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

Holton Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures in Holton township, except accessory buildings under 200 square feet

  • Accessory buildings or structures under 200 square feet need no building permit or fee.
  • A building permit also requires the road access easement under sec. 1.04i and, where soil or water is an issue, the county health officer's clearance under sec. 1.04h.

  accessory structure area below which no building permit or fee is required: < 200 square feet (accessory buildings or structures only)

  “no building permit or fee shall be required for accessory buildings or structures with less than 200 square feet of area.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings moved into or within Holton township

  • The inspection is done at the owner's expense before the move.
  • General construction inspections for new buildings were not captured.

  “shall have the structure inspected at owner’s expense by the building inspector before moving it into or within the township.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in Holton township, Muskegon County, MI that is governed by the township's own zoning ordinance (the ordinance says it governs the unincorporated portion of the township)

  • The ordinance is the township's own zoning ordinance but was read from a copy on energyzoning.org, a third-party host; it has not been checked against holtontownship.com.
  • The copy is dated 2023-02-17 in its file name; that is not an effective or adoption date, so effective_at is null.
  • Use is regulated by district and by the general provisions (sec. 1.04).

  “this ordinance shall be known as the holton township zoning ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Land in Holton township zoned under the township zoning ordinance

  • The ordinance refers to residential districts, forest-recreational, agriculture and rural living districts, and an open space community option, but the district list, district schedule and zoning map were not captured.
  • Dimensional rules for each district are not captured (see the unknown dimensional claims).

  “except in conformity with the regulations specified for the district in which it is located.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Open space community developments in Holton township (sec. 23.05); not the ordinary single-family lot

  • The one-acre minimum applies in all open space community cases unless the lot is served by public sewer.
  • This is a development-option rule, not the minimum for a standard residential district.

  minimum lot size: 1 acre (not applicable where the lot is served by public sewer)

  “minimum lot size - in all cases the minimum lot size shall be one acre unless served by public sewer”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupying a travel trailer or recreational vehicle on a lot in a residential district of Holton township that also has a permanent occupied dwelling

  • Use outside a licensed mobile home park or trailer coach park for camping is limited to the stated cumulative days per calendar year.
  • Each occupied travel trailer or recreational vehicle must be self-contained.
  • Units not in use must be removed from the lot, except where stored on the property with the owner's principal residence.
  • Waste water may not be deposited on the ground, in surface waters, or underground in the township.

  cumulative use per calendar year: 30 days (lot with a permanent occupied dwelling in a residential district)

  “such uses shall be limited to thirty (30) days cumulative use in a calendar year in residential districts where such use is on a lot on which there is located a permanent occupied dwelling”

• Camping on your landLimited

  A temporary dwelling used while a permanent house is built on a parcel in Holton township

  • A temporary dwelling permit is required; its issuance depends on the permit conditions in sec. 1.04k, only part of which was captured.
  • The Muskegon County health department must grant an on-site sewer system permit covering the temporary and permanent dwelling.
  • The temporary dwelling must be removed within 45 days after a certificate of occupancy is issued for the new dwelling, and a financial guarantee is forfeited if it is not.

  removal deadline after certificate of occupancy: <= 45 days (temporary dwelling used during construction)

  “the temporary dwelling must be completely removed from the lot or parcel within 45 days of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Occupying a mobile home (manufactured home) as a dwelling on a lot in Holton township

  • The mobile home must be installed per the manufacturer's setup instructions and anchored under the rules of the Michigan Mobile Home Commission, with a perimeter wall.
  • The wheels must be removed and no exposed towing mechanism, undercarriage or chassis may show.
  • The dwelling must be connected to a public sewer and water supply, or to private facilities approved by the local health department, before occupancy is granted.
  • The section heading and the first numbered item of the dwelling-standards list were not captured.

  “in the event that a dwelling is a mobile home, each mobile home shall be installed with the wheels removed.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwellings in Holton township not connected to public sewer or water

  • Private sanitary facilities are allowed only if the local health department approves them before occupancy.
  • Waste water from recreational vehicles may not be discharged to the ground, surface water or underground in the township (sec. 1.04l).

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

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  A dwelling built in Holton township before it is occupied

  • Connection to a public sewer and water supply is required where the ordinance applies, or private facilities approved by the local health department may be used instead.
  • A rule requiring connection once a public main is available within a set distance was not captured.
  • The 1-acre open space lot rule (sec. 23.05) refers to lots served by public sewer.

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Dividing a lot in a recorded plat, and land divisions, in Holton township

  • A divided platted lot needs township board approval, and a building permit for it is not issued without that approval.
  • A land division is not approved unless the resulting parcels front on an approved and maintained public or private road.
  • Resulting parcels must be buildable, with room for setbacks, parking, on-site sewage disposal and wells where public water and sewer are unavailable.

  “land division shall not be approved unless resulting parcels be on an approved and maintained public, or approved and maintained private road.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Building permits for lots in Holton township that take access from a road

  • The easement must be permanent, exclusive and unobstructed, and must run to an existing county, state or local road approved, improved and maintained by the county road commission.
  • The easement must be 66 feet wide and give a right-of-way to all abutting owners.

  easement width: 66 feet (none stated)

  “this easement shall be sixty-six feet (66) feet in width and shall grant a right-of-way to all abutting owners and to public vehicles and/or utilities.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Land division review fees in Holton township

  • The fee is set by township board resolution from time to time, and is meant to cover review and administration costs.
  • Building and plumbing permit fee schedules were not captured; the township hosts a plumbing fee sheet that was not opened.

  “the fee as may from time to time be established by resolution of the holton township board for land division reviews pursuant to this ordinance”

• Permit processPartial

  Moving a building into or within Holton township

  • The application goes to the building official, and the permit must state the streets or alleys along which the move will be made.
  • Owners or movers must show proof of insurance set by the authorized official before the move.
  • Only the moved-building process was captured; the general building permit process was not.

  “any person desiring to move a building to a location within the township limits shall file a written application with the building official”

Rules another office applies inside Holton Township

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

• Septic permitRequired

  On-site sewer system for a temporary dwelling and its permanent replacement dwelling in Holton township

  • The county sewer permit is a condition of the temporary dwelling permit.
  • A general septic permit for all new homes was not confirmed in the captured text.

  “on-site sewer system permit has been granted by muskegon county health department for the temporary and permanent dwelling.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Holton township
• Building code adopted — Which building code Holton township enforces for new construction
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings in Holton township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in Holton township's residential districts
• Setbacks — Yard setbacks for the main single-family residential district and the agricultural or rural-residential district in Holton 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.