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

Charlevoix Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Charlevoix township's limits, under the township's own zoning ordinance

  • The ordinance is titled the Charlevoix Township Zoning Ordinance (section 1.2), and sets district regulations in Article V.
  • Zoning districts are set in Article IV (see zoning_districts claim).
  • The ordinance PDF on the township site is dated January 2006 with a May 2007 amendment per the township's own materials seen in search results; that date line was not read on the page, so the version in force should be confirmed with the township.

  “this ordinance shall be known as the “charlevoix township zoning ordinance”.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All land inside Charlevoix township's limits

  • Districts listed in section 4.1: R-1 one-family dwelling; R-2 one and two-family dwelling; R-3 manufactured home development; PRD planned residential; PUD planned unit development; C commercial; HCO health care and office; I industrial; I-2 marine industrial; A agricultural; SRD scenic reserve; MRD mineral resource.
  • Section 4.2 says the district map is titled charlevoix township zoning districts map and is part of the ordinance; the map itself was not opened.

  “charlevoix township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: "r-1" one-family dwelling district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 one-family dwelling district in Charlevoix township

  • Minimum floor area 1,040 sq ft for a one-story dwelling, exclusive of porches, garages, basements and utility areas.
  • 1,200 sq ft if more than one story in height.
  • Minimum structure size: 24 ft minimum dimension of any side of the first floor.
  • Column mapping read from a flattened table; verify against the ordinance table.

  minimum floor area, one-story: 1040 sq ft (exclusive of porches, garages, basements and utility areas) · minimum floor area, more than one story: 1200 sq ft (if more than one story in height)

  “3 one-story, exclusive of porches, garages, basements and utility areas. 1,200 sq.ft. if more than one story in height.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — A agricultural district in Charlevoix township

    “2 exclusive of porches, garages, basements and utility areas. 864 sq ft 2 36”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  A agricultural district in Charlevoix township

  • Minimum lot width 200 ft, measured at the front building line (footnote 1).
  • Source text reads "2 aces"; read as 2 acres, the OCR-style typo should be verified.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres (A agricultural district only)

  “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard minimum interior side yard 5. 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage minimum structure floor 10. area 2 aces 200 ft 1 35 ft 50 ft 20 ft 60 ft for agricultural buildings 25 ft 100 ft 30%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 one-family dwelling district in Charlevoix township

    “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard 5. minimum interior side yard 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage 9. minimum lakeshore setback 10. minimum floor area 11. minimum structure size 15,000 sq ft 100 ft 1 35 ft 25 ft 15 ft 25 ft 30 ft 30% 50 ft 2 1,040 sq ft 3 24 ft 5”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 one-family dwelling district in Charlevoix township

  • Front yard 25 ft, measured at the front building line.
  • Interior side yard 15 ft.
  • Street side yard 25 ft.
  • Rear yard 30 ft.
  • Lakeshore setback 50 ft, measured from the ordinary high water mark.
  • Accessory buildings under 100 sq ft: 25 ft front setback, 5 ft side and rear setbacks.
  • Shoreline protection zone (section 3.13): no buildings or structures except docks and launch ramps closer than 50 feet from the shoreline of Lake Michigan, Lake Charlevoix, or any stream or creek, measured from the ordinary high water mark or top of bank.
  • Column mapping read from a flattened table; verify against the ordinance table.

  front yard: >= 25 ft (measured at the front building line) · interior side yard: >= 15 ft (R-1 only) · street side yard: >= 25 ft (R-1 only) · rear yard: >= 30 ft (R-1 only) · lakeshore setback: >= 50 ft (measured from ordinary high water mark)

  “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard 5. minimum interior side yard 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage 9. minimum lakeshore setback 10. minimum floor area 11. minimum structure size 15,000 sq ft 100 ft 1 35 ft 25 ft 15 ft 25 ft 30 ft 30% 50 ft 2 1,040 sq ft 3 24 ft 5”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  A agricultural district in Charlevoix township

  • Maximum lot coverage 30%, as read from the flattened A table.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 % (A district only)

  “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard minimum interior side yard 5. 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage minimum structure floor 10. area 2 aces 200 ft 1 35 ft 50 ft 20 ft 60 ft for agricultural buildings 25 ft 100 ft 30%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 one-family dwelling district in Charlevoix township

    “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard 5. minimum interior side yard 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage 9. minimum lakeshore setback 10. minimum floor area 11. minimum structure size 15,000 sq ft 100 ft 1 35 ft 25 ft 15 ft 25 ft 30 ft 30% 50 ft 2 1,040 sq ft 3 24 ft 5”

• Building heightSpecified

  A agricultural district in Charlevoix township

  • Maximum structure height 35 ft, as read from the flattened A table.
  • Section 3.3 appurtenance exceptions apply.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 ft (A district only; section 3.3 appurtenance exceptions)

  “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard minimum interior side yard 5. 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage minimum structure floor 10. area 2 aces 200 ft 1 35 ft 50 ft 20 ft 60 ft for agricultural buildings 25 ft 100 ft 30%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 one-family dwelling district in Charlevoix township

    “minimum lot area 2. minimum lot width 3. maximum structure height 4. minimum front yard 5. minimum interior side yard 6. minimum street side yard 7. minimum rear yard 8. maximum lot coverage 9. minimum lakeshore setback 10. minimum floor area 11. minimum structure size 15,000 sq ft 100 ft 1 35 ft 25 ft 15 ft 25 ft 30 ft 30% 50 ft 2 1,040 sq ft 3 24 ft 5”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Campers and motor homes used for living on private property inside Charlevoix township

