Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pleasant Plains Township, Michigan

Pleasant Plains Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Pleasant Plains township limits (Lake County, MI), governed by the township's own zoning ordinance administered by the township zoning administrator

  • Township zoning approval is needed before any building, property change, fence, property clearing, or large excavation.
  • The master plan says the township first adopted a zoning ordinance in 1971 and that a zoning ordinance presently exists under Public Act 184 of 2006. The ordinance title, adoption date and amendments were not located on the township pages read.
  • Dimensional and use rules inside the ordinance were not read; see the unknown dimensional and occupancy claims.

  “pleasant plains zoning approval is needed before for any building, property changes, building a fence, property clearings, and large excavations.”

Rules another office applies inside Pleasant Plains Township

Pleasant Plains 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)

  Location and density control for onsite septic systems on land inside Pleasant Plains township

  • The master plan states this applies until public sewers are installed. The public sewer system it describes is in the village of Baldwin.
  • The master plan names only the county health department. The specific health department, its permit process, and its service area were not located on the township pages read.

  “until public sewers are installed, land use controls capable of effectively regulating septic system location and density are controlled by the county health department.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications and fees for land inside Pleasant Plains township, submitted to the Lake County Building Department

  • Applications and fees are accepted only by USPS mail or in person at the Lake County Building Department, 800 Tenth Street, Suite 110, Baldwin, MI 49304; emails and faxes are not accepted.
  • Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm; office phone 231-745-2722; make checks payable to Lake County Building Department.
  • The page says to verify permit fees with the department before mailing. The linked building permit fee schedule was not opened.

  “applications and fees will only be accepted by usps mail or submitted in person. emails and faxes will not be accepted.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for owner-occupied homes inside Pleasant Plains township
• Building code adopted — Building code used for construction inside Pleasant Plains township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Pleasant Plains township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Pleasant Plains township
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list for Pleasant Plains 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.