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

McKinley Township’s own rules

• Local zoningAbsent (with conditions)

  Zoning inside McKinley township's limits: the township does not administer its own zoning ordinance; Emmet County administers zoning for McKinley township.

  • County zoning applies to McKinley township under Emmet County administration; see the county zoning claims in this record.
  • Absence is inferred from the county's statement that it administers zoning for McKinley; the page does not say 'no township ordinance' in words. No McKinley township-issued zoning ordinance was found.

  “emmet county administers zoning for the townships of bear creek, bliss, carp lake, center, cross village, friendship, littlefield, maple river, mckinley, readmond, springvale and wawatam. the townships of little traverse, pleasantview, resort and west traverse administer separate zoning ordinances”

Rules another office applies inside McKinley Township

McKinley 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

  New construction in McKinley township, under the Emmet County building department as shown on its Construction Resources page.

  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued.
  • The county page notes some areas do not issue building permits, so McKinley's permit issuer should be confirmed against the county's permit issuing agencies list, which was not opened.
  • Detached residential accessory buildings under 200 square feet and agricultural buildings are addressed in separate claims.

  “most new construction will require a building permit.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Not required — Detached residential accessory buildings under 200 square feet (storage sheds) in McKinley township, under the Emmet County building department.

    “these include detached residential accessory buildings, like storage sheds, that are under 200 square feet in size, and buildings being used for agricultural purposes only.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in McKinley township, under the Emmet County building department.

  • The permit holder must request inspections; requests must be made by 4 p.m. the day before.
  • The required inspection document lists inspection types by construction stage; it was not opened.

  “per section 113.2 of the state building code, the permit holder must notify the emmet county building construction resources department when work is ready for inspection.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning district lookup for parcels in McKinley township, which Emmet County zones.

  • Zoning district is determined by parcel location; the county offers an interactive zoning map and staff can determine a district from a tax identification number.
  • Zoning ordinance No. 15-1 is the county ordinance cited on the county ordinances page; its full text and district schedules were not opened.

  “an interactive map is available by clicking here.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Setbacks for structures on parcels in McKinley township under Emmet County zoning. Per-district front, side and rear numbers were not extracted.

  • County page states setbacks vary by zoning district; numeric district setbacks are in the county Schedule of Regulations, which was not reached.
  • Residential structures on lake, river or stream properties must be setback from the 1986 high water mark by the stated minimum.

  shoreline setback from 1986 high water mark (residential structures on lake, river or stream lots): >= 60′ as printed (prime symbol) (Other districts' and lots' setbacks are not extracted; contact the county zoning office for parcel setbacks.)

  “setbacks vary from zoning district to zoning district.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings on land in McKinley township under the Emmet County building department.

  • A building permit is still applied for; the applicant signs an agricultural affidavit stating the building is for agricultural use only.
  • Zoning permit fee is not charged for farm-use buildings not for human occupancy.

  “if the building project is an agricultural building, a building permit should be applied for, after which the building department will have the applicant sign an agricultural affidavit, which states that the building will be used for agricultural purposes only.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division and subdivision of land in McKinley township under the Emmet County Planning Commission ordinance.

  • Details of the county subdivision procedure were not extracted.

  “an ordinance to create a planning commission for the purpose of having planning and zoning in emmet county to create, organize, enumerate powers and duties, and to provide for the regulation and subdivision of land, and the coordinated and harmonious development of the county”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit fees in McKinley township under the Emmet County building department.

  • Fees are calculated per application on page 2 of the permit application form; the building department fee schedule document was not opened.

  “electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit applications require a fee, calculated on page 2.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process in McKinley township under the Emmet County building department.

  • Permit applications are interactive PDFs available on the county site and must be submitted to the building department.

  “the permit process includes all the steps required for a building permit to be issued.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for McKinley township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in McKinley township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for homes in McKinley township under county zoning
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for land in McKinley township under county zoning
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage for land in McKinley township under county zoning

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.