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

Tobacco Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Tobacco township limits: the township administers its own zoning ordinance (general provisions, definitions, district regulations, and chapters 3 through 15), not the county zoning ordinance.

  • Permit applications under the township ordinance go to the township zoning administrator, per the township zoning page.
  • Gladwin County zoning is not the operative zoning for land inside the township while the township ordinance applies.

  “all permit applications should be submitted to john sydenstricker, zoning administrator.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Agriculture (A-1) district inside Tobacco township

  • Minimum housing unit size is 840 square feet (Chapter 4, section 404(6)).

  housing unit, minimum: >= 840 square feet

  “housing unit, minimum � eight hundred forty (840) square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Residential: Single Family district inside Tobacco township

    “housing unit, minimum - nine hundred eighty (980) square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agriculture (A-1) district inside Tobacco township

  • Lot width minimum 150 feet (Chapter 4, section 404(2)).

  lot area, minimum: >= 43560 square feet · lot width, minimum: >= 150 feet

  “forty-three thousand, five hundred and sixty (43,560) square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Residential: Single Family district inside Tobacco township

    “lot area, minimum - forty-three thousand, five hundred and sixty (43,560) square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Residential: Single Family district inside Tobacco township

  • Front yard minimum 35 feet; back yard minimum 25 feet; side yards minimum 6 feet on one side and 10 feet on the other (Chapter 6, section 604(3)-(5)).
  • Where an R-1 district abuts a C or I district, the side yard is 50 feet in the C or I district.

  front yard, minimum: >= 35 feet · back yard, minimum: >= 25 feet · side yard, minimum (one side): >= 6 feet · side yard, minimum (other side): >= 10 feet

  “where and r-1 and c or i district abut, the side yard shall be fifty (50”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agriculture (A-1) district inside Tobacco township

    “side yard, minimum - each side, fifteen (15”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agriculture (A-1) district inside Tobacco township; agricultural structures are measured separately from dwellings

  • Dwellings: maximum two and one half (2.5) stories, not exceeding 35 feet (Chapter 4, section 404(7)).
  • Agricultural structures may not exceed 85 feet (Chapter 4, section 404(7)).

  agricultural structure height, maximum: <= 85 feet

  “not exceeding a total height of thirty-five (35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Residential: Single Family district inside Tobacco township

    “not exceeding a total height of thirty-five (35”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Mobile homes (manufactured homes) placed on land inside Tobacco township

  • A mobile home may be used only as a dwelling; it may not be used for storage or other uses (Chapter 11, section 1103(2)(b)).
  • A land use permit will not be issued until the mobile home has been inspected by the zoning administrator or other authorized person (Chapter 11, section 1103(2)(a)).
  • Mobile homes must be installed per the manufacturer's setup instructions with wheels removed and anchored to the ground (Chapter 11, section 1103(2)(c)).
  • Inspection fee set in the township general fee schedule plus mileage (Chapter 11, section 1103(2)(a)9).

  “a land use permit will not be issued until the mobile”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning and land-use permit applications for land inside Tobacco township

  • Permit applications are submitted to the township zoning administrator; the township board meets the 2nd Monday at 7 pm, the planning commission the first Monday (except January, July and September), and the zoning board of appeals the 4th Wednesday (except February, November and December).
  • The page does not set out steps, fees or forms for a building permit; partial only.

  “all permit applications should be submitted to john sydenstricker, zoning administrator.”

Rules another office applies inside Tobacco Township

Tobacco 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)

  Dwellings inside Tobacco township: housing, fire and construction codes are enforced through the Gladwin County building department, as stated in the township ordinance

  • The township ordinance requires every dwelling to comply with housing, fire and construction codes set by the Gladwin County building department (Chapter 11, section 1103(1)).
  • The specific code edition adopted is not named in the opened text; not verified.

  “every dwelling must comply with all pertinent housing, fire and construction codes as set forth by the gladwin county building department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New construction inside Tobacco township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home inside Tobacco township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new dwellings inside Tobacco township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Tobacco township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in R-1 and AG districts inside Tobacco 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.