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

Whitney Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Whitney township's limits; the township's own Zoning Ordinance No. 2004-07 as amended by No. 2025-02 applies.

  • Zoning applies to uses inside the township and is administered by the township zoning administrator per the ordinance.

  “zoning ordinance no. 2004-07 as amended by no. 2025-02 township of whitney arenac county, michigan”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  FR (Forestry & Recreation) district in Whitney township, where one-family dwellings are a principal use; not the single-family residential district, which was not opened.

  • Footnote * in the table: a dwelling lot must affront a public road; the footnote text was cut off in extraction and needs checking.
  • Other districts (including the residential and commercial districts) were not confirmed in the opened text.

  minimum lot area: >= 12000 sq ft (FR district) · minimum lot width: >= 60 ft (FR district; footnote * applies)

  “12,000 sq. ft. 60 ft.* 30 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 2 1/2 * a dwelling lot shall affront a public road.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  FR (Forestry & Recreation) district in Whitney township; not the single-family residential district, which was not opened.

  • Table reads: front 30 ft, each side 10 ft, rear 15 ft (minimums).
  • Column assignments taken from the table's header order (area, width, front, each side, rear, height); PDF extraction is garbled, so confirm against the printed table.
  • Other districts not confirmed.

  front yard setback: >= 30 ft (FR district) · side yard setback (each side): >= 10 ft (FR district) · rear yard setback: >= 15 ft (FR district)

  “12,000 sq. ft. 60 ft.* 30 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 2 1/2”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  FR (Forestry & Recreation) district in Whitney township; not the single-family residential district, which was not opened.

  • Table reads maximum building height 2 1/2 stories for the FR district.
  • Other districts not confirmed.

  maximum building height: <= 2.5 stories (FR district)

  “12,000 sq. ft. 60 ft.* 30 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 2 1/2”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Use of a travel trailer or other recreational vehicle as a dwelling on residentially zoned land inside Whitney township

  • Allowed only as a temporary dwelling for up to one year, and only if the owner shows the ability and intent to erect a home on the premises and a building permit is issued.
  • The vehicle must be on premises with running water and sewage facilities and must carry a current license plate at all times.
  • Other RV use as a dwelling in residential districts is not permitted under the ordinance.

  maximum temporary occupancy: <= 1 year (requires building permit and intent to build a home)

  “a travel trailer, or similar recreational vehicle, may be used as a temporary dwelling for a period not to exceed one year, if the ability and intent to erect a home on the premises is shown; building permit issued;”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Guest tents or recreational vehicles on residentially zoned land inside Whitney township

  • Guest sleeping in a tent or RV is limited to 30 days in any one calendar year.
  • A permanent dwelling with running water and sewage facilities must be established on the same site.

  guest sleeping period: <= 30 days per calendar year (requires a permanent dwelling with running water and sewage facilities on the site)

  “a tent or recreational vehicle may be used for temporary sleeping quarters for guests for a period not to exceed thirty days in any one calendar year.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes used as a dwelling inside Whitney township

  • A mobile home that does not meet the ordinance's section 6.14 standards may be used as a dwelling only in a mobile home park zoned for that use.
  • Section 6.14 standards were not opened and need checking.

  “mobile homes which do not conform to the standards of section 6.14 of this ordinance shall not be used for dwelling purposes unless located within a mobile home park zoned for such use.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Accessory buildings such as garages, outbuildings and sheds on land inside Whitney township

  • Applies to accessory buildings; the ordinance does not allow them to be used for human occupancy or as a dwelling.
  • Other dwelling types, such as a second dwelling on a lot, were not checked in the opened text.

  “accessory buildings, including but not limited to garages, outbuildings and sheds, shall not be used for human occupancy or as dwelling.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sanitation for buildings used for human occupancy inside Whitney township

  • Every building used for occupancy must have a safe and sanitary water supply and a method of sewage and waste disposal built to state standards.
  • Outside privies and other outside toilet facilities are prohibited.
  • Waste must be treated and disposed of under state and health standards.

  “the use of privies and other outside toilet facilities is prohibited.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision plats inside Whitney township

  • Plats must conform to Michigan Public Act 288 of 1967 and the township subdivision ordinance.
  • Condominium projects require notice to the township before proposed start, per the ordinance.
  • The township subdivision ordinance text was not opened.

  “all documents submitted shall conform to the provisions of act 288 of the public acts of 1967, as amended and the township subdivision ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for work inside Whitney township
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Whitney township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Whitney township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new or altered buildings in Whitney township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for a single-family home inside Whitney 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.