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

Rules another office applies inside Greenfield Township

Greenfield 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

  Residences in unincorporated LaGrange County, including unincorporated land in Greenfield township

  • The quoted sentence is one item in a use-specific list of residential standards. It states a building permit condition for residences where sanitary sewers are not available. It is not a general statement covering all construction.
  • Permit is conditioned on a conditional certificate from the LaGrange County health department.
  • Ordinance applies to unincorporated areas; incorporated towns are excluded.

  “in areas where sanitary sewers are not available, no building permit shall be issued for a residence unless the lagrange county health department has issued a conditional certificate indicating that a septic permit can be issued for the dwelling”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Greenfield township, LaGrange County, Indiana. The zoning rule that applies there is the county's zoning ordinance, not a township ordinance. No Greenfield township-adopted zoning ordinance was found.

  • The ordinance applies to unincorporated portions of LaGrange County and to the incorporated towns of Topeka, LaGrange, Shipshewana and Wolcottville. Land inside those towns is outside this claim.
  • The ordinance text reviewed is dated November 17, 2005. The county document center also lists a Unified Development Ordinance that was not opened; its adoption status is unverified.
  • Which zoning district a given Greenfield township parcel sits in depends on the county zoning map, which was not checked.

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all structures, lands, water, and air within the unincorporated portions of lagrange county and the incorporated towns of topeka, lagrange, shipshewana and wolcottville”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land in LaGrange County, including unincorporated land in Greenfield township

  • Districts named in the 2005 ordinance include agricultural (A-1), residential (S-1, U-1, L-1), business and industrial districts.
  • District assignment for Greenfield township parcels depends on the county zoning map, which was not opened.
  • Ordinance dated November 17, 2005; a Unified Development Ordinance may have replaced it.

  “the county is hereby divided into zoning districts as detailed in this article to carry out the purposes of this title. these districts are described in this article. the boundaries are as shown on the official zoning map.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Front setbacks for the A-1 general agricultural district in unincorporated LaGrange County, including unincorporated land in Greenfield township if zoned A-1

  • Front setbacks are measured from the centerline of the adjacent street, per section 4-b-6.
  • A-1 is described as not intended as a large-lot residential zone.
  • Side and rear setbacks for A-1 are in the garbled table 4-a-2 and were not verified.

  front setback, arterial road: 110 feet (A-1 district; measured from road centerline) · front setback, major collector: 85 feet (A-1 district; measured from road centerline) · front setback, minor collector: 85 feet (A-1 district; measured from road centerline) · front setback, local road: 80 feet (A-1 district; measured from road centerline) · front setback, subdivision street: 45 feet (A-1 district; measured from road centerline)

  “table 4-a-1 minimum front setback distances (feet) zoning district arterial major collector minor collector local subdivision a-1 110 85 85 80 45 s-1 100 75 60 50 45”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Front setbacks for the S-1 residential subdivision district in unincorporated LaGrange County, including unincorporated land in Greenfield township if zoned S-1

    “table 4-a-1 minimum front setback distances (feet) zoning district arterial major collector minor collector local subdivision a-1 110 85 85 80 45 s-1 100 75 60 50 45”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems on unincorporated land in Greenfield township; the LaGrange County health department handles the septic permit

  • Septic permit is handled by the county health department as quoted; the health department's service boundary inside the township was not separately verified.

  “in areas where sanitary sewers are not available, no building permit shall be issued for a residence unless the lagrange county health department has issued a conditional certificate indicating that a septic permit can be issued for the dwelling”

• Septic permitRequired

  Dwellings on unincorporated land inside Greenfield township where sanitary sewers are not available

  • A conditional certificate from the county health department is required before a building permit issues for a residence in such areas.
  • Septic permit requirement applies where sanitary sewers are not available; sewer-served areas are not covered by this sentence.

  “in areas where sanitary sewers are not available, no building permit shall be issued for a residence unless the lagrange county health department has issued a conditional certificate indicating that a septic permit can be issued for the dwelling”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Residential subdivisions on unincorporated land inside Greenfield township

  • The zoning ordinance refers to a separate subdivision control ordinance; that ordinance was not opened.
  • Subdivision rules apply to unincorporated areas; incorporated towns are excluded.

  “the subdivision of land is permitted in any district established by this title, provided that said action is in accordance with the requirements of the applicable zoning district and the subdivision control ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Greenfield township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to construction inside Greenfield township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Greenfield township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Greenfield township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Greenfield township

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.