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

Reynolds Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction inside Reynolds township

  • The ordinance definition refers to the building code as currently adopted by the township but does not name the code or edition in the text read.
  • The township's building official administers the adopted codes, per the definitions section.

  “building code the code or codes governing the erection and maintenance of buildings as currently adopted by reynolds township.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and structures begun in Reynolds township

  • Occupancy permit is issued after the work is finished, in accordance with other township ordinances.
  • Whether the occupancy permit is issued by the township or by the county building department was not confirmed.

  “once construction or installation has begun regarding a building or structure, such building or structure shall be finished and an occupancy permit shall be issued in accordance with all other applicable township ordinances.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Reynolds township limits, Montcalm County, Michigan; the township's own zoning ordinance administered by its zoning administrator

  • Ordinance cover page lists adoption November 5, 1998, effective November 16, 1998, revised April 2003, with later amendments listed through June 1, 2023; the current amendment list was read from the cover page only.
  • Ordinance is the township's own adopted text, not a county ordinance.

  “reynolds township, michigan adopted: november 5, 1998 effective:november 16, 1998 revised: april, 2003”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  All land inside Reynolds township limits

  • Districts listed in section 3.1 include R-1 rural-agricultural residential, R-2 low density residential, R-3 medium density residential, R-4 manufactured home park, C-1 general commercial, C-2 highway commercial, I industrial, and PUD planned unit development.
  • The map itself was not opened; the district boundaries are not verified here.

  “reynolds township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: current district designation r-1 rural-agricultural residential”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 rural-agricultural residential district inside Reynolds township

  • Minimum lot area of 87,120 sq ft (about two acres) per the schedule of regulations, section 12.1.
  • Schedule footnotes are part of the regulations and were not fully read; the extracted table does not reliably align the width column, so lot width is not recorded here.

  minimum lot area, R-1 rural-agricultural residential: >= 87120 sq ft

  “schedule of regulations* districts area (a) width (sq. ft.) (ft.) r-1, ruralagricultural 87,120 residential r-2, low 54,450 density residential”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupying a recreational vehicle or other wheeled dwelling as living quarters on private land inside Reynolds township

  • Only the Section 2.22 temporary dwelling permit allows a wheeled vehicle to be occupied; the permit is tied to construction of a permanent residence on the same lot.
  • The wheeled dwelling must be licensed and registered under the Michigan motor vehicle code, and must have portable sanitary facilities at a minimum; occupancy beyond 30 days needs permanent approved sanitary facilities (see temporary_camping claim).
  • No general long-term RV occupancy permission was found in the sections read; other sections were not opened.

  “the temporary dwelling will be used only as a temporary use on the lot while the property owner is constructing a permanent residence on that same lot”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary occupancy of a wheeled dwelling on a lot while the owner builds a permanent residence on that same lot, inside Reynolds township

  • Zoning administrator may issue the permit to park and occupy a temporary dwelling in any district, but the dwelling must be a temporary or seasonal residence within the R-1, R-2 or R-3 district.
  • A building permit must already be issued for the permanent residence, and the temporary dwelling must be permanently connected to an approved well and septic system.
  • Occupancy without permanent on-site sanitary facilities approved by the Montcalm County Health Department is limited to 30 days; with them, the permit may run April 1 through November 30.
  • Initial permit is limited to six months; one six-month extension or less may be allowed if the permanent residence is not about 50 percent complete.
  • A fee is set by the township board; temporary dwellings must be removed on permit expiry or on completion of the permanent building.

  maximum occupancy without permanent approved sanitary facilities: <= 30 days (permanent approved on-site sanitary facilities allow April 1 - November 30 permit period) · initial temporary dwelling permit period: 6 months (one extension of six months or less)

  “the zoning administrator may issue a permit to an individual to park and occupy a temporary dwelling in any district provided that the following conditions are met”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes used as a dwelling on a lot inside Reynolds township, subject to the district rules

  • A manufactured home used as a dwelling must have its wheels removed and its foundation must fully enclose the chassis, undercarriage and towing mechanism.
  • The home must be firmly attached to a permanent continuous foundation built to building-code requirements for on-site single-family dwellings.
  • It must meet the lot area, width, floor area, yard and height limits of its district. Manufactured-home-park districts (R-4) are a separate district and were not read.

  “if the dwelling unit is a manufactured home, its foundation shall fully enclose the chassis, undercarriage and towing mechanism.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Temporary dwellings occupied on lots inside Reynolds township without a permanent sanitary system

  • Without permanent on-site sanitary facilities approved by the Montcalm County Health Department, occupancy is limited to 30 days.
  • Sewage or wastewater may not be deposited on land or in water unless approved by the Michigan health department and the Montcalm County Health Department.

  maximum occupancy without approved on-site sanitary facilities: <= 30 days (permanent approved on-site sanitary facilities)

  “the dwelling shall not be occupied for a period in excess of thirty (30) days, unless permanent, on-site sanitary facilities, approved by the montcalm county health department are installed”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions inside Reynolds township

  • The zoning ordinance refers to township subdivision regulations; the subdivision ordinance itself was not opened.
  • The Michigan Land Division Act process was not verified.

  “and the subdivision regulations, building code and other applicable ordinances of reynolds township.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways serving C-2 highway commercial uses inside Reynolds township only

  • Applies to the C-2 highway commercial district site development requirements; the residential driveway rule was not located.
  • Driveways for commercial principal uses are limited to one per street per principal use unless the planning commission approves a second shared or traffic-study driveway.

  maximum driveways per street per principal use, C-2 district: <= 1 count (second driveway shared with adjoining use, or additional driveway justified by a traffic study approved by planning commission)

  “a maximum of one (1) driveway per street shall be permitted per principal use, or collective principal use, as defined in section 1.17.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Buildings for human occupancy in designated flood plain areas inside Reynolds township

  • Flood plain areas are determined from time to time by FEMA, the county engineer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or other official federal or Michigan agency.
  • Rule bars erecting or occupying buildings for human occupancy in designated flood plain areas; other flood plain permit steps were not located.

  “no building for human occupancy shall be erected or hereafter occupied, if vacant, in such designated flood plain areas.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Temporary dwelling approval fee inside Reynolds township

  • Fee is set by the township board and is not published in the ordinance text read.
  • Section 16.5 (fees) appears in the amendment history but was not opened; the current fee schedule was not located.

  “upon applying for a temporary dwelling approval, the applicant shall pay a fee as determined by the township board.”

• Permit processPartial

  Development and zoning permit processing by Reynolds township

  • The township home page says planning and zoning processes development permits; the zoning application steps and forms were not read.
  • The township forms page was not reachable (HTTP 404).

  “planning and zoning managing township land use, processing development permits, and maintaining strategic zoning ordinances to support sustainable community infrastructure.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new construction inside Reynolds township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction exemption inside Reynolds township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Reynolds township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Reynolds township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Reynolds 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.