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

Rules another office applies inside Plain Township

Plain 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

  Uses and structures in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities, under the county zoning ordinance

  • Permits are required under the county zoning ordinance (improvement location permit, section 4.3). This was not verified as a building-code permit.
  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is lawfully issued.

  “and be used or be designed to be used, except in full compliance with all the provisions of this ordinance and after the lawful issuance of the permits required by this ordinance”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Plain township outside incorporated municipalities: the Kosciusko County Zoning Ordinance governs use and district rules there. This is county zoning, not a township ordinance.

  • The county ordinance's jurisdiction clause covers all county land; Plain township is not one of the incorporated municipalities listed as having joined it.
  • No official Plain Township (Indiana) statement that it has adopted its own zoning ordinance was found; if it has, that township ordinance would control in its territory.
  • Zone maps are incorporated by reference in the ordinance and were not opened.

  “1.5 jurisdiction: the jurisdiction of this ordinance shall include all lands and waters within the territorial jurisdiction of the county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities, under the Kosciusko County Zoning Ordinance

  • Districts listed in the ordinance table of contents: environmental, public use, agricultural (a), agricultural II (aii), residential (r), commercial (c), limited industrial (i-1), light industrial (i-2), heavy industrial (i-3), and overlay.
  • Zone maps are incorporated by reference (section 2.1) and were not opened.

  “2.8 residential district 2.9 commercial district 2.10 i-1 limited industrial district 2.11 i-2 light industrial district 2.12 i-3 heavy industrial district 2.13 overlay district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural (a) district lots without public sewer in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Applies to lots without public sewer (Table B).
  • Section 2.6 permits a single-family residence on separate tracts only if the tract provides adequate area for water and sewage systems.

  minimum lot area: >= 20000 sq ft (plus 10,000 sq ft per additional family; lots without public sewer) · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft

  “a 20,000 10,000 100 50 20 aii 1 acre n/a 100 50 20 r 20,000 10,000 100 35 10”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Residential (r) district lots without public sewer in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities

    “a 20,000 10,000 100 50 20 aii 1 acre n/a 100 50 20 r 20,000 10,000 100 35 10”

  • Specified — Agricultural II (aii) district lots without public sewer in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities

    “a 20,000 10,000 100 50 20 aii 1 acre n/a 100 50 20 r 20,000 10,000 100 35 10”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural (a) district lots without public sewer in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Table B values apply to lots without public sewer; Table C (with public sewer) was not reported.
  • The rear yard footnote (*) is not explained in the extracted text and was not resolved.

  minimum front yard: >= 50 ft (lots without public sewer) · minimum side yard: >= 20 ft (lots without public sewer) · minimum rear yard: >= 20 ft (lots without public sewer; footnote * not resolved)

  “a 20,000 10,000 100 50 20 aii 1 acre n/a 100 50 20 r 20,000 10,000 100 35 10”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential (r) district lots without public sewer in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities

    “minimum depth rear yard feet 20* 20* 20* 20* 15* 20* 20* 20* 50*”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal and accessory structures in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities, in districts other than agricultural, industrial, or commercial

  • The 40 ft and 25 ft limits do not apply in agricultural, industrial, or commercial districts.
  • The board of zoning appeals may vary the height limit under conditions stated in section 3.14.1.1 and 3.14.1.2, which were not fully read.

  principal structure maximum height: <= 40 ft (above mean ground level; not in agricultural, industrial, or commercial districts) · accessory building maximum height: <= 25 ft (above mean ground level; eave height max 16 ft unless approved by board of zoning appeals) · accessory building maximum eave height: <= 16 ft (unless approved by board of zoning appeals)

  “3.14.1 except in agricultural, industrial, or commercial districts, no principle structure shall exceed forty (40) feet in height above mean ground level, and no accessory building shall exceed twenty-five (25) feet in height above mean ground level nor an eave height higher then sixteen (16) feet unless approved by the board of zoning appeals.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles used as a temporary or permanent place of abode in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities, when not in a mobile home park or designated campground

  • RVs must meet all federal, state and county laws that apply to dwellings; skirting of durable material is required when used as an abode.
  • RVs in mobile home parks or designated campgrounds are excluded from this section.

  “3.3 mobile homes & recreational vehicles: mobile homes and recreational vehicles not located in a mobile home park or designated campground, and used as temporary or permanent place of abode shall be subject to the requirements of all federal, state and county laws applicable to dwellings. further "skirting" of a durable material shall be installed upon any mobile home or recreational vehicle so used or occupied as a temporary or permanent place of abode.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes used as a temporary or permanent place of abode in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities, when not in a mobile home park or designated campground

  • Mobile homes must meet all federal, state and county laws that apply to dwellings; skirting of durable material is required when used as an abode.
  • Manufactured-home sales and service is a listed exception use in some districts (table A, not opened).

  “3.3 mobile homes & recreational vehicles: mobile homes and recreational vehicles not located in a mobile home park or designated campground, and used as temporary or permanent place of abode shall be subject to the requirements of all federal, state and county laws applicable to dwellings.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems for land in Plain township, administered by the Kosciusko County Health Department

  • Permits are required for new septic systems and for repair or replacement work.
  • Plain township's own septic rule was not found.

  “county ordinances require property owners to obtain permits for any new septic or well installed in kosciusko county. this includes any work done for repairing an existing septic system or replacing an existing well.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems in Plain township, permitted by the Kosciusko County Health Department

  • Application is made through the county health department (fillable form, emailed to county staff).
  • The page does not state the fee or the review timeline.

  “septic permit application: fillable pdf printable completed forms should be emailed to: [email protected] and [email protected] with septic permit application in the heading”

• Well permitRequired

  New wells in Plain township, permitted by the Kosciusko County Health Department

  • Application is made through the county health department (fillable form, emailed to county staff).

  “well permit application: fillable pdf printable completed forms should be emailed to: [email protected] and [email protected] with well permit application in the heading”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing rules in Plain township
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction in Plain township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction in Plain township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of a newly built dwelling in Plain township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in Plain township outside incorporated municipalities

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.