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

Medina Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Medina township limits (Lenawee County, MI). Medina township administers its own Medina Township Zoning Ordinance (Land Use ordinance book).

  • Development must comply with the Medina Township Zoning Ordinance; the township zoning department handles land use planning review and site review for new builds (medinatownshipmi.gov/zoning).
  • The 2024 zoning ordinance text (amended September 9, 2024) could not be opened: both candidate PDF hosts returned HTTP 404, so district standards are not established here.

  “the zoning department of medina township provides a variety of services to preserve and enhance the high quality of life offered to those who work and live here through: land use planning review plans to determine compliance with zoning site review for new builds zoning ordinance enforcement”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning review of new-build plans inside Medina township

  • Only the zoning review service is described; the full building permit sequence and fee schedule were not published on pages that opened.

  “land use planning review plans to determine compliance with zoning site review for new builds”

Rules another office applies inside Medina Township

Medina 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)

  On-site sewage disposal for homes inside Medina township. Lenawee County Health Department (county health department) has jurisdiction over systems up to 10,000 gallons per day; EGLE handles larger systems.

  • EGLE regulates large municipal wastewater collection and treatment systems; the county page states the health department's jurisdiction is limited to systems up to 10,000 gallons per day.

  on-site system wastewater flow: <= 10000 gallons per day (EGLE jurisdiction above this flow)

  “the lenawee county health department (lchd) has jurisdiction for public and private on-site sewage disposal systems in lenawee county that handle up to 10,000 gallons of wastewater per day.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing an on-site sewage disposal system on land inside Medina township, where the Lenawee County Health Department has jurisdiction (systems handling up to 10,000 gallons of wastewater per day). Countywide rule; applies inside Medina township.

  • Larger systems fall under EGLE for the construction permit, depending on the type and amount of wastewater generated.
  • Permit issues only after a site evaluation (soil permeability, seasonal high water table elevation, available land area, isolation from adjacent water supplies) and payment of permit fees.
  • The county page does not name Medina township; applicability rests on the countywide jurisdiction statement.

  on-site system wastewater flow: <= 10000 gallons per day (larger systems regulated by EGLE)

  “prior to installing a sewage disposal system, a construction permit must be obtained from either egle or the lchd, depending on the type and amount of wastewater generated.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  On-site sewage disposal systems installed inside Medina township under LCHD jurisdiction

  • Inspection and approval are by the health department before the system is placed in service.
  • Applies to systems within the county health department's jurisdiction (up to 10,000 gallons per day).

  “each system is inspected and requires approval from the department before being placed into service.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new residential construction inside Medina township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Medina township
• Building code adopted — Residential building code applied inside Medina township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Medina township
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Medina township limits

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.