Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Roscommon, Michigan

Village of Roscommon’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Inspections for work inside Roscommon village

  • The contracted building inspector and zoning administrator post is vacant per the village page, so building inspections cannot be confirmed as currently available.
  • Electrical inspections are handled by a contracted electrical inspector; plumbing and mechanical work is under the state plumbing and mechanical inspector.

  “the contracted building inspector and zoning administrator for the village is currently vacant.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Required — Building sewer connections to the public sewer in Roscommon village

    “the director of public works or designated representative shall then inspect the installation and, if such construction is found to conform to the established specifications, and be in a safe and sanitary condition, approval shall be granted to connect the building sewer to the public sewer system.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Buildings in Roscommon village that carry sewer connection charges with a base fee plus size-based additional charges

  • The sentence is about payment of sewer connection charges before an occupancy permit issues; a general certificate of occupancy process was not found.

  “all additional charges must be paid prior to issuance of an occupancy permit for the building.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Roscommon village limits, under the Village of Roscommon zoning ordinance effective 2-20-20

  • The village site lists the zoning ordinance effective 2-20-20 and a village zoning map under other planning and zoning documents.
  • The village zoning administrator and planning commission review site plans, plot plans and special land uses.
  • The ordinance text itself was not opened on an official host in this run; later amendments were not checked.

  “zoning ordinance effective 2-20-20 (1) village zoning map”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of the Village of Roscommon

  • The village guide's quick-reference table lists seven districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, MD, C-1, C-2, I); only residential dimensional rows are carried into claims here.
  • Guide is a village guide, not the ordinance; confirm against the zoning ordinance.

  “zoning district quick reference district/regulation min. lot size (s.f.) min lot width max lot width front-yard setback side-yard setback rear-yard setback max height r-1 6,600 66' 100' 25' 10' 30' 30' r-2 8,000 80' 100' 25' 15' 35' 30' r-3 20,000 100' 200' 35' 20' 20' 30' md 7,500 125' 125' 25' 10' 25' 17' c-1 none none none none none 10' 35' c-2 39,000 100' 300' 20' 20' 20' 35' i none none none 35' 10' 20' 35'”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Main single-family residential district R-1 inside Roscommon village

  • Guide to Development is a village guide that says it is intended to be a guide; confirm against the zoning ordinance.
  • Subject to the zoning ordinance's supplemental and special-use provisions.

  minimum lot size: >= 6600 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 66 feet

  “min. lot size (s.f.) min lot width max lot width front-yard setback side-yard setback rear-yard setback max height r-1 6,600 66' 100' 25' 10' 30' 30'”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Residential R-2 district inside Roscommon village (higher-density residential)

    “minimum lot size: 8,000 square feet; minimum lot width: 80 feet; maximum lot width: 100 feet; front-yard setback: 25 feet minimum; side-yard setback: 15 feet minimum; rear-yard setback: 35 feet minimum.”

  • Specified — R-3 residential district inside Roscommon village (single-family residential use)

    “minimum lot size: 20,000 square feet; minimum lot width: 100 feet; maximum lot width: 200 feet; front-yard setback: 35 feet minimum; side-yard setback: 20 feet minimum; rear-yard setback: 20 feet minimum.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Main single-family residential district R-1 inside Roscommon village

  • Accessory buildings have separate rear and front-yard rules (see accessory claim).
  • Guide to Development is a village guide that says it is intended to be a guide; confirm against the zoning ordinance.

  front-yard setback: >= 25 feet · side-yard setback: >= 10 feet · rear-yard setback: >= 30 feet

  “minimum lot size: 6,600 square feet; minimum lot width: 66 feet; maximum lot width: 100 feet; front-yard setback: 25 feet minimum; side-yard setback: 10 feet minimum; rear-yard setback: 30 feet minimum.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Residential R-2 district inside Roscommon village

    “minimum lot size: 8,000 square feet; minimum lot width: 80 feet; maximum lot width: 100 feet; front-yard setback: 25 feet minimum; side-yard setback: 15 feet minimum; rear-yard setback: 35 feet minimum.”

