Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lincoln Township, Michigan

Lincoln Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction in Lincoln township that requires a building or grading permit

  • Construction may start only after a zoning permit and a building or grading permit are issued (Section 5.13).
  • Construction also requires a land use permit and a building permit under the applicable building code (dwelling definitions in Chapter 2).
  • Building permits are routed to the township's building department page, which lists an Area Code Enforcement contact at Pinconning and states more information will be published shortly.
  • Which specific projects need a permit is not stated in the text read.

  “no construction activity requiring a building or grading permit shall commence until a zoning permit and building or grading permit has been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Lincoln township limits, Arenac County, under the township's own zoning ordinance

  • The ordinance divides the township into agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial and highway interchange districts.
  • Construction and land use require the zoning and building permits described in the building_permit_requirement claim.

  “this ordinance shall be known as the "zoning ordinance of lincoln township" and shall be referred to as "this ordinance."”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of Lincoln township: agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial and highway interchange

  • The ordinance states that the zoning map is part of the ordinance; the map image itself was not read.
  • Dimensional standards are set separately for each district (see minimum_lot_size, building_height and setbacks claims).

  “the zoning ordinance and the zoning map are organized into five basic zone areas: the agricultural district the residential district the commercial district the industrial district the highway interchange district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential district (Section 4.6) single-family homes in Lincoln township

  • Column pairing is inferred from the scanned layout: 22,500 sq ft sits beside without public sewer and 15,000 sq ft beside with public sewer. Verify against the scanned table.
  • Agricultural and commercial district lot sizes were not extracted.

  minimum lot size without public sewer: >= 22500 square feet · minimum lot size with public sewer: >= 15000 square feet

  “section 4.6.3 development standards without public sewer minimum lot size minimum frontage minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height with public sewer 22,500 square feet 15,000 square feet 100 feet 75 feet 50 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet 50 feet 30 feet 2½ stories or 35 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential district (Section 4.6) front, side and rear setbacks in Lincoln township

  • The residential development standards list minimum front, side and rear setbacks.
  • The individual setback numbers are not paired reliably in the scanned layout, so they are not stated here.

  “section 4.6.3 development standards without public sewer minimum lot size minimum frontage minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height with public sewer 22,500 square feet 15,000 square feet 100 feet 75 feet 50 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet 50 feet 30 feet 2½ stories or 35 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential district (Section 4.6) single-family homes in Lincoln township

  • The residential block lists a maximum height of 2½ stories or 35 feet, but the column pairing (with or without public sewer) is not confirmed.

  maximum height: 2½ stories or 35 feet (column pairing with or without public sewer not confirmed)

  “section 4.6.3 development standards without public sewer minimum lot size minimum frontage minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height with public sewer 22,500 square feet 15,000 square feet 100 feet 75 feet 50 feet 25 feet 25 feet 10 feet 50 feet 30 feet 2½ stories or 35 feet”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for construction in Lincoln township

  • The township building department page lists contact extensions for electrical, mechanical/plumbing and office matters and an Area Code Enforcement address.
  • The page does not describe the application steps, fees or inspections.

  “more information will be published shortly.”

Rules another office applies inside Lincoln Township

Lincoln 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 code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New homes, additions and accessory structures built in Lincoln township

  • The Michigan Residential Code is the building code applied to residential construction, per the Arenac County building department.
  • No township-adopted building code was located in the township's posted materials.

  “new homes, converting utility structures to residences, additions, porches, decks (attached or unattached), swimming pools, garages, carports, storage sheds (both pre-built and on-site construction), pole barns, lean-to and even demolitions are just a few examples of the projects subject to the michigan residential code.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for work in Lincoln township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction in Lincoln township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings in Lincoln township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for single-family homes in Lincoln township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in Lincoln 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.