Zoning, building permits and septic rules in West Branch Township, Michigan

West Branch Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside West Branch township limits; the township administers its own zoning ordinance

  • Copy hosted on energyzoning.org. The township website (www.westbranchtownship.org) returned HTTP 403 and could not be opened to confirm the current text.
  • Ordinance states revisions dated January 17, 2017; no later amendment was located. The City of West Branch has a separate ordinance and does not apply here.

  “west branch township planning commission west branch township zoning ordinance ogemaw county, michigan effective december 16,2005”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for land inside West Branch township

  • Ordinance lists agricultural, forested/rural residential, country estate, low-density residential, medium-density residential, commercial, industrial, urban mixed use districts, a business route overlay and an airport safety overlay, with a zoning map in the ordinance.
  • Source text reads 'business route 175 overlay district' in the copy; likely I-75, not verified.

  “the zoning ordinance and the zoning map are organized into ten basic zone areas: agricultural district forested / rural residential district country estate district low-density residential district medium-density residential district commercial district industrial district urban mixed use district business route 175 overlay district airport safety overlay district”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Metes-and-bounds or platted residential lots on non-productive farmland in the Agricultural district (section 5.5.3(c))

  • Applies to residential use on non-productive farmland in the agricultural district; farm buildings and other nonfarm uses have separate rows in the section 5.15 table.
  • Parcel size deviations may be granted by the planning commission as part of a special use permit (section 5.15 table note).

  minimum parcel size: >= 2 acres (non-productive farmland residential lots) · minimum lot width: >= 200 feet (non-productive farmland residential lots)

  “c. metes-and-bounds or platted lots for residential uses on non-productive farmland shall meet the following standards: (amended by ordinance 31, august 2009) minimum parcel size minimum lot width minimum front setback minimum side setback minimum rear setback maximum height 2 acres 200 feet 50 feet 25 feet 50 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Metes-and-bounds or platted single-family lots in the Forested/Rural Residential district (section 5.6.3(b))

    “section 5.6 forested / rural residential (fr)”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential lots on non-productive farmland in the Agricultural district (section 5.5.3(c))

  • Setbacks are minimums; section 5.15 table note 5 (footnote) reduces some side setbacks for other districts and is not applied here.

  minimum front yard setback: >= 50 feet (non-productive farmland residential lots) · minimum side yard setback: >= 25 feet (non-productive farmland residential lots) · minimum rear yard setback: >= 50 feet (non-productive farmland residential lots)

  “2 acres 200 feet 50 feet 25 feet 50 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Metes-and-bounds or platted single-family lots in the Forested/Rural Residential district (section 5.6.3(b))

    “5 acres 330 feet 50 feet 50 feet 50 feet 2/2 stories or 35 feet”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential structures on non-productive farmland in the Agricultural district (section 5.5.3(c))

  • Maximum height is 35 feet for this residential row; other rows of the section 5.15 table (farm buildings 95 feet, commercial 40 feet) are separate.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (non-productive farmland residential lots)

  “2 acres 200 feet 50 feet 25 feet 50 feet 35 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family residential structures in the Forested/Rural Residential district (section 5.6.3(b))

    “5 acres 330 feet 50 feet 50 feet 50 feet 2/2 stories or 35 feet”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicle used as a temporary or seasonal residence on private land in the agricultural, forested/rural residential and country estate districts

  • RV must be a wheeled vehicle, licensed and registered under the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code, with inflated tires and working turn signals and brake lights.
  • Occupancy beyond 30 days allowed only if permanent on-site sanitary facilities approved by the Ogemaw County health department are installed.
  • Outside these districts this clause does not apply; no separate township RV rule was located.

  maximum occupancy without permanent sanitary facilities: <= 30 days (unless permanent on-site sanitary facilities approved by the Ogemaw County health department are installed)

  “a recreational vehicle may be used as a temporary or seasonal residence within the ag, fr, ce districts, provided that: 1. the dwelling shall be a wheeled vehicle, licensed and registered; in compliance with the michigan motor vehicle code; having properly inflated tires; and working turn signals and brake lights. 2. the dwelling shall not be occupied for a period in excess of thirty (30) days, unless permanent, on-site sanitary facilities, approved by the ogemaw county health department are installed”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Temporary manufactured home on a lot during construction of a permanent dwelling on the same lot, in the Forested/Rural Residential district (section 5.6.2(b))

