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

Weldon Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Weldon Township, Benzie County, MI

  • Uses are permitted by right or as special land uses per Tables 4-2 and 4-3
  • Zoning permit issued by the township zoning administrator
  • The township site also lists an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance (temporary moratorium on data centers) and amendments dated 5/10/2022

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, weldon township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts, which shall be known by the following respective symbols and names and shall have boundaries as delineated on the official zoning map.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Weldon Township zoning districts

  • Districts: RC, NR, RR, R-1, C-1, C-2, I-1, PUD
  • Official zoning map is posted on the township site

  “conservation districts rc resource conservation nr natural rivers district residential districts rr rural residential districtr-1 low density residential district commercial districts c-1 local commercial district c-2 general commercial district industrial districts i-1 light industrial district other districts pud planned unit development district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All dwellings in all zoning districts inside Weldon Township

  • Must also meet a 20-foot minimum width across 50% of front, side and rear elevations

  minimum floor area: >= 480 sq ft

  “2. all dwellings shall have a minimum floor area of 480 sq. ft”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Waterfront lots inside Weldon Township (yard setbacks by district are in Table 4-4)

  • Yard setbacks by district were not extracted

  waterfront setback, AP and NR districts: >= 200 ft · waterfront setback, all other districts: >= 100 ft

  “in the case of a waterfront lot, the required minimum setback from the ordinary high water mark shall be 200' in the ap and nr districts and one-hundred (100) feet in all other districts.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational vehicles on lots inside Weldon Township

  • Temporary dwellings need zoning administrator approval
  • Emergency housing only while the permanent dwelling is under repair after destruction, and a zoning permit and building permit has been issued
  • Temporary recreational use: one RV per lot, March 1 to December 31 each year

  RV recreational season: March 1 to December 31 · RVs per lot: <= 1 RV

  “temporary dwellings are prohibited except as approved by the zoning administrator according to this section.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping in an RV on a lot inside Weldon Township

  • Requires zoning administrator authorization via zoning permit application
  • Only one recreational vehicle per lot

  RV recreational season: March 1 to December 31

  “to allow a recreational vehicle to be placed on a lot between march 1 st and december 31st of every calendar year for recreational purposes, including camping. only one recreational vehicle shall be allowed per lot.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes used as dwellings inside Weldon Township

  • Must meet the dwelling standards in Article 18, including a 480 sq ft minimum floor area and 20-foot minimum width
  • Permanent foundation required

  “in the case of a mobile home as defined herein, such dwelling shall be installed pursuant to the manufacturer's setup instructions and shall be secured to the premises by an anchoring system or device”

• Permit feesPublished

  Zoning permits inside Weldon Township

  • Fee amounts are in a separate PDF fee schedule that was not opened
  • County 2026 building fee schedule is separate

  “zoning: land use permit application land use permit application (form) land use permit checklist (form) zoning fee schedule zoning ordinance and map:”

Rules another office applies inside Weldon Township

Weldon 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)

  Construction in Benzie County, enforced by the county building department; the Weldon zoning ordinance defines building permits by reference to the Michigan Construction Code

  • The county page does not name Weldon Township specifically
  • Weldon's ordinance also refers to the building inspector and the michigan construction code

  “this department is responsible for administration and enforcement of the state code or codes, in benzie county and springdale township in manistee county”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New construction inside Weldon Township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Weldon Township
• Inspections — Construction inside Weldon Township
• Certificate of occupancy — Dwellings inside Weldon Township
• Minimum lot size — RR and R-1 districts inside Weldon 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.