Zoning, building permits and septic rules in West Creek Township, Indiana

Rules another office applies inside West Creek Township

West Creek Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts that apply in unincorporated West Creek township under the Lake County UDO No. 2560

  • The residential district list is in Table 2-1; the agricultural (A-1) district is described in 154-2-010; business and industrial districts are in Articles 3 and 4.
  • Does not apply inside Lowell or Schneider.

  “table 2-1: residential (r) zoning districts map symbol district name rr rural residential r-1 residential single-dwelling 1 r-2 residential single-dwelling 2 r-3 residential one to four-dwelling r-5 residential multi-dwelling”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Conventional development in A-1 and R districts in unincorporated West Creek township

  • Minimum lot area varies by district and by central-sewer availability in Table 2-3; the extracted numbers are column-garbled, so no numeric value is recorded here.
  • Note [1]: 'unless greater minimum lot area required by lake county health department.'

  “unless greater minimum lot area required by lake county health department.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Building setbacks in A-1 and R districts in unincorporated West Creek township

  • Street, interior side and rear setbacks vary by district in Table 2-3; numeric values not recorded because the extracted table is column-garbled.
  • Cluster developments in RR and R-1 use separate setbacks in Table 2-4.

  “table 2-3: lot and building regulations for conventional development in a-1 and r districts”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Onsite (septic) sewage systems for homes inside West Creek township that are not connected to a sanitary sewer; the Lake County Health Department (Indiana) approves the facilities

  • The UDO requires sewage disposal facilities approved by the Lake County Health Department; the Lake County Health Department's own septic pages were not located, so the permit process is taken from the Indiana Department of Health program page.
  • Applies in unincorporated Lake County under the UDO, and in West Creek township generally through the health department's service area.

  “all new and existing uses must provide water supply and sewage disposal facilities conforming to standards of design and location approved by the lake county health department.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New uses on unincorporated land in West Creek township; not inside the incorporated town of Lowell or Schneider

  • Connection is required only when central water and sewer infrastructure is located nearby; the UDO states no distance threshold in the quoted text.
  • The text says the regulations 'may, in some cases' require connection, so it is discretionary by the county.
  • Lake County Health Department approval of water and sewage facilities also applies (UDO 154-16-060).

  “these regulations may, in some cases, impose larger minimum lot area requirements than this udo or require connection to central water and sewer facilities when such infrastructure is located nearby.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into minor or major subdivisions in unincorporated West Creek township

  • Subdivision approval runs through the Lake County Plan Commission; not applicable inside Lowell or Schneider.
  • Lots must comply with UDO provisions when created or modified (154-1-050).

  “the regulations of this article apply to all minor and major subdivisions.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in special flood hazard areas in unincorporated West Creek township

  • Floodway development is barred outright under UDO 154-16-010(a); flood fringe development needs a zoning variance under 154-17-110.
  • Applies only where the parcel lies in a mapped special flood hazard area; the flood map for West Creek was not checked.

  “without first having received approval of a zoning variance (variance of development standards) in accordance with 154-17-110.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside West Creek township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside West Creek township
• Local zoning — Whether West Creek township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance inside its limits
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated West Creek township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in unincorporated West Creek 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.