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

Vergennes Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Vergennes township limits: the township administers its own zoning ordinance (Zoning Ordinance Supp. No 25), not county zoning.

  • Use and dimensional rules vary by zoning district; see district claims.
  • Ordinance text on the township site is Supp. No 25 (supplement dated 2020-12-31) with amendments through 2021; the township FAQ tells residents to confirm current district figures with the zoning administrator.

  “accessory dwelling units (adu), as defined in section 201.202, are allowed with a special exception use permit”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of Vergennes township.

  • Districts include R-A, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-L, FR (Flat River overlay), commercial and industrial per the ordinance and FAQ.

  “r-a rural agricultural is 3 acres, r-1 low density residential is 1 acre, r-2 medium density residential and r-3 special residential are 17,000 square feet, r-l lake residential is 10,000 square feet if on the sewer line or 1 acre if not on the sewer line, fr flat river (see underlying district), c commercial has no minimum requirement, and i industrial is 2 acres.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings inside Vergennes township.

  • 1,150 square feet total required; a two-story house needs 720 square feet on the first floor.
  • Minimum residence building width of 24 feet (22 feet for manufactured homes).
  • Floor area determined by the Board of Appeals if disputed.

  minimum total living space: >= 1150 sq ft (two-story: 720 sq ft minimum on first floor)

  “one thousand one hundred fifty (1150) square feet is the total required, but for a two story house, seven hundred twenty 720 square feet is required on the first floor.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Vergennes township (main single-family residential district).

  • Lot area excludes road right-of-way per Zoning Board of Appeals interpretation noted in township FAQ.
  • Two-family and commercial lot sizes are set separately in other sections.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width: >= 165 feet

  “e. lot area. the minimum lot area for use in this district shall be one acre with a minimum lot width of one hundred sixty-five (165) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-A Rural Agricultural district inside Vergennes township (agricultural / rural-residential district).

    “e. lot area. the minimum lot area for use in this district shall be three (3) acres with a minimum lot width of three hundred (300) feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Vergennes township (main single-family residential district).

  • Corner lots: street-side setback 35 feet from road right-of-way (FAQ).
  • Lots not on public sewer use the R-1 dimensions; lake residential (R-L) is separate.

  front setback from street right-of-way: >= 35 feet · side line setback: >= 10 feet (corner lots 35 feet from road right-of-way) · rear setback: >= 50 feet (per township FAQ)

  “in r-1, r-2, r-3, r-l districts the side setback is ten (10) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-A Rural Agricultural district inside Vergennes township.

    “in r-a and r-1 districts, the distance is fifty (50) feet from the rear property line.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Industrial district inside Vergennes township only; no lot coverage limit was located for residential districts.

  • Limit covers outdoor storage areas and excludes employee and visitor parking areas.
  • Residential districts: silence in the opened text is not an absence statement.

  maximum lot area occupied: <= 30 percent (excludes employee and visitor parking areas)

  “no more than thirty (30) percent of the lot area shall be occupied including outdoor storage areas, but excluding employee and visitor parking areas.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Vergennes township.

  • Excludes silos and amateur radio antennas (section 201.602).

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (or two and one-half (2 1/2) stories, whichever is lesser)

  “no residential or other building, excepting silos and amateur radio antennas (see section 201.602), shall exceed the lesser of thirty-five (35) feet or two and one-half (21/2) stories.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-A Rural Agricultural district inside Vergennes township.

    “no residential or other building, excepting silos and amateur radio antennas (see section 201.602), shall exceed the lesser of thirty-five (35) feet or two and one-half (2 1/2) stories.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupancy of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling on private land inside Vergennes township.

  • Not permitted as a permanent dwelling.
  • Up to 30 days per calendar year per property without a permit.
  • Beyond 30 days a temporary dwelling permit must be issued by the zoning administrator, limited to 12 months and renewable annually.
  • RV must meet district setbacks and have access to running water and Kent County Health Department-approved sewage facilities.
  • RV may only be used as a temporary dwelling when accessory and incidental to a permanent dwelling.
  • Renting an RV, tent, trailer or motorhome is prohibited.

  temporary occupancy without permit: <= 30 days per calendar year per property (beyond 30 days a permit is required)

  “tents, recreational vehicles, and trailers shall not be used as permanent dwellings within the township; provided, that recreational vehicles may be used for temporary dwellings for up to thirty (30) days per calendar year per property without a permit.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tents and trailers used for camping or dwelling on private land inside Vergennes township.

  • Tents and trailers may not be used as permanent dwellings.
  • Recreational vehicles may be used temporarily up to 30 days per calendar year per property without a permit; longer use requires a permit.
  • Campgrounds, travel trailer camps and licensed facilities are excluded from section 201.423.

  “the provisions of this section do not apply to travel trailer camps, campgrounds, manufactured housing communities, and similar licensed facilities.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small dwellings (tiny homes) used as a primary residence inside Vergennes township.

  • Minimum total living space of 1,150 square feet, with 720 square feet on the first floor for a two-story house.
  • Minimum residence building width of 24 feet (22 feet for manufactured homes).
  • No tiny-home-specific ordinance was located.

  minimum total living space: >= 1150 sq ft

  “one thousand one hundred fifty (1150) square feet is the total required, but for a two story house, seven hundred twenty 720 square feet is required on the first floor.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes used as a dwelling inside Vergennes township.

  • Allowed if they meet the BOCA and HUD code and the township width and square footage requirements.
  • Single-wide mobile homes do not meet the township minimum width and square footage requirements and are not permitted except under a special exception permit for an accessory dwelling or a temporary dwelling.

  minimum residence building width (manufactured home): >= 22 feet

  “they are allowed if they meet the boca and hud code and the township width and square footage requirements.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units (ADU) on residential lots inside Vergennes township.

