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

Village of Vandalia’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Grading, excavation, or construction inside Vandalia village

  • Requirement is tied to the construction code: applies where required by state law, and the zoning permit must issue first.
  • Section 2.2(c) exempts structures not exceeding 225 sq ft and some fences and minor grading from the zoning permit.

  “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 construction code through the issuance of a building permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of any structure or use inside Vandalia village

  • Occupancy permit is issued by the building inspector under the construction code; partial occupancy is also covered.

  “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 construction code.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Vandalia village limits (Village of Vandalia, Cass County, Michigan)

  • Adopted under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (PA 110 of 2006) per the ordinance preamble; the village zoning ordinance governs use and development in the village.

  “village of vandalia zoning ordinance ordinance no. 2016-1 adopted july 11, 2016 the village of vandalia cass county, michigan”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for land inside Vandalia village limits (agricultural residential AR, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MF, C-1 and others listed in Table 3-4, plus the R-MHC manufactured housing district)

  • Zoning district map is part of the ordinance (Article 3, 'zoning districts, regulations and map'); the map image itself was not opened.

  “zoning district maximum building height minimum lot width ar agricultural residential r-1 low density residential r-2 medium density residential r-3 high density residential r-mf multiple family c-1 local commercial”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Multiple-family dwelling units in Vandalia village (multiple family developments). Not a rule for single-family homes.

  • Applies to multiple family developments only; minimum floor areas are heated living area.

  minimum floor area, efficiency unit: >= 350 sq ft heated living area

  “the minimum floor area for multiple family dwelling units shall be as follows: a. efficiencies: 350 sq. ft. of heated living area.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Inside Vandalia village: minimum lot area by district (AR agricultural residential, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MF and other districts in Table 3-4). Per-district numbers were not reliably extracted.

  • Table 3-4 text in the opened PDF is garbled (column values run together), so per-district lot-area numbers are not stated here.
  • Other article rules add minimums, e.g. 10 acres for a manufactured housing community (Section 3.7) and 10 acres for a private campground (Section 18.3).

  “a. all land uses shall comply with the site development requirements of the district in which it is located, as delineated in table 3-4”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Inside Vandalia village: front, side and rear yard setbacks by district in Table 3-4 (AR, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MF and others)

  • Table 3-4 text is garbled in the opened PDF; per-district setback numbers are not stated here.
  • Accessory buildings have additional setback rules (see setbacks-accessory-buildings).

  “a. all land uses shall comply with the site development requirements of the district in which it is located, as delineated in table 3-4”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Inside Vandalia village: maximum building coverage by district in Table 3-4 (AR, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MF and others)

  • Table 3-4 text is garbled in the opened PDF; per-district coverage percentages are not stated here.
  • Campgrounds (10%) and other special uses have their own lot coverage limits in Article 18.

  “a. all land uses shall comply with the site development requirements of the district in which it is located, as delineated in table 3-4”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Inside Vandalia village: maximum building height by district in Table 3-4 (AR, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MF and others)

  • Table 3-4 text is garbled in the opened PDF; per-district height limits are not stated here. Accessory building heights are in building-height-accessory.

  “zoning district maximum building height minimum lot width ar agricultural residential”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Accessory buildings and structures on residential lots inside Vandalia village

    “1. r-2 and r-3 districts: the maximum height of accessory buildings in the r-2 and r-3 districts shall not exceed fourteen (14) feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Use of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling on a lot inside Vandalia village

  • Temporary visitation on a lot with a permanent dwelling is allowed without a zoning permit up to 10 days per calendar month.
  • A recreational vehicle may be used as a temporary dwelling only in the emergency and new-construction cases authorized by the zoning administrator (Section 20.7).
  • No vehicle may be occupied as temporary housing on a vacant lot except as authorized under Section 20.7.

  temporary visitation occupancy: <= 10 days per calendar month (recreational vehicle on a lot with a permanent dwelling)

  “d. temporary visitation exception: nothing is this section shall be construed to prohibit a recreational vehicle being used as a temporary dwelling on any lot on which a permanent dwelling is located for temporary visitation purposes, provided such temporary occupancy does not exceed ten (10) days in any calendar month period. a zoning permit is not necessary for such temporary occupancy.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary living in tents, recreational vehicles or other temporary housing on lots inside Vandalia village

  • Temporary housing on a vacant lot is prohibited unless authorized under Section 20.7 (temporary dwelling permit, maximum 1 year, renewable once up to 180 days).
  • Campgrounds are a separate special use under Section 18.3 with a 10-acre minimum.

