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

Henrietta Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Henrietta township limits

  • The township ordinance list names a state construction and building code ordinance plus separate plumbing, mechanical and electrical code ordinances; the adopted code editions and ordinance text were not opened.

  “#10 state construction and building code ordinance #11 plumbing code ordinance”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building work inside Henrietta township

  • Plumbing and mechanical finals are required before the building final.
  • Electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections are each billed per inspection ($85.00 per inspection on the township fee schedule).
  • Inspectors have 72 hours to answer an inspection request.

  inspection fee (electrical, mechanical, plumbing): 85 USD (per inspection)

  “when need to do inspection- plumbing and mechanical final before building final”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Henrietta township limits, Jackson County, Michigan, under the township's own zoning ordinance

  • Text reviewed is the April 2012 ordinance copy hosted by a regional planning agency; the township's own current amended text was not opened.
  • Later zoning text amendments mentioned in search results were not opened and are not reflected here.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, henrietta township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: agricultural district (ag-1) residential district (r-1)”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Henrietta township: AG-1, R-1, R-2, MHD-1, MHP-1, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1

  • District boundaries are shown on the zoning districts map of Henrietta township, Jackson County, Michigan (the map was not opened).
  • Text reviewed is the April 2012 copy; districts may have changed by later amendment.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, henrietta township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: agricultural district (ag-1) residential district (r-1) residential district (r-2) mobile homes district (mhd-1) mobile home park district (mhp-1) commercial district (c-1) commercial district (c-2) commercial district (c-3) industrial district (i-1)”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 one-family residential district of Henrietta township

  • Area is measured outside dimensions at the first floor level and aggregate floor area at and above the first floor level.
  • Attached garages, un-enclosed porches and accessory structures are excluded from the floor area.

  minimum floor area: >= 720 sq ft (exclusive of attached garages, un-enclosed porches or accessory structures)

  “shall not be less than seven hundred and twenty (720) square feet exclusive of attached garages, un-enclosed porches or accessory structures.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential use of a parcel in the AG-1 agricultural district of Henrietta township

  • Minimum frontage is 120 feet, with a minimum depth of 200 feet.
  • Section 403.1 separately requires parcels for uses other than R-2 uses in AG-1 and R-1 to have at least 235 feet of frontage by 940 feet depth; the parcel rule in 403.3 governs residential use.
  • Not more than one dwelling per parcel.

  minimum parcel area for residential use: >= 24000 sq ft (120 feet contiguous frontage minimum by 200 feet depth minimum)

  “the minimum parcel size for residential use in agricultural zoning districts shall be 120 feet of contiguous frontage minimum by 200 feet depth minimum (24,000 square feet).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings in the R-1 one-family residential district of Henrietta township

    “every parcel of land upon which a dwelling is hereafter erected or altered shall contain not less than twelve thousand (12,000) square feet of area, exclusive of any part lying within the boundaries of a public highway.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and structures in the AG-1 agricultural district of Henrietta township

  • Clear-vision requirements apply where a driveway meets the street.
  • Livestock housing and farm-animal buildings have separate location rules in the same section (not opened).

  minimum front setback: >= 50 ft (from street or highway right-of-way line or lot line, whichever is greater)

  “every building or structure hereafter erected shall be setback not less than fifty (50) feet from the street or highway right-of-way line or lot line whichever is greater.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings and structures in the R-1 one-family residential district of Henrietta township

    “every building or structure hereafter erected shall be setback not less than forty (40) feet from the street or highway right-of-way line or the water”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Dwelling and accessory building coverage on a parcel in the AG-1 agricultural district of Henrietta township

  maximum land coverage (dwelling plus accessory building): <= 25 percent (percentage of the parcel area)

  “no dwelling together with its accessory building hereafter erected shall cover more than twenty-five (25) percent of the area of the parcel of land on which it is located.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwelling and accessory building coverage on a parcel in the R-1 one-family residential district of Henrietta township

    “no dwelling together with its accessory buildings hereafter erected shall cover more than twenty-five (25) percent of the area of the parcel of land on which it is located.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwellings and structures in the R-1 one-family residential district of Henrietta township; the general height limit also applies to other districts except AG-1, C-1 and I-1

  • General height section excludes radio towers, television towers and farm silos for personal use.
  • Limit is 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet from ground level.