  • May occupy the premises for not more than 14 consecutive days.
  • Must then be removed from the property for a minimum of 14 consecutive days.
  • Other temporary dwellings need a zoning board of appeals special exception, capped at six months.

  maximum consecutive occupancy: <= 14 days (then removed from property for minimum 14 consecutive days)

  “except for tents, campers, and motor homes, which may be located on private property and occupy the premises for not more than 14 consecutive days.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tents and campers on private property inside Charlevoix township

  • 14 consecutive days maximum, then removal for at least 14 consecutive days.
  • Campground and public-land camping were not addressed on pages read.

  maximum consecutive occupancy: <= 14 days (then removed from property for minimum 14 consecutive days)

  “except for tents, campers, and motor homes, which may be located on private property and occupy the premises for not more than 14 consecutive days.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  R-1 one-family dwelling district in Charlevoix township: one temporary accessory dwelling for a family member

  • Allowed only as a use permitted with special conditions, after the planning commission finds the conditions met.
  • Only one temporary accessory dwelling unit per lot, for one family member.
  • Use must be discontinued when the family member no longer occupies the unit.
  • Floor-area and other conditions (a. through e.) were not fully captured in the extract read.

  “one temporary accessory dwelling unit per lot for one family member subject to the following conditions”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwellings and temporary dwellings inside Charlevoix township without public sewer

  • Section 3.10 requires safe and sanitary water supply and disposal of human waste in buildings where persons customarily congregate; approval must be filed with the zoning permit.
  • Section 3.5 allows a temporary dwelling only if adequate temporary water supply and sewage disposal are provided.

  “the written approval of such facilities by the northwest michigan community health agency shall be filed with an application for a zoning permit.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Planned residential district (PRD) and planned unit development (PUD) projects only, not single-family homes

  • Public sewer and water connection is a qualifying condition for PRD and PUD approval.
  • The single-family rule is covered by a separate unknown claim.

  “the prd shall be connected to the public sewer and water systems.”

Rules another office applies inside Charlevoix Township

Charlevoix 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 permitRequired

  Residential construction inside Charlevoix township, permitted by Charlevoix County Department of Building Safety

  • Permit application must include two sets of plans: site plan, foundation plan, floor plans, and building sections and elevations.
  • Residences of 3,500 sq ft or more of calculated floor area require sealed plans.
  • Copies of zoning, drive, septic, well, soil erosion and other applicable permits must accompany the application.
  • Homeowners may apply only if they do the actual work.

  residential floor area threshold for sealed plans: 3500 sq ft (calculated floor area; dwellings over 3,500 sq ft require sealed plans)

  “note: all applications and plans must be reviewed before permit can be issued.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Owner-builder permits for owner-occupied work inside Charlevoix township

  • Homeowners may take out permits only if they are doing the actual work.
  • Contractors must provide a residential builder's license copy.

  “homeowners may take out their permits - only- if they are doing the actual work.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Permitted construction inside Charlevoix township, enforced through the Charlevoix County Department of Building Safety

  • The county notice cites the State Building Code (Section 109); the page does not name a code edition.
  • No township-specific building code adoption was found in the ordinance pages read.

  “section 109 of the state building code requires the permit holder to notify this office when any portion of the work is ready for inspection.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Charlevoix township, inspected by the Charlevoix County Department of Building Safety

  • Permit holder must call 24 hours ahead to schedule inspections; normal turnaround is within 24 hours.
  • Inspector calls are taken 7:00am-8:30am, Monday through Friday.
  • The stage-by-stage inspection list is on page 3 and was not fully captured; see followups.

  inspection scheduling notice: >= 24 hours (call ahead to schedule)

  “call 24 hours ahead to schedule inspections. under normal circumstances, inspections will be done within 24 hours.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Pre-manufactured homes permitted inside Charlevoix township through county building permit

  • Application must include a building systems approval report from the state and one set of plans.
  • HUD and double-wide units need a recommended foundation plan with tie-downs and a floor plan.

  “pre-manufactured homes: the application must be accompanied by a “building systems approval report””

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems inside Charlevoix township that are not connected to municipal sewer

  • County checklist refers to the health department at 220 W. Garfield St., Charlevoix, MI 49720, (231) 547-6523.
  • Township ordinance section 3.10 names the Northwest Michigan Community Health Agency for written approval of water and sewage facilities.

  “the written approval of such facilities by the northwest michigan community health agency shall be filed with an application for a zoning permit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic systems inside Charlevoix township not connected to municipal sewer

  • Permit needed only where the site is not on municipal sewer.
  • Approval must be filed with the zoning permit application under township ordinance section 3.10.

  “septic & well, if not on municipality sewer, a valid permit is needed from the health department”

• Well permitRequired

  Private wells inside Charlevoix township not connected to municipal water or sewer

  • County checklist groups well with septic under the health department permit.
  • Well-specific permit rules were not read; confirm with the health agency.

  “septic & well, if not on municipality sewer, a valid permit is needed from the health department”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway culverts for lots inside Charlevoix township

  • Driveway culverts go through the Charlevoix County Road Commission, phone (231) 582-7330.
  • The county checklist also lists a drive permit among applicable permits; its criteria were not read.

  “driveway culverts: please call the charlevoix county road commission.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process for construction inside Charlevoix township, via county Department of Building Safety

  • Application is incomplete and returned if required sections are missing.
  • Plan review must be complete before a permit issues.
  • A zoning permit is a prerequisite item on the county checklist.

  “note: all applications and plans must be reviewed before permit can be issued.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Charlevoix township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home used as a dwelling inside Charlevoix township
• Septic inspection — Septic inspection inside Charlevoix township
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural exemption from township or county building rules inside Charlevoix township
• Subdividing land — Land division or subdivision inside Charlevoix 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.