  “e. temporary dwelling on a vacant lot: no vehicle or any other item, including a recreational vehicle, shall be occupied and/or used as for temporary housing on a vacant lot except as may be authorized according to this section.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured (mobile) homes used as dwellings inside Vandalia village

  • A mobile home is a dwelling unit under the ordinance; a manufactured housing community (R-MHC district) requires a minimum 10-acre lot.
  • Mobile home placement on individual lots outside an R-MHC community depends on the district use table (Article 3, Table 3-2), which was not extracted.

  minimum lot area, manufactured housing community: >= 10 acres

  “a mobile home shall be considered a dwelling unit but in no case shall a recreational vehicle, truck, bus, tent or other similar portable item be considered a dwelling unit.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Single-family dwellings inside Vandalia village that do not connect to public sewer and water

  • Private (non-public) sewage and water facilities are allowed only if approved by the county health department.

  “the dwelling shall be connected to a public sewer and water supply or to such private facilities approved by the county health department.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Single-family dwellings inside Vandalia village

  • Dwelling must connect to a public sewer and water supply, or to private facilities approved by the county health department. No distance-based availability rule was found in the passages opened.
  • Section 18.2 cross-references these single-family dwelling standards.

  “the dwelling shall be connected to a public sewer and water supply or to such private facilities approved by the county health department.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development on lots inside Vandalia village that contain floodplains, wetlands or hydric soils

  • New development must avoid sensitive portions of a lot where reasonably feasible; otherwise it must meet county, state and federal laws.
  • The village will not approve a land use that needs a county, state or federal permit until that permit is obtained, unless state or federal law requires otherwise.

  “where a portion of a lot is characterized by sensitive or fragile environmental features, including wetlands, hydric soils, or flood plains, new development on the lot shall only occur on those portions of the lot void of such features where reasonably feasible.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit process for construction, use, and occupancy changes inside Vandalia village

  • Zoning permit application is filed with the zoning administrator; the administrator approves, denies or conditionally approves; a building permit follows where state law requires.

  “application review: the zoning administrator shall review a zoning permit application and determine its conformity with the provisions of this ordinance.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Vandalia

Village of Vandalia 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

  Construction inside Vandalia village is governed by the Michigan construction code, enforced through the village building inspector

  • The village ordinance refers to the Michigan construction code; it does not separately adopt a local building code in the opened text.

  “building permit: written authority by the building inspector confirming that proposed construction is in compliance with the michigan construction code.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sewage disposal and potable water facilities for dwellings inside Vandalia village: the county health department (Cass County) sets the standards and approves private systems. This applies inside the village through the village zoning ordinance.

  • Countywide rule as applied to Vandalia village by the village zoning ordinance; the county health department's own service-area page was not opened.

  “all sewage disposal and potable water facilities shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the requirements and standards of the county health department”

• Septic permitRequired

  Zoning permit applications for dwellings inside Vandalia village that need on-site wastewater disposal

  • The county health department wastewater permit is listed among the required county permits that must accompany the village zoning permit application; the health department's own permit rules were not opened.

  “all permit applications, approvals and supporting documents associated with required county, state or federal permits including county health department wastewater disposal and potable water system permits”

• Well permitRequired

  Potable water supply (private well or other non-public system) for dwellings inside Vandalia village

  • Listed among required county permits accompanying the village zoning application; the health department's well permit rules were not opened.

  “including county health department wastewater disposal and potable water system permits”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway connection to a public road for a lot inside Vandalia village

  • The county road commission driveway permit is listed among the required county permits that accompany the village zoning application; the road commission's own permit rules were not opened.
  • The zoning plot plan must show the driveway and parking configuration (Section 2.4(b)(6)).

  “county soil erosion control and storm water management permits, county road commission driveway permits, and state wetland permits.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home in Vandalia village
• Inspections — Construction inspections for new homes in Vandalia village
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Vandalia village
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units (second dwellings on a residential lot) inside Vandalia village
• Septic inspection — Septic system inspection for dwellings inside Vandalia 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.