  • Specified — R-3 residential district inside Roscommon village (single-family residential use)

    “minimum lot size: 20,000 square feet; minimum lot width: 100 feet; maximum lot width: 200 feet; front-yard setback: 35 feet minimum; side-yard setback: 20 feet minimum; rear-yard setback: 20 feet minimum.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Main single-family residential district R-1 inside Roscommon village

  • Quick-reference table in the village guide; confirm against the zoning ordinance.

  maximum building height: <= 30 feet

  “zoning district quick reference district/regulation min. lot size (s.f.) min lot width max lot width front-yard setback side-yard setback rear-yard setback max height r-1 6,600 66' 100' 25' 10' 30' 30'”

  3 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Residential R-2 district inside Roscommon village

    “zoning district quick reference district/regulation min. lot size (s.f.) min lot width max lot width front-yard setback side-yard setback rear-yard setback max height r-1 6,600 66' 100' 25' 10' 30' 30'”

  • Specified — R-3 residential district inside Roscommon village

    “zoning district quick reference district/regulation min. lot size (s.f.) min lot width max lot width front-yard setback side-yard setback rear-yard setback max height r-1 6,600 66' 100' 25' 10' 30' 30'”

  • Specified — Detached accessory structures in residential districts inside Roscommon village

    “detached accessory structures in residential districts cannot exceed one story or 17 feet.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Sewer connection decisions inside Roscommon village

  • Applies when a public sanitary sewer is available: the village requires connection and forbids new private systems there.
  • Health-department permits govern private systems where sewer is not available.

  “is hereby required, at the owner's expense to install suitable plumbing facilities therein in accordance with the plumbing code currently enforced by the village and to connect such facilities directly to the public sewer”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage disposal (septic, privy, cesspool) inside Roscommon village

  • Private disposal is prohibited where a public sewer is available and the owner must connect.
  • Where no public sewer is available, a private system is allowed under a county health permit and the village sewer ordinance.

  “non-availability of sewer - where a public sanitary sewer or combined sewer is not available under the provisions this ordinance, the building sewer shall be connected with a private sewage disposal system in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  New homes and buildings abutting a village street with a public sanitary sewer

  • Mandatory only where the public sewer is within 100 feet of the nearest property line and there is sufficient capacity, unless village council grants relief.
  • No village rule requiring water-main connection was located in this run; water is not established.

  distance from public sewer to nearest property line: <= 100 feet (also requires sufficient capacity in collection and treatment systems, or village council relief for unique circumstances)

  “provided that said public sewer is within 100 feet of the nearest property line of said premises and there is sufficient capacity in the collection and treatment systems or unless relief is granted by the village council for unique circumstances”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits for work inside Roscommon village

  • Plot plans are reviewed under a table; site plans, special land uses and PUDs follow separate planning commission steps.
  • Fee-schedule and inspection steps were not opened in this run.

  “the zoning administrator will issue a zoning permit pursuant to section 9.2 after determination that the application and proposed activity are in compliance with all applicable sections of this ordinance.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Roscommon

Village of Roscommon 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 adoptedPartial

  Plumbing and mechanical work inside Roscommon village, enforced under Act 230 of 1972

  • Covers plumbing and mechanical work only.
  • The village page does not state which residential building code the village applies to new homes; that is not established here.

  “the state of michigan plumbing & mechanical inspector is hereby designated as the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities for the village of roscommon under act 230 of the public acts of 1972, as amended, state of michigan.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New private septic systems on land inside Roscommon village where public sewer is not available

  • A health-department permit is needed before construction; the village ordinance names the county public health department.
  • Construction before permit issuance is a sanitary code violation under the CMDHD septic page.

  “private disposal permit - no person shall construct or install a private sewage disposal system without first applying to the roscommon county public health department for and obtaining a permit to construct and operate the system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage disposal systems installed inside Roscommon village where public sewer is not available

  • The permit to operate takes effect only after the county public health department approves the installation.

  “inspections required - a permit to operate a private sewage disposal system shall not become effective until such installation is approved by the roscommon county public health department which shall be allowed to inspect such system at any state of construction.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Roscommon or Roscommon County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Roscommon village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling inside Roscommon village
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage inside Roscommon village
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Roscommon village
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Roscommon village

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.