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

Home Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Home township limits (Montcalm County, MI) under the Home Township Zoning Book; the township administers its own zoning ordinance

  • Zoning permit issued by the township zoning administrator is required before construction or use under the ordinance (see section 3.07 and the zoning permit definition in section 2.71).
  • Zoning book states the township board administers the ordinance under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

  “section 12.01 administration: the provisions of this ordinance shall be administered by the home township board in accordance with the michigan zoning enabling act, (zoning act)”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Home township limits; district list in Articles VI-VII of the Home Township Zoning Book

  • Districts listed in the zoning book table of contents: A agricultural (7.01), R-R rural residential (7.02), R-1 single family residential (7.03), R-2 medium density residential (7.04), C-1 general commercial (7.05), I industrial (7.06), PR public reserve (7.07), CA camps academy zone (7.08).
  • Only the R-1 purpose statement was extracted; dimensional tables for each district were not extracted in this pass.

  “section 7.03 “r-1" single family residential district: 1) purpose - the purpose of this district and its accompanying regulations is to provide for a stable and sound residential environment”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All dwelling units located outside mobile home parks in Home township

  • Floor area excludes basements, porches, garages, breezeways, terraces or attics.
  • Other minimums also apply: 14 ft minimum width, 7.5 ft minimum floor-to-ceiling height, two means of egress.

  minimum floor area of dwelling (excluding basements, porches, garages, breezeways, terraces, attics): >= 860 square feet

  “a floor area of not less than eight hundred and sixty (860) square feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile or manufactured homes used as a dwelling in Home township that do not meet section 3.08 standards

  • Zoning administrator may approve temporary use for up to six months; planning commission may approve an additional period up to one year.
  • Requires that a building permit has been issued for a permanent single-family structure that conforms to section 3.08.

  temporary occupancy period (zoning administrator): <= 6 months (planning commission may approve up to one additional year)

  “a mobile home not otherwise meeting the standards of this section may be used as a dwelling on a temporary basis. the zoning administrator may approve such a use for a period not to exceed six months and the planning commission may approve such a use for an additional period not exceed one (1) year, provided the following conditions are met: a.. a building permit has been issued for construction of a permanent single family structure that conforms to the requirements of this section;”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access for construction in Home township; permit issued by the state highway authority or county road commission

  • Approved driveway permit must be submitted to the township zoning administrator before a building permit is issued.

  “an approved driveway permit shall be obtained from the state highway or the county road commission and submitted to the zoning administrator prior to the issuance of a building permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Home Township

Home 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

  New construction and alterations inside Home township; the Montcalm County Building Department issues the building, electric, plumbing and mechanical permits there (the county covers all of the county except the City of Greenville)

  • Building, electric, plumbing and mechanical permits are issued by the Montcalm County Building Department, not the township.
  • A township zoning permit is also required; zoned townships issue their own zoning permits.
  • Permit fees and documents are not stated in the page read; see county building permit requirements.

  “montcalm county building department issues building, electric, plumbing and mechanical permits for all of montcalm county, except for the city of greenville”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Home township, enforced by the Montcalm County Building Department under the state construction code

  • Enforced by the county building department, not by the township.

  “the montcalm county building department enforces the state construction code act no. 230 of the public acts of 1972, which includes michigan building code 2015, michigan residential code 2015”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home in Home township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction in Home township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate or occupancy permit for a new home in Home township
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yard setbacks for the R-1 and R-R districts in Home township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in Home 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.