Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Ahmeek, Michigan

Rules another office applies inside Village of Ahmeek

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts that cover land inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • The county zoning ordinance and official zoning map establish the districts; the map was not opened.
  • The ordinance applies in the village by agreement (section 1.1.4).

  “the purpose of this article is to establish zoning districts within keweenaw county”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Platted lot in the R-1b single-family district inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Table 5-1 extraction is column-jumbled; the R-1b row was read from the table text and should be verified against the table.
  • The row also lists R-2 area limits (2-family 15,000 sq ft; multi-family 15 du/ac or 30 bedrooms/ac) in the same table.

  minimum lot area (platted lot): >= 5000 sq ft (platted lot size) · minimum lot width: >= 50 ft (platted lot size)

  “zoning district r-1b minimum lot area per dwelling unit, building or structure with: minimum lot width measured along a street upon which the lot principally fronts: platted lot size not less than 5000 sq ft 50 ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal structures in the R-1b district inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Read from the extracted Table 5-1 text; the order of front, side and rear values should be verified against the printed table.
  • Principal structure setback from the ordinary high-water mark is listed separately in the same table.

  front yard setback: 25 ft (recorded platted and nonplatted areas) · side yard setback: 7.5 ft (recorded platted and nonplatted areas) · rear yard setback: 20 ft (recorded platted and nonplatted areas)

  “minimum yard setback of principal structures for recorded platted and nonplatted areas: front side rear yard yard yard 25 ft 7.5 ft 20 ft.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Accessory buildings in residential districts inside Ahmeek village (principal-structure height not established here)

  • The limit applies to accessory buildings only.
  • Principal structure height limits in the residential schedule were not verified.

  maximum height of accessory building in residential district: <= 21 ft (unless otherwise expressly stated)

  “unless otherwise expressly stated, no accessory building in a residential district may exceed twenty-one (21) feet in height.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupancy of a recreational vehicle on a private parcel inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Only one recreational vehicle is allowed on any parcel in residential districts.
  • A recreational vehicle may not be placed as a rental unit on any lot under five acres.
  • After 90 days in a calendar year, occupancy requires an approved building permit for a principal structure.
  • Parcels of two acres or larger may keep a recreational vehicle longer than 90 days (section 10.12.28); parcels over ten acres in residential, agriculture, extraction and timber districts may keep one without a special use permit.
  • Must comply with health department requirements for potable water and sewage.

  maximum occupancy without principal-structure building permit: <= 90 days per calendar year (parcels two acres or larger (section 10.12.28); parcels over ten acres in residential, agriculture, extraction and timber districts (no special use permit))

  “a recreational vehicle is not allowed to occupy any parcel for more than ninety (90) days in a calendar year without an approved building permit for a principal structure.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tent and recreational vehicle campgrounds and temporary dwellings inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Campgrounds for tents or recreational vehicles are permitted only as provided in sections 10.12.4 and 10.12.24, with hunting camps under section 10.12.19.
  • Temporary single-family dwellings are not permitted in the CEP district without a special use permit (section 7.15).

  “absolutely no temporary single family dwellings are permitted in cep without a special use permit. see section 7.15.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny home occupancy inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Tiny homes must have a foundation.
  • Tiny homes must have potable water.
  • Tiny homes must have a health department approved sewage system.
  • The footnote is attached to the residential schedule; the districts it applies to were not confirmed.

  “3. tiny homes must have a foundation, potable water and a health department approved sewage system.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Mobile or manufactured home used as a single-family dwelling on an individual lot inside Ahmeek village

  • Mobile homes are subject to the county mobile-home-park and manufactured housing community rules under P.A. 96 of 1987 for parks.
  • The use table lists the single-family use in the r-1 district.

  “single family dwelling, site condominium, mobile or manufactured home on an individual lot.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling (echo unit) inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • The use is listed as approved pursuant to a section that was cut off in the extracted text; full conditions not verified.

  “an echo unit (also known as mother-in-law flat) approved pursuant to section 10.12.11 does not redefine a single-family dwelling as a two-family dwelling for the purposes of this ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Recreational vehicles and tiny homes used for occupancy inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Applies to recreational vehicles under section 7.12 and to tiny homes under the Table 5-1 notes.
  • Requires an approved sewage system for tiny homes.

  “all recreational vehicles must adhere to all the required setbacks and comply with all health department requirements regarding safe handling of potable water and sewage.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway access for a parcel inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • Zoning permits may be withheld pending verification of required county road commission or MDOT driveway permits (section 18.8.4).
  • The county does not itself set driveway standards in the excerpt; the road commission or MDOT controls.

  “m. any county road commission or michigan department of transportation driveway or access management regulations under public act 200 of 1969, as amended, being mcl 247.321.”

• Short-term rentalsAllowed

  Short-term rental in R-1 district inside Ahmeek village under the county zoning ordinance

  • The use table lists short-term rentals and bed and breakfasts as permitted (r) in r-1 and several other districts.
  • Use is subject to appropriate sections of the ordinance, per the definition of resort lodging.

  “short-term rentals/bed & breakfast establishments "r" in r-1, r-2, rr, rs-1, rs-2, ag, ce, b-1”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Ahmeek or Keweenaw County directly.

• Building permit — Building permit for new dwelling construction inside Ahmeek village
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building in Ahmeek village
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Ahmeek village
• Inspections — Building inspection for new dwellings inside Ahmeek village
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new dwelling inside Ahmeek village

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.