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

Pokagon Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Grading, excavation and construction inside Pokagon township

  • A zoning permit must be issued before any grading, excavation or construction begins.
  • A building permit is issued where required by state law.

  “no grading, excavation, or construction shall be initiated prior to the issuance of a zoning permit and, where required by state law, the building inspector certifies proposed structures and buildings comply with the michigan construction code through the issuance of a building permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of any structure or use inside Pokagon township

  • Permit is issued by the building inspector under the Michigan Construction Code.

  “no structure or use shall be occupied, in whole or in part, without first receiving a permit for occupancy from the building inspector pursuant to the michigan construction code.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Pokagon township, Cass County, Michigan

  • Official zoning map is kept at the township office and is the final authority on current zoning status.
  • Copy on the township's own website is the 2019 text; later amendments were not checked.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the 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

  Zoning districts inside Pokagon township: OSP, A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MF, R-MHC, C-1, C-2, I-1 and PUD

  • Boundaries are shown on the official zoning map kept at the township office.

  “agricultural/conservation districts osp open space preservation district a-1 agricultural production district a-2 agricultural-residential district residential districts r-1 low density residential district r-2 medium density residential district r-3 high density residential district r-mf multiple family residential district r-mhc manufactured housing community 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 lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 Agricultural Production district inside Pokagon township

  • Smaller lots of 1 to 3 acres may be created under Section 3.7 as non-prime or farmland residential lots, subject to township board approval and a cap on the number of farmland lots by parent acreage.
  • County health department may require larger area.
  • Other districts (OSP 10 acres, A-2, R-1 to R-3, commercial) are in Table 3-4, which was not legible in extracted text.

  minimum lot area, A-1: >= 40 acres (Section 3.7 alternatives of 1 to 3 acres)

  “in addition to the required minimum forty (40) acre lot size in the a-1 district according to table 3-4 of article 3, lots may be created of less than forty (40) acres according to this section 3.7.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Small residential lots created under Section 3.7 in the A-1 district inside Pokagon township

  • Side yard 30 ft and rear yard 50 ft for these lots, per the same section.
  • Other districts' setbacks are in Table 3-4, which was not legible in extracted text.

  minimum front yard setback: >= 50 feet · minimum side yard setback: >= 30 feet · minimum rear yard setback: >= 50 feet

  “c. minimum front yard setback: fifty (50) feet. article 3: zoning districts, regulations and map 3-3 pokagon township zoning ordinance d. minimum side yard setback: thirty (30) feet. e. minimum rear yard setback: fifty (50) feet.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Recreational vehicle used as a temporary dwelling on a vacant lot inside Pokagon township

  • Lot must be in the A-1 or A-2 district only.
  • Lot must be at least 10 acres.
  • RV must meet dwelling setbacks for the district.
  • No more than 30 days in any four consecutive calendar months.
  • Only one RV at a time.
  • An annual zoning permit is required.
  • Emergency housing and new-home-under-construction temporary dwellings are separately authorized by the zoning administrator.
  • On a lot with a permanent dwelling, a visiting RV is limited to 14 days in a calendar month; no zoning permit needed.

  minimum lot area: >= 10 acres · maximum stay: <= 30 days per four consecutive calendar months

  “the temporary dwelling shall be comprised of a recreational vehicle only. b. the lot shall be located in the a-1 or a-2 district only. c. the lot shall be a minimum of ten (10) acres in area.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings and structures, height limits, inside Pokagon township

  • Building must be set back from all lot lines an additional 1 foot for each foot above the height limit.
  • Exemption must conform to FCC and civil aeronautics administration rules.
  • Covers height only; no broader permit exemption found.

  “agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from the height limitations of table 3-4 provided the building or structure is setback from all lot lines an additional one (1) foot for each one (1) foot that the building or structure exceeds the height limitation of table 3-4”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creating new lots inside Pokagon township

  • A-1 district lot creation is also limited by Section 3.7 and the Michigan Land Division Act.

  “no portion of one lot shall be used in the creation of another lot unless each lot resulting from each such reduction, division, or sale, shall conform to all of the requirements established herein.”

Rules another office applies inside Pokagon Township

Pokagon Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sewage disposal and potable water facilities inside Pokagon township; the township ordinance sends them to the Cass County Health Department standards

  • Other applicable local, county, state or federal agencies' standards also apply.

  “all sewage disposal and potable water facilities shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the requirements and standards of the cass county health department as well as those of other applicable local, county, state, or federal agencies.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permits inside Pokagon township
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside Pokagon township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Pokagon township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Pokagon township
• Building height — Building height inside Pokagon 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.