary for operation, not greater than 75 ft)

  “maximum height requirements agricultural & forest & recreational districts 35.00’ residential districts 35.00’ business districts 45.00’ industrial districts 75.00’”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Use of a recreational vehicle as living quarters on private land in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Residential use of a recreational vehicle is not allowed except under a temporary occupancy permit.
  • The plan director may issue a temporary occupancy permit for not more than one year when the temporary occupancy is on the same property as an existing residence or on property where a permanent residence will be built within one year.
  • The temporary occupancy must be served by the same water and sewage facilities as the existing or planned residence and may not be placed on a permanent foundation; all applicable setbacks must be observed.

  temporary occupancy permit duration: <= 1 year (Maximum period under the permit)

  “the plan director may grant a permit for temporary occupancy of a mobile home or recreational vehicles for a period of not more than one (1) year provided all the following are met”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Parking a recreational vehicle on a private lot outside an RV park in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Maximum of 30 days on a lot outside an RV park, and septic must be discharged into an approved tank.
  • Stays longer than that are not covered by this rule; a temporary occupancy permit (up to one year) is the only extended option in the captured text.

  maximum stay on a lot outside an RV park: <= 30 days

  “recreational vehicles may not be used for residential purposes and may only be located on a lot outside of a recreational vehicle park for a maximum of thirty (30) days, and septic must be discharged into approved tank.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Placing a mobile or manufactured home for residential use in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Before a building permit issues, the applicant must obtain a mobile home transfer permit (state form 7878) from the Jackson County treasurer and an on-site sewage permit from the Jackson County health department.
  • Non-compliant mobile homes may be removed by the building commissioner after notice and 30 days, with cost plus 25% administrative fee charged to the owner.

  “prior to being issued a building permit, the applicant must obtain: 1. a mobile home transfer permit (state form 7878) from the jackson county treasurer’s office. 2. an on-site sewage permit from the jackson county health department.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage (septic) approvals for land inside Owen township, Jackson County, Indiana

  • The zoning ordinance names the Jackson County health department as the approving body for on-site sewage; the state rule and the health department service area were not verified.
  • Geography is recorded as district-specific because the schema does not allow township-specific for a health-district authority.

  “2. an on-site sewage permit from the jackson county health department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New residential lots and mobile home placements inside Owen township, Jackson County, Indiana

  • Lots need approval of two approved septic sites or one repairable system from the Jackson County health department.
  • Mobile home placement needs an on-site sewage permit from the same department before a building permit issues.
  • Permit fee, form and steps were not captured.

  “b) septic permit- a copy of all permits issued regarding septic/sewer is required from the jackson county health department.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sanitation for a new residential lot in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Every new lot must have approval of two approved septic sites or one repairable system from the Jackson County health department, so a sanitation system approved by the health department is required.
  • Whether a non-septic off-grid system is possible was not addressed in the captured text.

  “*note: all lots shall also require approval of two (2) approved septic sites or one (1) repairable system by the jackson county health department.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creating new lots in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Subdivision of land must meet the Jackson County subdivision control ordinance, which was not opened.
  • No new lots may be created or altered in a way that does not comply with the lot requirements in each district chapter.

  “b) subdivision of land: all divisions to land shall be subject to the requirements set forth in the jackson county subdivision control ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Residential building lots in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Requires 50.00 ft deeded access on all residential building lots.
  • Driveway location is shown on the site plan under Section 13-3; driveway permit rules were not captured.

  deeded access width: >= 50 ft

  “d) access: 50.00' deeded access is required on all residential building lots.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in special flood hazard areas in unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township parcels in those areas

  • Applies only in areas of special flood hazard; parcels outside them are not covered by this requirement.
  • The county building commissioner is the floodplain administrator and receives applications (Chapter 11, section 151.04(a)).

  “a floodplain development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this chapter prior to the commencement of any development activities in areas of special flood hazard.”

• Permit processPartial

  Improvement location permit process for unincorporated Jackson County, including Owen township

  • Application forms are available on the county website or from the planning and zoning office.
  • Fee schedule, inspection steps and certificate of occupancy steps were not captured, so the process is only partly documented.

  “a) application- available on our website or in the jackson county planning & zoning office, application forms are to be filled out to their entirety and to the best of the applicant's knowledge.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building in Owen township (unincorporated Jackson County)
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to construction in Owen township (unincorporated Jackson County)
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction in Owen township (unincorporated Jackson County)
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Owen township (unincorporated Jackson County)
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for homes in Owen township (unincorporated Jackson 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.