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

Village of Clarksville’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction code enforcement inside Clarksville village limits (state Stille-DeRossett-Hale single state construction code act, as adopted by the village).

  • Village designates the county and its agents as the building official (Code 150.01(c)), so enforcement is carried out by county agents; see building_permit_requirement claim.
  • Ordinance 49 passed 6-6-2011 and Res. 2011-13 passed 7-11-2011 are cited in the code section.

  “(c) the village council designates the county and its agents as the building official.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Occupancy approval for structures inside Clarksville village where surface water control is inadequate

  • Found only a surface-water condition on certificate issuance; a general certificate-of-occupancy requirement was not located in the sections opened.

  “no certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the situation is corrected and approved by the zoning administrator.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Clarksville village limits: the village administers its own zoning ordinance (Code Chapter 152, Zoning).

  • Zoning ordinance text is codified as Chapter 152 of the village code; the zoning map was adopted in 2011.
  • Dimensional, use and district specifics were not opened in this run (see followups).

  “the village of clarksville is a zoned community in 1996 the zoning ordinance was adopted by village council and in 2011 the zoning map was adopted.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupancy of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling inside Clarksville village after a single-family dwelling is destroyed

  • Only with a temporary housing permit issued by the zoning administrator.
  • Permit is conditioned on health department approval; up to 30 days with temporary sanitary facilities approved by the zoning administrator is stated in the same section.
  • Permit must be conditioned on a repair or reconstruction permit for the damaged structure.

  maximum temporary housing permit duration: <= 180 calendar days

  “the permit shall delineate a time duration not to exceed 180 calendar days.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes and trailers occupied as dwellings inside Clarksville village

  • Permitted only in an approved and licensed mobile home park (PA 96 of 1987), under temporary or emergency housing provisions, or as permitted on residential or agricultural zoning districts upon compliance with the chapter standards.
  • The residential or agricultural district that permits a mobile home was not identified in this run.

  “(f) mobile home and trailer dwellings prohibited. no mobile home or trailer shall be occupied as a dwelling in the village except as provided in the following sections:”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Structures for human occupancy on any lot inside Clarksville village

  • Sanitary facilities must conform to the minimum requirements of the mid-michigan district health department, michigan department of public health and/or department of natural resources waste water division.
  • Mobile home and trailer occupancy is restricted (see manufactured_home_occupancy claim).

  “all such installations and facilities shall conform with the minimum requirements of the mid-michigan district health department, michigan department of public health and/or department of natural resources waste water division.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions inside Clarksville village

  • Village subdivision control is codified as Chapter 153; land division is Chapter 154 per the code table of contents, not opened.

  “the village of clarksville subdivision control ordinance, as amended; and other applicable village ordinances”

• Permit processPublished

  Zoning permit and special land use application process for land inside Clarksville village

  • Process: zoning administrator reviews site plan or visits property, then issues a zoning permit; applicant then obtains building permit from Ionia County.
  • Variances go to the zoning board of appeals and rezonings to the village council after planning commission review.

  “please fill out the appropriate form and return with the applicable fee to the village hall.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Clarksville

Village of Clarksville 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 building construction inside Clarksville village limits: the building permit is obtained from Ionia County after the village zoning permit.

  • County authority with village-only reach is recorded as district-specific because the county geography enum does not allow municipality-specific; the county's own permit rules were not opened.
  • Village zoning page lists new building construction, additions, and buildings on footings among items needing a village zoning permit before the building permit.

  “permit is issued by village of clarksville applicant can then obtain building permit from ionia county”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes inside Clarksville village
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Clarksville village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for single-family homes in the main residential district inside Clarksville village
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the main single-family residential district inside Clarksville village
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear setbacks in the main residential district inside Clarksville 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.