  • Removed within eighteen months or as soon as the original permanent dwelling is complete, per the ordinance.
  • Requires a permit; the ordinance says the zoning administrator may in extraordinary circumstances extend the permit one year.
  • Must be connected to an approved well and septic system and anchored securely.

  maximum duration: <= 18 months (removal earlier as soon as permanent dwelling is complete)

  “b. a temporary manufactured home or an approved detached accessory structure for the living purposes during the construction of a permanent dwelling on the same lot. 1. the manufactured home or approved structure will be removed within eighteen months or as soon as the original reason for the temporary dwelling has ceased whichever comes first;”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — Temporary dwelling occupied during construction of a permanent residence on the same lot, in any district (general provisions)

    “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”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Secondary dwelling for an elderly or infirm family member, in the agricultural, forested/rural residential and country estate districts

  • Conditional use: special use permit and development site plan review required (chapters 8 and 9).
  • Limited to the period of convalescence or debility (section 5.6.5 cross-reference).

  “secondary dwellings for an elderly or infirm family member during the period of convalescence or debility (see section 5.6.5)”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-site septic fields on private land inside West Branch township

  • Zoning permit applicant must show adequate space for septic fields with reserve areas and setbacks for site conditions.
  • Other sanitation rules (state or health department) apply; not verified.

  minimum septic field distance from lot line: >= 10 feet (none stated)

  “in no case should a septic field be closer than ten (10) feet to a lot line.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New or renovated structures inside West Branch township, for public water connection

  • Connection required only within 600 feet of a township water service line.
  • Zoning permit applicant must show potable water and public sewer connections or adequate septic space; no separate sewer-connection distance rule was found in the copy reviewed.

  distance to township water service line triggering connection: <= 600 feet (new or renovated structures)

  “new or renovated structures within six hundred (600) feet of a township water service line shall be required to connect to the system.”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Flag lots created from parcels in the Forested/Rural Residential district (section 5.6.3)

  • Flag lots need planning commission action; the driveway leg needs a 66-foot frontage on a public road.
  • Ordinance text reviewed does not describe a full land-division or subdivision procedure; Michigan Land Division Act not examined.

  “flag lots may be created by planning commission action: the driveway leg must have a minimum access of sixty-six (66) foot frontage on a public road”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway access for flag lots in the Forested/Rural Residential district (section 5.6.3)

  • Driveway leg must have 66-foot frontage on a public road and be separated from the nearest drive per section 4.11.
  • Other driveway rules (county road commission permits) not checked.

  minimum access frontage on public road: >= 66 feet (flag lot driveway leg)

  “the driveway leg must have a minimum access of sixty-six (66) foot frontage on a public road and be separated from the nearest drive in accordance with section 4.11.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Land-disturbing activity requiring township site plan approval, where floodplain permits are needed

  • Applies only where development site plan approval is required; no general floodplain permit rule found.
  • Floodplain permit issuer (state EGLE or township) not verified.

  “nor shall such activity proceed prior to obtaining necessary soil erosion and sedimentation control permits, wetlands permits, or flood plain permits.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Bed-and-breakfast use (the only transient-guest use found in the ordinance) in listed districts

  • Bed-and-breakfast establishments are conditional uses requiring a special use permit and development site plan review in the districts that list them (e.g., agricultural, country estate).
  • Other short-term rental arrangements were not addressed in the ordinance copy reviewed.

  “bed and breakfast establishment is a use which is subordinate to the principal use of a dwelling as a single-family dwelling unit and in which transient guests stay for short periods of time”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Site plan review application fee for development inside West Branch township (only fee found)

  • Fee is set by township board resolution, not stated in the ordinance; the amount was not found.
  • Building, septic and well permit fees not found.

  “the application fee shall be set by resolution of the township board.”

• Permit processPartial

  Site plan review application process inside West Branch township; the building permit process is not covered

  • Application goes to the township zoning administrator; planning commission or designee reviews (section 9.4).
  • Building permit and septic/well permit steps not established from sources reviewed.

  “an application for site plan review shall be made by filing the application form, required information, and the required fee with the township zoning administrator.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new residential construction inside West Branch township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from building permits inside West Branch township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for new construction inside West Branch township
• Inspections — Building inspection for new construction inside West Branch township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside West Branch 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.