Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Port Sheldon Township, Michigan

Port Sheldon Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building construction inside Port Sheldon township, handled by the township building inspector

  • Permits for water and sewer in the Tradewinds and The Corners developments are issued by the Ottawa County Road Commission public utilities department, not the township.

  “the following information is required to be submitted to the township before a building permit can be issued.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owner doing work on a single-family dwelling the owner lives in or is about to occupy inside Port Sheldon township

  • Owner must sign the township property owner affidavit; other work requires licensed contractors.
  • Additional permits are required before electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilation work or installing a fireplace.

  “all construction work described on the permit application shall be done by myself or by licensed contractors on my single-family dwelling in which i am living or about to occupy.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building work on a single-family dwelling inside Port Sheldon township

  • Owner must arrange the required inspections.

  “i understand it is my responsibility to arrange for the required inspections”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupying or using a newly built or altered single-family dwelling inside Port Sheldon township

  • The township affidavit does not use the term certificate of occupancy; the requirement is written approval from the building inspector before occupancy or use.

  “i agree not to move anything into, or use the building for any purpose, until after i have received written approval from the building inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Port Sheldon township's limits: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance

  • Text searched is the Port Sheldon Township Zoning Ordinance adopted October 10, 2019 and consolidated through July 14, 2021. Township public hearing notices from 2026 refer to pending amendments (for example deletion of road and highway setbacks in Section 4.27); those amendments were not verified and the current consolidated text may differ.
  • Section 3.04 says unplatted or unassigned land is declared to be in the 'ar-1 agricultural district', while the ordinance elsewhere names the agricultural district AG-1 (Article X).

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Port Sheldon township's limits

  • Zoning map is kept at the township clerk's office per Section 3.02; the map itself was not opened.
  • Section 3.04 says property not specifically included within a district is declared to be in the ar-1 agricultural district.

  “1. r-1 single-family residential district 2. lsr lakeshore residential district 3. commercial district 4. industrial district 5. agricultural district 6. open space district 7. planned unit development district (pud)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  LSR lakeshore residential district (Article VI) inside Port Sheldon township

  • Lakeshore district covers land along the Lake Michigan shoreline; the ordinance states that sensitive environmental areas are associated with it.

  minimum lot area, residential uses: >= 20000 sq ft · minimum lot area, non-residential uses: >= 5 acres · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft

  “5. minimum lot width: 100 feet 6. minimum lot area: a. for residential uses: 20,000 square feet b. for non-residential uses: 5 acres”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential district (Article V) inside Port Sheldon township

    “5. minimum lot width: 100 feet 6. minimum lot area: a. for residential land uses: 20,000 square feet b. for non-residential uses: 5 acres”

  • Specified — AG-1 agricultural district (Article X) inside Port Sheldon township

    “5. minimum lot area: 2 acres 6. minimum lot width: 200 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district (Article V) inside Port Sheldon township

  • Front yard setback may be increased as required by Section 4.27 (the 2026 notice concerns deletion of road and highway setbacks in that section; not verified).
  • Corner and waterfront lots follow Section 4.11 (not opened).

  minimum front yard: >= 35 ft (except as may be required by section 4.27) · minimum side yard: >= 10 ft · minimum rear yard: >= 40 ft

  “1. minimum required front yard: 35 feet, except as may be required by section 4.27. 2. minimum required side yard: 10 feet 3. minimum required rear yard: 40 feet”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — LSR lakeshore residential district (Article VI) inside Port Sheldon township

    “1. minimum required front yard: 35 feet, except as may be required by section 4.27. 2. minimum required side yard: 10 feet 3. minimum required rear yard: 40 feet”

  • Specified — AG-1 agricultural district (Article X) inside Port Sheldon township

    “1. minimum required front yard: 35 feet, except as may be required by section 4.27. 2. minimum required side yard: 30 feet 3. minimum required rear yard: 40 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  AG-1 agricultural district (Article X) inside Port Sheldon township

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (or 2 1/2 stories in height, whichever is less)

  “4. maximum building height: 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories in height, whichever is less.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential district (Article V) inside Port Sheldon township

    “4. maximum building height: 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories, whichever is less.”

