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

Geneva Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Geneva township that needs mechanical, plumbing, electrical, or whole-building permits

  • Permit applications are listed on the township page as required permits; the page does not state fee amounts or exemptions.
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued.

  “required permits: mechanical permit application download plumbing permit application download electrical permit application download whole building permit application download”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Geneva township's limits, Midland County, Michigan, under the township's own zoning ordinance (amended December 2022)

  • The township's own zoning ordinance applies inside the township; it does not cover the county's unincorporated area.
  • The ordinance file on the township site is named DRAFT-Geneva-2022-Amended_ZONING_ORDINANCE.pdf; the page states the document was amended December 2022 but gives no separate adoption or effective date, so confirm the currently adopted text.

  “geneva township 80 zoning ordinance amended december 2022 amendments section number description”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  District regulations in Geneva township's zoning ordinance: Agricultural / Rural Residential (section 5.5), Forested / Rural Residential (FR, section 5.6), and Village Mixed Use (section 5.7)

  • Map of district boundaries was not located; the ordinance text names the districts but the parcel-by-parcel map was not opened.
  • Section 5.8 is shown as deleted in the table of contents.

  “section 5.6 forested / rural residential (fr) the purpose and intent of this district is to preserve the forests and woodlots of the township”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential lots in Geneva township's Agricultural / Rural Residential district (section 5.5) on non-productive farmland, metes-and-bounds or platted lots

  • Standard stated for residential lots on non-productive farmland only; other residential lot standards in the district were not captured.
  • Flag lots may be created by planning commission action with a 66-foot minimum driveway leg access on a public road.
  • Planned development option with 1 dwelling unit per 1½ acres and 65% open space (section 5.10) is not reflected here.

  minimum parcel size: 2 acres (metes-and-bounds or platted lots for residential use on non-productive farmland)

  “metes-and-bounds or platted lots for residential uses on non-productive farmland shall meet the following standards: minimum parcel size minimum frontage minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet from road r.o.w. 25 feet 25 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Metes-and-bounds or platted residential lots in Geneva township's Forested / Rural Residential (FR) district (section 5.6)

    “b. 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet from r.o.w. 25 feet 25 feet 2½ stories or 35 feet”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential lots on non-productive farmland in Geneva township's Agricultural / Rural Residential district (section 5.5)

  • Front setback is measured from the road right-of-way.
  • Standards stated only for residential lots on non-productive farmland.

  front setback: 50 feet (from road right-of-way) · side setback: 25 feet · rear setback: 25 feet

  “metes-and-bounds or platted lots for residential uses on non-productive farmland shall meet the following standards: minimum parcel size minimum frontage minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet from road r.o.w. 25 feet 25 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Metes-and-bounds or platted residential lots in Geneva township's Forested / Rural Residential (FR) district (section 5.6)

    “b. 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet from r.o.w. 25 feet 25 feet 2½ stories or 35 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential lots on non-productive farmland in Geneva township's Agricultural / Rural Residential district (section 5.5)

  • Stated maximum applies to residential lots on non-productive farmland only.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “metes-and-bounds or platted lots for residential uses on non-productive farmland shall meet the following standards: minimum parcel size minimum frontage minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet from road r.o.w. 25 feet 25 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Metes-and-bounds or platted residential lots in Geneva township's Forested / Rural Residential (FR) district (section 5.6)

    “b. 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet from r.o.w. 25 feet 25 feet 2½ stories or 35 feet”

• Camping on your landAllowed

  Camping (temporary placement of tents, travel trailers, or recreational vehicles on a property) as a permitted principal use in Geneva township's Forested / Rural Residential (FR) district (section 5.6)

  • Camping is listed as a permitted principal use in section 5.6.1 only; camping rules for the Agricultural / Rural Residential district and for other districts were not captured.
  • Temporary trailer dwellings are a separate conditional use with a time-limited zoning permit (see the rv_occupancy claim).

  “section 5.6.1 permitted principal uses agricultural uses. camping. home occupations. single-family dwellings.”

Rules another office applies inside Geneva Township

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

• Permit processPartial

  Obtaining building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits for work inside Geneva township

  • Only the pick-up location, office hours, and contact details are published; the step-by-step process and review timeline are not.

  office hours: 8:30 am-4:30 pm, monday, wednesday, and thursday

  “applications can be picked up at code authority at 220 w. ellsworth, midland, mi 48640 office hours 8:30 am-4:30 pm, monday, wednesday, and thursday.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building in Geneva township
• Building code adopted — Adoption of state construction codes for work inside Geneva township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Geneva township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling in Geneva township
• Lot coverage — Building lot coverage for residential lots in Geneva township's A/RR and FR 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.