Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Suttons Bay, Michigan

Village of Suttons Bay’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Suttons Bay village limits. The village administers its own zoning ordinance; this is not a county or township rule.

  • Zoning-only topics for individual uses and dimensions must be read from the village ordinance tables; their numeric values are not all extracted in this record.
  • The village does not allow use variances (user guide).

  “the zoning administrator administers the village of suttons bay zoning ordinance and issues the land use permits.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Suttons Bay village limits. Districts include Central Residential (CR), Newer Village Residential (NVR), Single-Family Waterfront Residential (SFWR), Hillside Residential (HR), Waterfront Condominium (WC), Central Business (CB), North Gateway (NG), South Gateway (SG), Bay View (BV), South Business (SB), Warehouse Industrial (WI), and Public Lands (PL), per the user guide.

  • Map adopted October 15, 2018 and amended April 19, 2021, per the map face; a zoning confirmation is recommended before relying on the map.

  “the zoning map classifies the village into different zoning districts.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Setbacks by zoning district inside Suttons Bay village, for example the Central Residential (CR) and Newer Village Residential (NVR) districts, not yet extracted numerically.

  • Setbacks are listed in the article 4-7 district tables; numeric values were not extracted in this run.
  • Accessory structures and special district provisions may carry their own requirements.

  “each article includes a combined table of allowed uses and spatial requirements, such as lot width, setbacks, building height and other lot and building dimensional requirements.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum building and impervious coverage by zoning district inside Suttons Bay village, not yet extracted numerically.

  • Coverage limits are listed in the article 4-7 district tables; numeric values were not extracted in this run.

  “within articles 4-7, spatial and dimensional requirements for each zoning district are outlined in table form.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum building height and stories by zoning district inside Suttons Bay village, for example Central Residential (CR) and Newer Village Residential (NVR), not yet extracted numerically.

  • Height limits are listed in the article 4-7 district tables; numeric values were not extracted in this run.

  “each article includes a combined table of allowed uses and spatial requirements, such as lot width, setbacks, building height and other lot and building dimensional requirements.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New homes inside Suttons Bay village that connect to the village water and/or sewer system.

  • When a new service is to be connected to the village water and/or sewer system, a fee is charged; the access fee is a one-time charge.
  • The property owner pays for and maintains the service line from the structure to the village main.
  • A mandatory-connection rule or distance threshold was not located on an official page; the availability rule is unknown.

  minimum main size: >= 6 inch water and 6 inch sewer inches (larger sizes required in specific areas)

  “by village ordinance, the property owner is responsible for the service lines from the structure to its connection with the village's mains.”

• Permit processPartial

  Village zoning and land-use permit process inside Suttons Bay village. Building permit process not established here.

  • Application and checklist must be obtained after the administrator confirms the process.
  • Application forms are posted on the village website and available at village offices.

  “copies of the application forms are posted on the village website and are available at the village offices.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Suttons Bay village.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Suttons Bay village.
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Suttons Bay village.
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Suttons Bay village.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Suttons Bay 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.