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

Texas Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings, additions, and structural work inside Texas Charter Township.

  • The Township page states that projects will likely need a combination of permits; the listed building-permit trigger is construction of a new building, an addition, or structural work including moving a wall.

  “Building Permit: If constructing a new building, completing an addition, or doing structural work in an existing building (including moving a wall).”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction-code enforcement within Texas Charter Township boundaries.

  • The adopted codes are the State Construction Code components adopted by the state and Construction Code Commission.
  • Ordinance No. 365 authorizes township administration and enforcement.

  “The State Construction Code, consisting of the residential code, the building code, the mechanical code, the plumbing code, the electrical code, the existing building code, and the energy conservation code, as adopted by the state and the construction code commission pursuant to Public Act No. 230 of 1972, as amended (MCL 125.1501 et seq.), are hereby adopted by reference in the township”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Texas Charter Township, Michigan.

  • Zoning ordinances are specific to development and construction within Texas Township.

  “The Zoning Ordinances are specific to development and construction within Texas Township. They will provide you with information on setbacks, zoning districts, development standards, and more.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Property inside Texas Charter Township.

  • A property's permitted use depends on identifying its zoning district.
  • The Township directs users to its zoning map.

  “Property within Texas Township is designated by zoning districts, as part of the zoning ordinance. To determine if a use is permitted on any property, the zoning district in which it is located must be identified.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Structures producing sanitary sewage inside Texas Charter Township where public sanitary sewer is available.

  • The restriction is triggered only where public sanitary sewer is available.
  • For residential parcels, availability is sewer within 200 feet of the structure producing sanitary sewage.
  • The Township Board may adopt procedures for waivers and deferrals.

  “The Township Board may, by resolution, adopt procedures for granting waivers and deferrals from the mandatory connection required by this section.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Structures producing sanitary sewage inside Texas Charter Township where public sanitary sewer is available.

  • Connection must occur promptly and no later than 18 months after Township publication of availability notice.
  • For residential parcels, sewer is available when within 200 feet of the structure producing sanitary sewage.
  • For nonresidential parcels, sewer is available when in a road right-of-way or easement adjacent to the parcel.
  • The Township Board may adopt procedures for waivers and deferrals.

  residential sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (Distance is from the structure in which sanitary sewage originates on the parcel.) · connection deadline: <= 18 months (After publication of Township notice of sewer availability in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township.)

  “Structures in which sanitary sewage originates for which there is an available public sanitary sewer system shall not be used or occupied unless said structures are connected to the public sanitary sewer system”

• Short-term rentalsProhibited

  Short-term rentals in Texas Charter Township residential districts.

  • The prohibition is limited to residential districts.
  • A short-term rental is lodging provided to the public for compensation for 90 days or less.
  • The Township lists lawful-rental exclusions including bed and breakfasts, motels, resorts, campgrounds, transitional houses operated by a charitable organization, group homes, substance-abuse rehabilitation clinics, mental-health facilities, and similar healthcare-related facilities.

  short-term rental period: <= 90 days (Lodging provided to the public for compensation.)

  “No. Short-Term Rentals are defined as a building or portion thereof—including single-family residences, individually owned multi-family units, or accessory dwelling units—in which lodging is provided to the public for compensation for a period of 90 days or less. Short-Term Rentals are considered a commercial use and are not a permitted use in the Township's residential districts.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Development and permit applicants inside Texas Charter Township.

  • Most new or expanded commercial buildings or housing developments require Planning Commission approval before permits.
  • The Township recommends first meeting with its Planning/Zoning Administrator to confirm zoning conformity.

  “Most new or expanded commercial buildings or housing developments require approval by the Planning Commission prior to applying for permits.”

Rules another office applies inside Texas Township

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal houses and attached structures in the non-riparian R-1 zoning district inside Texas Charter Township.

  • For riparian parcels, the Township directs users to zoning-ordinance Sections 36-5.4 and 36-5.5.

  front setback: 40 feet (Non-riparian R-1 district.) · side setback: 12 feet (Non-riparian R-1 district.) · rear setback: 40 feet (Non-riparian R-1 district.)

  “Zoning District(Non-Riparian) | Front (ft.) | Sides (ft.) | Rear (ft.) A | 75 | 20 | 50 R-1 | 40 | 12 | 40”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Texas Charter Township.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Texas Charter Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Texas Charter Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Texas Charter Township.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Texas Charter 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Texas Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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