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

Rules another office applies inside Prairie Creek Township

Prairie 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.

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Prairie Creek township (Vigo County, IN) outside the corporate limits of Terre Haute, Riley, Seelyville and West Terre Haute. The Vigo County Unified Zoning Ordinance applies there as county zoning; no Prairie Creek township zoning ordinance was located.

  • This is county zoning, not a Prairie Creek township ordinance.
  • The ordinance text reviewed is the county website copy; its current amendment history was not confirmed.
  • Whether any part of Prairie Creek township lies inside an incorporated town was not verified on an opened map page.

  “this ordinance shall be effective within the corporate boundaries of the city of terre haute, the town of riley, the town of seelyville, the town of west terre haute, and the unincorporated areas of vigo county”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township where mapped

  • The district list is in the ordinance text; the official zoning maps were not opened.
  • The A-1 district has no dimensional standards verified in this run.

  “the residential districts established by this ordinance for vigo county, indiana are as follows”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 single-family residential district where mapped in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township

  • Measured as main floor area, exclusive of garage, carports and open porches.
  • The R-1 table as captured in the county PDF describes 'greater than once-story' with a typo; the rule is read as more than one story.
  • Applies only where the R-1 district is mapped; other districts have their own standards.

  minimum main floor area, one-story building: >= 900 sq ft · minimum main floor area, greater than one story: >= 400 sq ft (total floor area must be at least 900 sq ft)

  “h. minimum main floor area - exclusive of garage, carports and open porches: 1. one story building - 900 sq. ft. 2. greater than once-story - 400 sq. ft., provided that the total floor area shall be at least 900 sq. ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 single-family residential district where mapped in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township

  • Sewer and water attachment is mandatory for single-family subdivisions platted after the ordinance's effective date.
  • Nonconforming lots of record may be used under a separate exception rule (section 3).

  minimum lot area: >= 5500 sq ft (sewer and water attachment mandatory for single-family subdivisions with a plat recorded after the ordinance's effective date) · minimum lot width at minimum front setback: >= 50 ft · minimum street frontage: >= 25 ft

  “c. minimum lot area - 5,500 sq. ft., provided, however, for the development of any single-family subdivision for which a plat is recorded after the effective date of this ordinance, attachment to a public or semipublic sanitary sewer system and water supply shall be mandatory.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in the R-1 single-family residential district where mapped in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township

  • Front setback depends on the street class: local 25 ft, sub collector 30 ft, collector 40 ft, arterial 60 ft.
  • Interior and rear setbacks are measured from the property line.

  front setback, local or minor street: >= 25 ft (sub collector 30 ft; collector 40 ft; arterial 60 ft) · rear setback, principal use building: >= 25 ft · rear setback, accessory use building: >= 10 ft · side setback, principal use building: >= 5 ft · side setback, accessory use building: >= 5 ft

  “setback - shall be provided along all street rights-ofway as follows: 1.along a minor or local street - 25’ 2.along a sub collector street - 30’ 3.along a collector40’ 4.along a arterial - 60’”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 single-family residential district where mapped in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township

  • Minimum vegetative cover of 30% also applies.

  maximum coverage by principal building: <= 35 % (minimum vegetative cover 30%)

  “i. lot coverage 1.maximum coverage by principal building – 35% 2.minimum vegetative cover - 30%”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New development in the R-1 single-family residential district where mapped in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township. No general county or township water or sewer hookup mandate was found.

  • Applies only to land in the R-1 district.
  • The rule requires that development be served by sanitary sewer and/or public water, not a mandatory connection in every case.
  • The section 11.02 R-1 minimum lot area rule separately makes sewer and water attachment mandatory for single-family subdivisions platted after the ordinance.

  “development within this district requires the provision of sanitary sewer and/or public water facilities.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township, reviewed by the Vigo County Area Plan Commission

  • The plan commission reviews and approves or disapproves plats; the subdivision control ordinance itself was not opened.
  • The zoning ordinance states that subdivision of land may occur in any zoning district.

  “to review and approve or disapprove all subdivision plats.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in flood hazard areas in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township

  • Applies to flood hazard areas (SFHAs) only; areas outside them were not addressed in the text reviewed.
  • Section 15.02 defines development to include construction, reconstruction or placement of a building or addition valued at more than $1,000.
  • Floodplain construction authorization from the Indiana Natural Resources Commission is required for certain projects under section 15.06.

  “the purpose of this section is to guide development in the flood hazard areas within in the unincorporated areas of vigo county”

• Permit processPartial

  Permits reviewed by the Vigo County Area Planning Department under the Unified Zoning Ordinance in unincorporated Vigo County, including Prairie Creek township

  • Only the five-business-day review period was verified.
  • Additional time may be required by the health department or building inspection department.
  • The Area Planning page states that staff may need additional information before granting a permit.

  permit review period: <= 5 business days (additional time may be required by the health or building inspection department)

  “the area planning department is permitted five (5) business days by the vigo county unified zoning ordinance section 5(a)(3) to grant a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new homes in Prairie Creek township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes in Prairie Creek township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for new homes in Prairie Creek township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in Prairie Creek township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Prairie 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.