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

Republic Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Republic township, Marquette County, MI

  • Zoning compliance permit required before construction or use; zoning approval must precede county building permit.

  “all construction within the township requires a zoning compliance permit as a condition precedent to the commencement of a use, or the erection, construction, reconstruction, restoration, alteration, conversion, or installation of a structure or building.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts in Republic township: R-1, R-2, RR, WR-1, WR-2, C/LI, RP, MR, MP

  • Official zoning map 2020 PDF also published by the township.

  “section 310 rural residential, rr iii-4 section 311 waterfront residential one, wr-1 iii-6 section 312 waterfront residential two, wr-2 iii-6 section 313 commercial, c/li iii-7 section 314 resource production, rp iii-8 section 315 mineral resource district, mr iii-9 section 316 mineral production district, mp iii-10”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Every dwelling unit in Republic township, all districts (Section 413)

  • Not more than 120 sq ft of the 600 may be storage space.

  minimum floor area: >= 600 sq ft (max 120 sq ft storage)

  “every dwelling unit shall have a floor area of not less than 600 square feet, provided, however, that not more than 120 square feet thereof may consist of storage space.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RV use on private property in Republic township

  • Guest use up to two weeks with electrical connection.
  • Temporary occupancy up to 90 days only on a lot without a dwelling and outside R1 and R2 districts.
  • RVs must be stored in rear or interior side yard.

  temporary occupancy limit: <= 90 days (lot without dwelling, not in R1/R2) · guest occupancy limit: <= 2 weeks

  “a recreational vehicle may be connected to electrical and lp gas and used for temporary occupancy for a period of up to ninety (90) days on a lot without a dwelling and not located within the r1 and r2 zoning districts.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Structures needing sewage disposal on lots served by public sewer in Republic township

  • Subject to approval of the township.
  • No distance rule found; no water-connection mandate found.

  “structures which require sewage disposal facilities and which locate on a lot serviced by public sewage facilities shall be required to connect to such facilities subject to the approval of the township of republic.”

• Permit processPublished

  Zoning compliance permits in Republic township

  • Zoning approval comes before the county building permit.

  “zoning approval must be obtained from republic township, in writing, before a building permit can be issued by marquette county.”

Rules another office applies inside Republic Township

Republic 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 issued by Marquette County for construction inside Republic township (township's own page says so)

  • Not required for a residential one-story detached accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less; a township zoning compliance permit is still required.
  • Township zoning approval in writing must come first.

  accessory structure exemption: <= 200 sq ft (residential one-story detached only)

  “building permits are not required for a residential one-story detached accessory structure, if the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet; a township zoning compliance permit is required.”

• Who permits septicCounty

  Sewage disposal for premises inside Republic township; the township zoning ordinance defers to the Marquette County Health Department

  • Also subject to Michigan Department of Natural Resources standards as cited in the ordinance.

  “any premises intended for human occupancy must be provided with an adequate method of sewage disposal to be maintained in accordance with all regulations of the marquette county health department applicable thereto”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Republic township
• Building code adopted — Building construction code inside Republic township (enforced by Marquette County)
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Republic township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Republic township
• Setbacks — Setbacks in Republic township districts

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.