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

Greendale Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Greendale township's limits, governed by the township's own Greendale Township Zoning Ordinance #2022-0614.

  • Adopted June 14, 2022; effective June 25, 2022; replaced Ordinance 2004-1012 (originally adopted October 12, 2004).

  “current zoning ordinance #2022-0614 zoning ordinance #2004-1012 replaced 06/14/2022”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Greendale township's limits; districts listed in the ordinance table of contents: AG agricultural, R-1, R-2, R-3, CONS conservation, C-1, C-2, IND industrial.

  • Only the table of contents was read; district boundaries are in the zoning map referenced in Article V, not opened.

  “article v. district regulations and zoning map section 5.01 classification of zoning districts”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  A dwelling inside Greendale township that is not on public sewer and water.

  • A dwelling must be connected to public utilities or to private facilities approved by the local health department; this is a limit, not a permission for unapproved outhouses or privies.

  “the dwelling is connected to a public sewer and water supply or to such private facilities approved by the local health department.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  A dwelling inside Greendale township, under the township ordinance's dwelling definition.

  • The definition requires connection to public sewer and water, or to private facilities approved by the local health department. It does not state a distance or availability rule, and the rule for when a connection is mandatory was not located.
  • Also requires a solid foundation and the township building code.

  “the dwelling is connected to a public sewer and water supply or to such private facilities approved by the local health department.”

Rules another office applies inside Greendale Township

Greendale 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, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside Greendale township, administered through the Township Code Authority of Midland County as shown on the township's permits page.

  • Permit must be completed and issued before work begins.

  “your application must be completed and issued prior to any work beginning on your project.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic tanks and drain fields inside Greendale township: approval comes from the Midland County health department, which the township ordinance names; applies inside the township because the township ordinance defers to it.

  • Ordinance text lists septic approval only; the county health department's own service and permit rules were not opened.
  • Geography entered as district-specific because the county schema does not allow township-specific.

  “septic tanks, drain fields and similar buried wastewater disposal facilities shall be permitted in districts with the approval of the midland county health department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic systems inside Greendale township, approved by the Midland County health department.

  • Requirement stated as approval, not as a named permit; the county permit form and fee were not opened.

  “septic tanks, drain fields and similar buried wastewater disposal facilities shall be permitted in districts with the approval of the midland county health department.”

• Permit processPartial

  Permit application for work inside Greendale township.

  • Process is published only as a permits page with downloadable forms; hours Monday to Thursday, 9:00 to 3:30 at (989) 837-6521 for the code authority, and the forms were not opened.

  “township code authority of midland county www.townshipcodeauthority.com downloadable forms your application must be completed and issued prior to any work beginning on your project.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permitting in Greendale township.
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for Greendale township.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Greendale township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Greendale township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Greendale 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.