  maximum height: <= 35 ft (from the ground level; or 2.5 stories, whichever the ordinance applies) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

  “shall be hereafter erected, altered or moved on any land or premises in these districts which shall exceed a height of two and one half (2 ½) stories or thirty five (35) feet from the ground level, except as provided in “ag-1” agricultural, “c-1” commercial and “i-1” industrial districts.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings and structures accessory to farming use in the AG-1 agricultural district of Henrietta township

    “buildings and structures accessory to farming use of land may be erected, altered, or moved on any land or premises to a height of not exceeding one hundred (100) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home occupancy inside Henrietta township outside the mobile home park districts

  • Temporary occupancy of a mobile home is allowed only as a hardship, approved by the zoning board of appeals.
  • A mobile home is defined as a detached portable residential dwelling unit of at least 400 square feet, prefabricated, on its own chassis, attached to a permanent foundation.
  • Township ordinance #9 (mobile home placement) is listed but its text was not opened.

  “no temporary occupancy of mobile homes will be permitted, except hardship temporary occupancy of mobile homes may be permitted by action of the zoning board of appeals.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sewage disposal on residential parcels in the AG-1 and R-1 districts of Henrietta township

  • Sewage disposal must be by the water-carried method as provided in Jackson County sewage regulations (the county regulations were not opened).
  • Composting toilets and other non-water-carried systems are not addressed in the text reviewed.

  “all sewage disposal shall be by the water-carried disposal method as provided in the sewage regulations of jackson county.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions of parcels inside Henrietta township

  • Fee schedule lists a land division application fee plus a per-parcel fee.
  • Township ordinance #35 (land division) is listed on the township ordinance list; its text was not opened.

  land division application fee: 60 USD (plus 25.00 for each parcel)

  “land division $60.00 application fee + 25.00 for each parcel”

• Permit feesPublished

  Land-use and building permit fees charged by Henrietta township

  • Building permit fees are based on square footage and will be determined once the permit is approved.
  • Electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections are $85.00 per inspection; the land-use fee schedule lists rezoning, conditional use, site plan, variance and road variance fees.

  rezoning fee: 550 USD (plus escrow of 550.00)

  “fee schedule relating to land use and building permits: rezoning $550.00 / $550.00 escrow”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application process for homes inside Henrietta township

  • Permits can be emailed to the township clerk's department address or mailed to the township office.
  • Well and septic permits (Jackson County Health Department) and driveway and soil erosion permits (Jackson County Department of Transportation) are separate steps.
  • Inspectors have 72 hours to answer an inspection request.

  “permits can be emailed to: [email protected] or mailed to: henrietta township 11732 bunkerhill rd. pleasant lake, mi 49272”

Rules another office applies inside Henrietta Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems for homes inside Henrietta township are handled by the Jackson County Health Department (county rule applying within Henrietta township)

  • The Jackson County Health Department must sign the site plan.
  • Zoning sections for AG-1 and R-1 require water-carried sewage disposal as provided in Jackson County sewage regulations.

  “well & septic permit from jackson county health department (jackson county health department must sign site plan)”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic system for a new home inside Henrietta township, permitted by the Jackson County Health Department (county rule applying within Henrietta township)

  • Permit must be obtained before the township building permit is issued, since the health department signs the site plan.
  • Health department address: 1715 Lansing Ave., Jackson, MI 49202; phone (517) 788-4420.

  “well & septic permit from jackson county health department (jackson county health department must sign site plan)”

• Well permitRequired

  Private well for a new home inside Henrietta township, permitted by the Jackson County Health Department (county rule applying within Henrietta township)

  • Well permit is listed with the septic permit and must be signed off through the health department before the township building permit is issued.

  “well & septic permit from jackson county health department (jackson county health department must sign site plan)”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access to a new home inside Henrietta township, permitted by the Jackson County Department of Transportation (county rule applying within Henrietta township)

  • Listed as a required submittal with the building permit application.
  • Jackson County Department of Transportation: 2400 N Elm Ave., Jackson, MI 49201; phone (517) 788-4230.

  “driveway permit from jackson department of transportation”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit rules for a home inside Henrietta township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Henrietta township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Henrietta township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Henrietta township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Henrietta 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.