  • Requires a special exception use permit.
  • Maximum one ADU per lot or parcel, and it must accompany a primary residence.
  • Allowed in the R-A district and any other residential district on a parcel of at least 2 acres.
  • Setbacks of the underlying district apply; the ADU may not be located in front of the primary residence.

  minimum parcel size: >= 2 acres (any other residential district; R-A district has no stated parcel minimum in this excerpt)

  “adu’s shall be allowed in the r-a district and any other residential district on a parcel of at least 2 acres.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-connected sanitation for a recreational vehicle or trailer used as a temporary dwelling inside Vergennes township.

  • Applies to recreational vehicles and trailers used as temporary dwellings only.
  • Requires sewage facilities approved by the Kent County Health Department.

  “recreational vehicles shall have, or be located on a lot that has, access to running water and sewage facilities approved by the kent county health department.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Flat River (FR) overlay district lands inside Vergennes township, where structures must set back from the river and 100-year floodplain.

  • Setback applies in the FR district; the FR district lot rules follow the underlying district.
  • No general floodplain development permit was located in the opened text.

  setback from ordinary high water mark: >= 100 feet (or 25 feet from the identified 100-year floodplain line, whichever results in the greater setback)

  “there shall be a setback of one hundred (100) feet from the ordinary high water mark or twenty-five (25) feet from the identified 100-year floodplain line, whichever results in the greatest distance from the edge of the water”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Bed and breakfast lodging (the only short-term lodging use found in the ordinance) inside Vergennes township, as a special exception use.

  • Owner-occupied at all times as the principal dwelling unit.
  • Must maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and no more than three non-family employees.
  • RVs, tents and trailers may not be used for rental purposes (section 201.423).

  “a recreational vehicle, tent, trailer or motorhome shall not be used for rental purposes.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Township zoning permit fee for work inside Vergennes township. Building permit fees are collected by Cascade Charter Township, not published on the township page.

  • Building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing fees are set by Cascade Charter Township and were not opened.
  • Temporary residence and RV permit fees are set by township board, per ordinance.

  zoning permit fee: 50 USD (building permit fees are collected separately by Cascade)

  “fill out a zoning permit application (vergennestwp.org) and pay the $50.00 fee.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning and building permit process for residential construction inside Vergennes township.

  • Zoning permit and building application are submitted to the township; the building permit is then handled by Cascade.
  • Cascade's permit checklist and forms were linked from the township page but not opened.

  “zoning administrator, ryan carrigan will do the zoning review.”

Rules another office applies inside Vergennes Township

Vergennes Township 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

  Building permits for residential construction inside Vergennes township, issued and handled by the Cascade Charter Township Building Department under contract with Vergennes township.

  • Residents first file a zoning permit with Vergennes township (zoning administrator review) before the building permit is forwarded to Cascade.
  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is approved.

  “fill out a building permit application (cascade’s website or vergennestwp.org) and send application and pdf of blueprints via email to [email protected]”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Residential construction inside Vergennes township, under the statewide Michigan Residential Code administered by LARA.

  • LARA's code books page lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code as the current residential code (effective February 8, 2016).
  • Search results indicate rules adopting the 2021 IRC were filed in 2025 but are subject to a July 2025 Michigan Court of Claims order in Home Builders Assoc. v. LARA; edition status was not verified beyond the code books page.

  “residential code 2015 michigan residential code current code &ndash; effective february 8, 2016”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building inspections for work inside Vergennes township, scheduled and performed through Cascade Charter Township Building Department.

  • Inspection scope (footing, framing, final) and fees were not confirmed; Cascade's building inspection page was not opened.

  “all building questions and inspections will be handled and scheduled by cascade township.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems on land inside Vergennes township, permitted by the Kent County Health Department (Environmental Health Division). Applies inside Vergennes township as part of Kent County.

  • The county page does not name Vergennes township as a service area; the county-wide scope is stated by the county, not by township.
  • The township page sends residents to the county for well and septic only indirectly; township-specific verification not performed.

  “on-site sewage disposal required permit for installation of on-site sewage disposal (septic) systems.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of an on-site septic system on land inside Vergennes township, permitted by Kent County Health Department.

  • Application must include a detailed site plan and floorplans if new construction.
  • Fees and site evaluation requirements not verified from an official page; the search snippet with fee amounts was not opened.

  “the application must include a detailed site plan and floorplans if new construction.”

• Well permitRequired

  Installation of an on-site private water supply well on land inside Vergennes township, permitted by Kent County Health Department.

  • Residential well and septic application required.
  • Well construction is also governed by state well construction code (Part 127 of Act 368) per the county page.

  “required permit for installation of on-site water supply (well) systems.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Divisions of land, subdivisions and site condominiums inside Vergennes township under the Michigan Land Division Act, with local health department review.

  • Divisions under one acre, subdivisions and site condominiums require local health department review under the Land Division Act, per the county page.
  • Township also regulates land divisions and site condominiums in its ordinance (sections 201.425 and 201.426); those sections were not opened.

  “the michigan land division act (public act 288 of 1967) requires that all divisions of land under one acre, subdivisions, and site condominiums be reviewed by the local health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for owner-occupants in Vergennes township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Vergennes township.
• Septic inspection — Septic installation inspections inside Vergennes township.
• Mandatory utility hookup — Whether a new home inside Vergennes township must connect to public water or sewer when available.
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural exemption from township or county regulation for farm use inside Vergennes 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.