Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Swan Creek Township, Michigan

Swan Creek Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Swan Creek township, Saginaw County, Michigan. The township administers its own zoning ordinance (Chapter 5 divides the whole township into zoning districts).

  • Zoning ordinance PDFs on the township site are dated April 2020 (file path /2020/04/); no adoption or effective date was found in the pages opened, so effective_at is null.
  • Use requires compliance with the district regulations in Chapter 5 and the general requirements in Chapter 3.

  “swan creek township, saginaw county, michigan, is divided into the following zoning districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of the whole of Swan Creek township, Saginaw County, Michigan

  • Districts: CG Conservation Greenbelt, A Primary Agriculture, R Residential, B Commercial, M Light Industrial.
  • The official zoning district map is kept by the township clerk; the map image itself was not located.

  “the boundaries of these zoning districts are hereby defined and established on a map entitled, "zoning district map of swan creek township," which accompanies this ordinance.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the A Primary Agriculture district inside Swan Creek township

  • Also applies township-wide under section 303(9): 1,000 square feet of living area and a 20-foot minimum width.

  minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “minimum floor area: 1000 square feet for single-family dwelling”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R Residential district inside Swan Creek township

    “minimum floor area: 1000 square feet for single-family dwellings”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the A Primary Agriculture district inside Swan Creek township

  • Depth 218 feet, not including the road right-of-way.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 200 feet

  “minimum lot size area: 43,560 square feet (one acre) width: 200 feet continuous frontage at the front lot line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the R Residential district inside Swan Creek township

    “minimum lot size area: one acre (43,560 square feet) width: 125 feet continuous frontage at the front lot line.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Main and accessory buildings in the A Primary Agriculture district inside Swan Creek township

  • Accessory building used for residential purposes: front 50 feet, side 8 feet (25 feet if corner lot), rear 5 feet.
  • Permitted non-residential structures may increase maximum height if setbacks are increased one foot for each foot of added height.

  front setback, main building: >= 50 feet · side setback total, main building: >= 35 feet (minimum 15 feet on one side; 25 feet if corner lot) · rear setback, main building: >= 40 feet

  “minimum setbacks (main bldg / accessory bldg) front: 50 feet / 50 feet side: 35 feet total, minimum 15 feet one side (25 feet if corner lot) (both main & accessory) rear: 40 feet / 30 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Main and accessory buildings in the R Residential district inside Swan Creek township

    “minimum setbacks (main bldg/accessory bldg) front: 40 feet / 40 feet side: 10 feet / 8 feet bldg. (25 feet min. for both main & accessory if on corner lot) rear: 40 feet / 5 feet”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the A Primary Agriculture district inside Swan Creek township

  • Agricultural operations: 85 feet.
  • Permitted non-residential structures may increase maximum height if front, side, and rear setbacks are increased one foot for each one foot increase in building height.
  • Chapter 3 height exceptions (appurtenances, special structures) apply and are not used for human occupancy.

  principal building maximum height: <= 35 feet (2.5 stories) · accessory building maximum height: <= 25 feet (2.0 stories)

  “maximum building height (see note below): principal building: 2.5 stories, 35 feet accessory building: 2.0 stories, 25 feet agricultural operations: 85 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Buildings in the R Residential district inside Swan Creek township

    “maximum building height (see note below): principal building: 2.5 stories, 35 feet accessory building: 2.0 stories, 25 feet agricultural operations: 85 feet”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes used as dwellings on private land inside Swan Creek township outside licensed mobile home parks

  • Must be firmly attached to a permanent foundation meeting Michigan Building Code requirements, with a foundation wall the same perimeter as the dwelling.
  • Mobile homes in licensed mobile home parks are exempt from the permanent-foundation requirement and must follow the manufacturer's setup and anchoring rules.

  “all single family dwellings, except mobile homes located in licensed mobile home parks, must be firmly attached to a permanent foundation that meets the michigan building code requirements for such dwellings”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory buildings and second dwellings on the same lot as a principal dwelling inside Swan Creek township

  • No portion of an accessory building in any zoning district may be used as a dwelling.
  • Exception: a building in the rear of or on the same lot with a principal building may be used for residential purposes for elderly or handicapped family members, or farm laborers, by special use permit under chapter 6.

  “no portion of an accessory building in any zoning district may be used as a dwelling”

Rules another office applies inside Swan Creek Township

Swan Creek 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

  New single-family dwellings and other dwellings inside Swan Creek township, Saginaw County, Michigan. The township ordinance requires compliance with the Michigan Building Code.

  • The township ordinance adopts no separate building code; it incorporates the state code by reference.
  • Dwellings must also meet the roof snow load and strength requirements of the ordinance.

  “must comply in all respects with the michigan building code, including minimum heights for habitable rooms”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Swan Creek township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Swan Creek township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Swan Creek township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new homes inside Swan Creek township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Swan Creek township districts

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.