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

Ross Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction of buildings inside Ross township's limits

  • Building permit, occupancy and construction rules are set by the Ross Township construction code ordinance and the construction codes it references; that ordinance was not opened.
  • Ross Township Ordinance No. 184 supplements the state construction code for floodplain provisions, including Appendix G.

  “ross township construction code ordinance and the therein referenced constructions codes for regulations applicable to building permits, occupancy permits, and other regulations applicable to the construction and occupancy of buildings and other structures.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Ross township's limits (Kalamazoo County), administered under the township's own zoning ordinance

  • Use of land and structures is governed by the zoning ordinance's permissive zoning concept: permitted uses and special land uses by district.
  • Other county and state rules (septic, well, floodplain, building code) still apply in addition to the township zoning ordinance.

  “this zoning ordinance establishes 10 such zoning districts as noted in section 3.1, and as shown on the zoning map.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Ross township's limits

  • The ordinance establishes 10 zoning districts, including an AG agricultural preservation district (article 4) and an R-R rural residential district (article 5), per the ordinance table of contents.
  • Only the R-R and AG district text was partly reviewed; the other eight districts and the zoning map were not opened.

  “this zoning ordinance establishes 10 such zoning districts as noted in section 3.1, and as shown on the zoning map.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings inside Ross township

  • Minimum square footage varies by zoning district and is set in the article 15 schedule, which was not captured in extracted text.
  • Applies in addition to a core living area and width rule.

  core living area minimum dimension: >= 20 feet (each dimension, within the principal portion of the building with exterior wall construction, excluding porches, breezeways, garages) · minimum continuous exterior wall width across front, side and rear elevations: >= 24 feet

  “a dwelling shall comply with the minimum square footage requirements of this ordinance for the zone in which it is located and have a core living area with a minimum dimension of twenty (20) feet by twenty (20) feet within the principal portion of the building having exterior wall construction”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Dwellings and other buildings on waterfront lots or lots within 75 feet of a waterway in Ross township

  • Setback is measured from the normal high-water line of the waterway.
  • Applies notwithstanding the generally applicable setbacks in article 15.

  minimum setback from normal high-water line: >= 50 feet (or the average setback of the nearest existing dwellings or principal buildings on each side of the lot at the time of building permit application, whichever is greater)

  “shall at a minimum be set back from the normal highwater line of the waterway the greater of: 1. 50 feet; or, 2. the average setback of the nearest existing dwellings or other principle buildings/structures on each side of the lot at the time of application for a building permit.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Rebuilding a damaged residence under the zoning ordinance's temporary housing due to a disaster provision inside Ross township

  • Applies only to a residence being rebuilt under the disaster provision, not to new homes generally.
  • Requires an on-site water supply and sanitary sewer disposal system, approved by the Kalamazoo County health department.

  “subject to a water supply and sanitary sewer disposal system being available upon the site and have received approval by the kalamazoo county health department.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development of land inside a flood hazard area in Ross township

  • Requires prior review and written approval by the zoning administrator, plus compliance with Ordinance No. 184, the township's floodplain community resolution, and other zoning and general ordinances.
  • Flood hazard area defined by the FEMA flood insurance rate map dated February 17, 2010 as cited in the ordinance.

  “no development of any land within a flood hazard area shall be initiated without prior review and written approval of same by the zoning administrator”

• Permit processPartial

  Occupancy or use of new or altered buildings inside Ross township (other than accessory structures)

  • Zoning compliance permit is issued by the zoning administrator and applies even to buildings exempt from a building permit under the township building code.
  • Building permit process itself is in the construction code ordinance, not opened.

  “no building or structure, other than an accessory structure, which is hereafter constructed, enlarged, altered, moved or reconstructed shall be occupied or otherwise used, in whole or in part, until a zoning compliance permit has been issued by the zoning administrator”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Ross township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building on their own land in Ross township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Ross township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new homes inside Ross township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for the main single-family district and the R-R and AG districts in Ross 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.