  • Specified — LSR lakeshore residential district (Article VI) inside Port Sheldon township

    “4. maximum building height: 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories in height, whichever is less.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Occupying a recreational vehicle as a dwelling inside Port Sheldon township

  • Applies to permanent occupancy only; temporary occupancy is governed by the temporary camping claim.

  “2. occupy a travel trailer, recreation vehicle, tent or any other similar unit as a permanent dwelling.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary occupancy of a travel trailer, recreational vehicle, or tent inside Port Sheldon township

  • Outside a campground approved by the state department of health, the only exception is a tent within an area the township board approves as a temporary primitive campground for a non-profit organization.
  • The township board may set a maximum number of people, beginning and ending dates, and a bond, and may impose other reasonable conditions.

  “3. occupy a travel trailer, recreational vehicle, tent, or any other similar unit as a temporary dwelling outside of a campground approved by the state department of health, except a tent within an area approved by the township board as a temporary primitive campground for a non-profit organization.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Occupying a mobile home as a temporary dwelling outside a mobile home park inside Port Sheldon township

  • Zoning administrator may approve for not more than six (6) months; one extension is addressed in the ordinance (text cut off in the opened copy).
  • Parcel of not less than two (2) acres and meets all yard and setback requirements of the district.
  • Occupied by the owner of the parcel or an employee of the owner.
  • Occupied during construction or major rehabilitation of the primary dwelling.
  • Hooked to a water supply and sewer system approved by the Ottawa County health department.
  • A $1,000 bond posted for removal.

  minimum parcel size: >= 2 acres · temporary approval maximum: <= 6 months · removal bond: 1000 USD

  “4. occupy a mobile home as a temporary dwelling outside of a mobile home park, except when approved by the zoning administrator.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Buildings on lots inside Port Sheldon township that have no public water or sanitary sewer service

  • Section 4.13 does not itself require a new home to connect to public water or sewer when available; it only conditions permits for lots not served by water or sanitary facilities.
  • Water and sewer permits in the Tradewinds and The Corners developments are issued by the Ottawa County Road Commission public utilities department.

  “no permit shall be issued for the construction of a building or structure, which is to have drinking water or sanitary disposal facilities, which is to be located on a lot which is not served by water or sanitary disposal facilities, except in conformance with all requirements of the ottawa county health department and any other local, state or federal requirements.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process inside Port Sheldon township

  • Process steps: submit listed items (well/septic approval, proof of ownership, site plan, two sets of plans) before a permit issues; contact the township building inspector at (616) 399-6121.

  “the following information is required to be submitted to the township before a building permit can be issued.”

Rules another office applies inside Port Sheldon Township

Port Sheldon 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 code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Port Sheldon township

  • The affidavit refers to the Michigan construction codes generally; the specific code editions were not opened.
  • The township building inspector reviews for compliance with the zoning ordinance and building code (township profile seen in search snippet, not opened).

  “all work shall be done in accordance with the michigan construction codes and shall not be enclosed, backfilled, insulated, drywalled or covered in any way until it has been inspected and approved by the building inspector.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private septic systems on land inside Port Sheldon township; the Ottawa County Environmental Health Department issues the permit

  • Also subject to Section 4.13 of the township zoning ordinance, which requires conformance with Ottawa County health department requirements for lots without water or sanitary service.

  “permits for private wells and septic systems from ottawa county environmental health department required”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems for buildings inside Port Sheldon township, issued by the Ottawa County Environmental Health Department (phone 616-3935645 per application)

  • Permit must be in hand before the township issues a building permit (Well/Water Approval and Sewage Disposal System item on the application).

  “permits for private wells and septic systems from ottawa county environmental health department required”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Buildings on lots inside Port Sheldon township without public sanitary service

  • Permitted only in conformance with Ottawa County health department requirements and any other local, state or federal requirements.
  • The temporary mobile home rule in Section 4.22 also requires a health-department-approved water and sewer system.

  “except in conformance with all requirements of the ottawa county health department and any other local, state or federal requirements.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private wells for buildings inside Port Sheldon township, issued by the Ottawa County Environmental Health Department

  • Permit must be in hand before the township issues a building permit.

  “permits for private wells and septic systems from ottawa county environmental health department required”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Port Sheldon township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage on land inside Port Sheldon township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Port Sheldon township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Port Sheldon township
• Septic inspection — Septic system inspection inside Port Sheldon 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.