Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Caspian, Michigan

Caspian’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, repair, remodeling, renovation, conversion, and other listed work on land or buildings inside Caspian city limits.

  • A permit must be obtained from the Zoning Administrator before performance; the ordinance includes use changes, construction, destruction, repair, remodeling, renovation, and conversion.

  “Any and all use, change of use, modification of use, construction, destruction, repair, remodeling, renovation or conversion of any building, structure, land or other real property or fixtures upon real property shall be performed only when a permit to do so has been obtained before performance.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work inside Caspian city limits.

  • The city code describes application and enforcement of Michigan construction codes through the county construction-code office.

  “An ordinance to regulate the uniform application and enforcement of the State of Michigan’s Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing Codes, within the City of Caspian.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Caspian city limits.

  “For the purposes of this Ordinance, the City of Caspian is divided into the following seven (7) classes of ZONE DISTRICTS:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Caspian city limits.

  • The zoning district map is declared part of the ordinance and is to be authenticated by the Mayor and Clerk.

  number of zoning district classes: 7

  “The ZONE DISTRICT MAP showing the above ZONE DISTRICTS is declared to be a part of this Ordinance. The ZONE DISTRICT MAP shall be authenticated by the signatures of the Mayor and the Clerk and shall indicate the effective date of this Ordinance.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and structures in Caspian zoning districts other than the stated exceptions.

  • Industrial District C has no height restriction; the general restriction does not apply to silos and farm barns in Agricultural District A-4; listed projections are exempt.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Also limited to two and one-half stories; subject to listed district and projection exceptions.) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (Industrial District C has no height restriction; Agricultural A-4 exception for silos and farm barns.)

  “No building or structure shall be of a height exceeding the lesser of thirty-five (35) feet or two and one-half (2 1/2) stories in any ZONE DISTRICT except for Industrial District C, where there shall be no height restriction and except for Agricultural District A-4, where the foregoing restriction shall not apply for silos and farm barns.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Travel trailers used as dwellings inside Caspian city limits.

  • Allowed in any zone district except General Business District B and Industrial District C only after a temporary dwelling permit. The permit is no longer than one year; an extension is discretionary and requires a qualifying construction delay. The trailer must meet setbacks and be fully connected to city water and sewer.

  temporary dwelling permit duration: <= 1 year (Extensions may be allowed by the Zoning Board of Appeals for listed delays beyond the permit holder's control.)

  “A travel trailer may be used as a temporary dwelling on a lot in any ZONE DISTRICT other than General Business District B and Industrial District C.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Permanent mobile-home use inside Caspian city limits.

  • A zoning permit, proper application, fee payment, and compliance with the applicable district are required before placement. Installation must follow manufacturer instructions; wheels must be removed; foundation anchoring is required. A variance or planned-unit-development approval is required when not in total conformity with district requirements.

  “A person desiring to use a mobile home permanently in any ZONE DISTRICT shall comply with all applicable provisions of this Ordinance including, but not limited to, obtaining a zoning permit”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage disposal inside Caspian city limits where public sanitary sewer is unavailable.

  • The private system must comply with all State Board of Health requirements. When public sewer becomes available, a direct connection is required and private sewage facilities must be abandoned and filled.

  “Where a public sanitary sewer is not available under the provisions hereof, the building sewer shall be connected to a private sewage disposal system complying with all requirements of the State Board of Health.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Properties inside Caspian city limits served by available public water or public sanitary sewer.

  • A post-public-water construction property must connect where the water main or distribution line is within 200 feet. Structures generating sanitary sewage must connect to an available public sanitary sewer within the stated 30-day period; private disposal is allowed where public sewer is unavailable.

  water-main distance: <= 200 feet (For a premises constructed subsequent to the existence of public water and abutting the relevant street, alley, or right-of-way.) · sewer connection deadline: <= 30 days (Measured from the last listed availability, modification, or ordinance-effective event.)

  “Each person having control of a structure in which sanitary sewage originates, and each owner and each occupant of such a structure, shall cause such structure to be connected to an available public sanitary sewer.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning permits under the Caspian zoning ordinance.

  • All permit applications must be accompanied by the application fee established from time to time by the City Commission.

  “All applications for permits under this Ordinance must be in duplicate and accompanied by the application fee, as established from time to time by the City Commission.”

Rules another office applies inside Caspian

Caspian does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Principal residential buildings in Caspian Single Family Residential District A-A.

  • Measured along the outside perimeter of the principal residential building.

  minimum principal residential floor area: >= 1400 square feet

  “Floor area of the principal building used for residential purposes, when measured along the outside perimeter of the building, shall be no less than fourteen hundred (1400) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in Caspian Single Family Residential District A-1.

  • The ordinance also specifies minimum width and depth.

  minimum lot area: >= 9000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 75 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 120 feet

  “Lots shall have a minimum area of nine thousand (9,000) square feet, minimum width at all points of seventy-five (75) feet, and a minimum depth at all points of one hundred twenty (120) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in Caspian Single Family Residential District A-A.

    “Lots shall have a minimum area of nine thousand (9,000) square feet, minimum width at all points of seventy-five (75) feet, and a minimum depth at all points of one hundred twenty (120) feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Lots in Caspian Single Family Residential District A-A.

  • Larger lots and pre-ordinance platted lots have separate stated setbacks; a side yard abutting a street is treated as a front yard.

  front-yard setback: >= 20 feet · rear-yard setback: >= 20 feet · side-yard setback: >= 10 feet (Also not less than 20 feet from the curb line of an abutting street.)

  “Front yard set-back shall be no less than twenty (20) feet from the front lot line of the owner's premises. Rear yard set-back shall be no less than twenty (20) feet from the rear lot line of the owner's premises. Side yard set-back shall be no less than ten (10) feet from the side lot line of the owner's premises, but no less than twenty (20) feet from the curb line of any abutting street.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in Caspian Single Family Residential District A-1.

    “Front yard set-back shall be no less than twenty (20) feet from the front lot line of the owner's premises. Rear yard set-back shall be no less than twenty (20) feet from the rear lot line of the owner's premises.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Caspian city limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Caspian city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Caspian city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Caspian city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Caspian city limits.

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.