Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Lincoln, Michigan

Village of Lincoln’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Dwelling use of a basement or partially completed structure inside Lincoln village

  • This covers only the temporary certificate of occupancy rule for unfinished dwelling space; general CO requirements were not researched.

  “the use of any portion of a basement or partially completed structure for dwelling purposes shall not be permitted unless a temporary certificate of occupancy has been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Lincoln village limits (Alcona County, MI), administered under the Village of Lincoln Zoning Ordinance adopted 8/4/2014 and effective 8/20/2014

  • Zoning permits, plot plans and site plan review apply under Articles 5 and 6 of the ordinance; those articles were not opened.
  • Post-2014 amendments were not fully reviewed. A 2019 draft amendment on restaurant grease traps appears on the village site as an unsigned draft ('Ordinance No. ____ of 2019') and was not treated as adopted.

  “village of lincoln zoning ordinance adopted: 8/4/2014 effective: 8/20/2014 article 4: district regulations page 4-25”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts mapped for Lincoln village, Alcona County, MI

  • The map key in the 2014 ordinance lists R-1, CR, MU, CBD-1, CBD-2 overlay, B-1, I and P districts.
  • District-by-district rules were only partly opened (see the dimensional claims).

  “r-1: residential district cr: conservation-residential district mu: mixed use district cbd-1: central business district b-1: general business district cbd-2: central business district overlay p: public use district i: industrial district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Main residential district in Lincoln village (10,000/12,000 sq ft table; expected R-1)

  • The table prints the minimum floor area figure as '720 feet'; the unit is presumed to be square feet and should be verified.
  • District identity inferred from table position; verify the Article 4 heading.

  minimum floor area (as printed): >= 720 as printed: feet

  “12,000 square feet where public sewer is not available 10,000 square feet where public sewer is available 65 feet 35 feet 30% 720 feet 20 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Main residential district in Lincoln village (the table with 10,000/12,000 sq ft lots; heading not captured, expected to be R-1 single family residential)

  • Lot area is 12,000 sq ft where public sewer is not available and 10,000 sq ft where public sewer is available.
  • District identity inferred from table position and the map key; verify the Article 4 heading.

  minimum lot area (no public sewer): >= 12000 square feet (where public sewer is not available) · minimum lot area (public sewer available): >= 10000 square feet (where public sewer is available)

  “12,000 square feet where public sewer is not available 10,000 square feet where public sewer is available 65 feet 35 feet 30% 720 feet 20 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Main residential district in Lincoln village (10,000/12,000 sq ft table; expected R-1 single family residential)

  • Setback footnotes 2 and 3 apply to the front and rear yard figures; not captured.
  • District identity inferred from table position; verify the Article 4 heading.

  minimum front yard: 25 feet · minimum rear yard: 25 feet · minimum side yard: 10 feet · minimum width of primary structure: 20 feet

  “12,000 square feet where public sewer is not available 10,000 square feet where public sewer is available 65 feet 35 feet 30% 720 feet 20 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Main residential district in Lincoln village (10,000/12,000 sq ft table; expected R-1)

  • Lot coverage counts buildings, porches, pools, decks above 8 inches, patio roofs and similar structures, but not fences, walls or hedges used as fences (Article 2 definition).
  • District identity inferred from table position; verify the Article 4 heading.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent of lot

  “lot coverage: the part or percent of the lot occupied by buildings or structures, including accessory buildings or structures. this shall be deemed to include all buildings, porches, swimming pools, decks above 8" above grade, arbors, breezeways, patio roofs, and the like, whether open box type and/or lathe roofs or fully roofed, but shall not include fences, walls or hedges used as fences.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Main residential district in Lincoln village (10,000/12,000 sq ft table; expected R-1)

  • Height rules apply to any portion of a structure usable as living or commercial space; chimneys, spires and similar features are excluded (table footnote 1).
  • District identity inferred from table position; verify the Article 4 heading.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “building height: height regulations shall apply to any portion of a structure that could be used as living or commercial space, but shall not apply to areas that could not be used for living or commercial space (chimneys, church spires, bell towers, etc.).”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Overnight occupancy of a recreational vehicle on a lot inside Lincoln village, in districts that allow residences

  • Occupancy is limited to no more than 15 consecutive days in any 30-day period and no more than 30 days in a calendar year.
  • Other districts: the zoning administrator may allow RV occupancy case by case.
  • No zoning permit is required for RV occupancy in any district.
  • The RV must be in good physical condition as determined by the zoning administrator, and its location must conform to the district setbacks.

  consecutive days per 30-day period: <= 15 days (in any thirty (30) day period) · calendar year maximum: <= 30 days

  “overnight camping in a recreation vehicle on a lot in the village in districts allowing residences shall be permitted providing that the recreational vehicle shall be occupied for no more than fifteen (15) consecutive days in any thirty (30) day period but not longer than thirty (30) days in a calendar year.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary overnight camping in a recreational vehicle on a lot inside Lincoln village; tent camping was not addressed in the sections reviewed

  • Same limits as the RV occupancy rule: no more than 15 consecutive days in any 30-day period and no more than 30 days in a calendar year, in districts allowing residences.
  • Non-residential districts: zoning administrator case-by-case approval.

  consecutive days per 30-day period: <= 15 days (in any thirty (30) day period)

  “overnight camping in a recreation vehicle on a lot in the village in districts allowing residences shall be permitted providing that the recreational vehicle shall be occupied for no more than fifteen (15) consecutive days in any thirty (30) day period but not longer than thirty (30) days in a calendar year.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creation of new lots inside Lincoln village under the zoning ordinance

  • New lots must meet the zoning minimum lot size, except recorded plat outlots that give each building its required lot area.
  • State land division and plat law, and the village's site-condominium rules (filing requirements in Article 3), were not reviewed.

  “no new lots shall be created which do not meet the minimum lot size regulations of this ordinance”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Lincoln or Alcona County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for a new home inside Lincoln village
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Lincoln village
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for Lincoln village
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Lincoln village
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Lincoln village

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.