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

Worth Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Worth township's limits in Sanilac County, MI: the township's own zoning ordinance (Chapter 300, Zoning)

  • The township zoning page lists 'Chapter 300: Zoning Ordinance of Worth Township' and a zoning map adopted 11-15-2017.
  • The Chapter 300 text was read from a copy hosted by energyzoning.org; the copy's cover states it was amended by Ordinance No. 17-1-18 (cover not opened in the record). Later amendments were not verified against the township's own copy.
  • The ordinance defines a 'district' as a portion of the unincorporated part of the township.

  “chapter 300: zoning ordinance of worth township”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Worth township's limits

  • Zoning map adopted 11-15-2017 per the township zoning page; the map image itself was not opened.
  • Districts listed in the Chapter 300 table of contents: R1 and R2 residential (article V); MR multiple family (article VI); RR and AG agricultural-residential (article VII); MH mobile home (article VIII); C commercial (article IX); I industrial (article X); HRE flood hazard and high-risk erosion overlay (article XI).

  “zoning map adopted 11-15-2017 chapter 250: vehicles and traffic”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  One-family dwellings in the R1 district inside Worth township

  • Two-story one-family dwelling: not less than 750 square feet total floor area and not less than 600 square feet of ground or first floor area (sec. 300-56(a)(2)(a)).
  • In no case may minimum area include floor space in an attached garage, open porch or other attached structure.
  • R2 district has a separate 750 square foot one-story minimum (sec. 300-56(a)(1)(b)); not tabulated here.

  minimum floor area, one-story one-family dwelling: >= 750 square feet (attached garage, open porch or other attached structure excluded)

  “every one-family, one-story dwelling hereafter erected, altered or moved upon a premises shall contain: (a) r1 district: not less than 750 square feet of floor area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — One-family dwellings in the agricultural-residential RR and AG districts inside Worth township

    “every one-family, one-story building hereafter erected, altered or moved upon a premises shall contain not less than 750 square feet of floor area.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Newly created parcels and new subdivision lots in the R1 district inside Worth township

  • Applies to new subdivisions or newly created parcels; existing lots are not covered by this sentence.
  • Lots served by a public sewer supply system: 10,000 square feet with 80 feet minimum frontage and lot width (same section).
  • Section is headed for both R1 and R2 in article V; R2-specific figures were not separately verified.

  minimum lot area, no public sewer: >= 20000 square feet (new subdivisions or newly created parcels only) · minimum frontage and lot width, no public sewer: >= 100 feet (new subdivisions or newly created parcels only) · minimum lot area, served by public sewer: >= 10000 square feet (lots served by a public sewer supply system; new subdivisions or newly created parcels only) · minimum frontage and lot width, served by public sewer: >= 80 feet (lots served by a public sewer supply system; new subdivisions or newly created parcels only)

  “minimum lot area shall be 20,000 square feet with a minimum frontage and lot width of 100 feet in all new subdivisions or newly created parcels of land.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Newly created parcels in the RR (agricultural-residential) district inside Worth township

    “minimum lot area for the rr districts shall be 1.25 acres with a minimum frontage of 165 feet and lot depth of 330 feet in all newly created parcels of land, 100 feet in width in all newly created subdivisions.”

  • Specified — Newly created parcels in the AG (agricultural) district inside Worth township

    “minimum lot area for the ag districts shall be 5 acres with a minimum frontage of 200 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Dwellings in the R1 district inside Worth township (front yard)

  • Front yard is measured from the adjacent road right-of-way; reduced to the average of existing dwellings within 200 feet of the side lot lines where those have lesser front yards.
  • Side yard (non-corner) and rear yard figures in sec. 300-53(b)-(c) were not captured and are not stated here.
  • Corner lot, accessory building and other setbacks: sec. 300-51 and sec. 300-53 not fully captured.

  front yard depth: >= 25 feet (reduced to average of existing dwellings within 200 feet where those have lesser front yards)

  “the front yard shall be at least 25 feet in depth from the adjacent road right-of-way.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions inside Worth township

  • Township land division ordinance is chapter 180 as amended by ordinance 21-7-27-2 per the township zoning page; the chapter text was not opened.
  • Zoning ordinance also regulates new subdivisions and private roads (lot split application to the zoning administrator, sec. 300-33 area).

  “ordinance 21-7-27-2, amending chapter 180: land division ordinance”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways in the agricultural-residential RR and AG districts inside Worth township

  • Driveways on the same side of the house as determined at platting for future subdivisions; no shared driveway between two residences without a recorded perpetual easement (sec. 300-72(b)-(c)).
  • Off-street parking ingress and egress must comply with sec. 300-32 (sec. 300-72(d)).

  driveway width, minimum: >= 12 feet · driveway overhead clearance, minimum: >= 12 feet · driveway setback from side lot line, minimum: >= 3 feet

  “driveways shall be not less than 12 feet wide, 12 feet high clearance and no less than three feet from the side lot line.”

• Permit processPartial

  Land use permits for land inside Worth township

  • The township zoning page lists land use permit and land use fee forms; the form and fee content was not opened.
  • A land use permit is contingent on county health approval of water and sewage systems (sec. 300-37).

  “applications / forms land use permit land use fees complaint form short term rental form”

Rules another office applies inside Worth Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems on land inside Worth township: Sanilac County Department of Health approval is a condition of the township land use permit

  • Sec. 300-37 also allows 'other appropriate official governmental authority' to approve; the Sanilac County Department of Health is the one named.
  • The health department's own septic rules and permit procedure were not opened.

  “a land use permit shall be contingent upon the approval of the water supply and sewage disposal systems by sanilac county department of health or other appropriate official governmental authority.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic systems for new development on land inside Worth township, through the county health approval that the township land use permit requires

  • Approval is a condition of the land use permit; the septic permit form, fee and timing were not verified.

  “a land use permit shall be contingent upon the approval of the water supply and sewage disposal systems by sanilac county department of health or other appropriate official governmental authority.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Worth township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction exemption inside Worth township
• Building code adopted — Building code in force for construction inside Worth township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Worth township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Worth 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.