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

Jerome Township’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction and mobile home installation in Jerome township, inspected by township building, electrical, and plumbing and mechanical inspectors

  • Inspections are scheduled by calling for an appointment; the inspection stages are not listed on the page.
  • For new mobile home installations, a building permit for occupancy is issued after inspection of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and building work.

  “a building permit is required for occupancy based on the inspection of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and building inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Jerome township, Midland County, Michigan, under the township's own zoning ordinance

  • The ordinance states it applies to the unincorporated portions of the township; it does not reach incorporated areas.
  • The ordinance excludes state owned land from its district map.
  • The cover page gives the amendment date January 10, 2024; that is recorded here as an amendment date, not an effective date.

  “an ordinance to establish zoning districts within the unincorporated portions of jerome township, midland county, michigan”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Unincorporated land inside Jerome township, Midland County, Michigan

  • Districts are A residential one family, B residential multiple family, C commercial business, D commercial general, E agricultural, and F industrial.
  • The zoning map referred to in section 3.01 was not opened; district boundaries are not verified here.

  “all of the unincorporated area in the township of jerome except state owned land is hereby divided into the following districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in district A (residential, one family) in unincorporated Jerome township

  • Floor area is measured at the first-floor level and excludes garage and accessory structure areas.
  • District B dwellings and mobile homes must meet the dwelling area minimum of their district; district B and E figures were not captured.

  minimum first-floor floor area: >= 900 square feet (excludes garage and accessory structure area) · minimum first-floor width: >= 20 linear feet (exclusive of garage area)

  “no dwelling shall be erected or altered which provides less than nine hundred (900) square feet of floor area at the first-floor level with a minimum width of 20 linear feet exclusive of any garage area or area in any accessory structure.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Dwelling lots in district A (residential, one family) in unincorporated Jerome township

  • A parcel smaller than the area requirement is exempt if it was identified under one ownership on record before November 5, 1968.
  • Minimum width of 30 feet at the point of access to the premises applies to all parcels.
  • District E (agricultural) lot standards were not captured.

  minimum lot area for a dwelling lot: >= 15000 square feet (parcels of record before November 5, 1968 under one ownership) · minimum lot width at building site: >= 100 feet (same pre-November 5, 1968 exception)

  “every parcel of land upon which a dwelling is hereafter erected or altered shall be not less than 15,000 square feet in area nor less than one hundred (100) feet in width at the building site”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings in district A (residential, one family) in unincorporated Jerome township

  • Side yards may be reduced to 8 feet for lots of legal record on November 5, 1968 that are 75 feet or less in width.
  • Corner lots: the side yard abutting a right-of-way must be at least the minimum front yard of the adjoining lot (section 4.05).
  • District E (agricultural) setbacks were not captured.

  minimum front yard depth from right-of-way: >= 25 feet · minimum rear yard depth: >= 35 feet · minimum side yard width (each side): >= 10 feet (8 feet for legal lots of record on November 5, 1968 that are 75 feet or less in width)

  “every lot on which a building is erected shall have a front yard not less than twentyfive (25) feet in depth from the right-of-way, a rear yard of not less than thirty-five feet (35) in depth and side yards of each side not less than ten (10) feet in width.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Accessory buildings and structures in all zoning districts in unincorporated Jerome township

    “accessory buildings, except as otherwise permitted in this ordinance, are permitted in all zoning districts unless otherwise specified, and shall be subject to the following regulations:”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings used for dwelling purposes in district A (residential, one family) in unincorporated Jerome township

  • The limit applies to the whole building and any part of it.
  • District E (agricultural) height limit was not captured.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (must also not exceed two and one-half stories) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (must also not exceed 35 feet)

  “no buildings or structure, used for dwelling purposes, or any part there- of, shall be erected or altered to a height exceeding two and one-half (2 ½) stories or thirtyfive (35) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes used as dwellings in unincorporated Jerome township

  • New installations must be on an enclosed foundation or on piers and enclosed with skirting.
  • Replacement of an existing mobile home on the same parcel is allowed with building inspector approval and must meet current safety requirements.
  • Mobile homes must also meet the dwelling area minimum for the zoning district where they are located.

  minimum mobile home width: >= 14 feet

  “acceptable mobile homes are single units with a 14-foot minimum width on an enclosed foundation or on piers and enclosed with skirting.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New dwellings in unincorporated Jerome township: source of water supply

  • Water must come from a public supply if available; otherwise from a well on the premises.
  • The rule for connecting to a public sewer was not captured; the sanitary waste text in section 12.02 was truncated in the passage reviewed.
  • Water district permit requirements are listed by the township page as Water District #1; not verified in detail.

  “an adequate, safe and sanitary water supply furnished under pressure through a system of pipes from a public supply if available or from a well on the premises”

• Permit processPartial

  Building and zoning permit intake at Jerome township

  • The page gives office hours, the phone number and building contacts, but not the step-by-step application process.
  • Ponds with a surface area over 1,200 sq. ft. require site plan review; contact the ZBA secretary.
  • Zoning permits are required for storage sheds 120 sq. ft. or less and agricultural accessory buildings.

  “office hours monday – thursday, 9am – 1pm or by appointment phone (989) 488-4578”

Rules another office applies inside Jerome Township

Jerome 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)

  Septic systems for dwellings inside Jerome township, administered by the Midland County health department

  • Geography is recorded as district-specific because the county scope does not allow township-specific.
  • The page does not give the health department's service boundary; that boundary was not verified.
  • The zoning ordinance refers to the 'midland county community health department' for on-site sewage disposal.

  “well & septic permits from the midland county health department, 989-832-6679.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New or modified driveway connections in Jerome township

  • Driveways must meet the Midland County Road Commission specifications.
  • Connections to private roads are handled under section 12.09 of the same ordinance.

  “driveways must meet the specifications of the midland county road commission; a county permit is required for new or modified connections to a public road.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home built by the owner in Jerome township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for Jerome township construction
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Jerome township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in district A and district E in Jerome township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land in Jerome 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.