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

Decatur Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Sheds and garages installed in manufactured housing parks in Decatur township unincorporated area

  • Narrow rule for manufactured housing park sites. It does not establish the general building permit requirement for site-built homes.

  “the installation of any such shed or garage shall require a township building permit.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Decatur township's own zoning jurisdiction (the unincorporated part of the township). The Village of Decatur is a separate municipality located within the township and is not covered by this ordinance.

  • The ordinance is the township's own McKenna Associates text with page footers dated July 25, 2008. The adoption date and signature lines in chapter 25 are blank in the opened copy.
  • The township zoning page lists a later amendment file (zoning-ordinance_2-of-2009-changes.pdf) that was not opened. Current text may differ.
  • Ballot-petition language in chapter 23 refers to electors residing in the unincorporated portion of Decatur township, which supports the unincorporated-only reading.

  “the boundaries of decatur township zoning districts are shown on a map adopted by the decatur township board of trustees.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Decatur township (unincorporated area)

  • Districts: AR agricultural residential; R-1 low density (rural) residential; R-2 medium density residential; R-3 manufactured housing park; R-4 lake residential; C-1 mixed use; C-2 general commercial; L-1 light industrial; M manufacturing.
  • The district map is adopted by the township board and is not reproduced in the opened text.

  “ar r-1 r-2 r-3 r-4 c-1 c-2 l-1 m agricultural residential district low density (rural) residential district medium density residential district manufactured housing park district lake residential district mixed use district general commercial district light industrial district manufacturing district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwelling units in the agricultural residential (AR) district, Decatur township unincorporated area

  • Applies unless specified elsewhere in the ordinance.
  • The schedule of regulations states the same 960 sq ft figure for single and two family dwellings in all residential districts (separate claim).

  minimum usable floor area per dwelling unit: >= 960 sq ft (unless specified elsewhere)

  “each dwelling unit, unless specified elsewhere, shall have a total minimum of nine hundred sixty (960) square feet of useable floor area”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family and two-family dwellings in Decatur township zoning districts, per the schedule of regulations footnote

    “single and two family dwelling – 960 square feet per dwelling”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 low density (rural) residential district, Decatur township unincorporated area, single-family use

  • One acre applies where the lot is not served by an approved public or private sanitary sewer system. The lot is reduced to 30,000 sq ft with a connection to an approved sanitary sewer system.
  • With sewer connection, minimum lot width is 125 feet; without, 150 feet.
  • The lot area shall not exceed a 1 to 4 width to depth ratio.
  • Section 16 general provisions: where lots lack public utilities, lot area is increased to whatever area the Van Buren County Health Department requires for safe water and sewage disposal.

  minimum lot area without sanitary sewer: >= 1 acre (not served by an approved public or private sanitary sewer system) · minimum lot area with approved sanitary sewer connection: >= 30000 sq ft (all agricultural and rural (single family) residential land uses)

  “the minimum lot area in this district shall be one (1) acre for properties not served by an approved public or private sanitary sewer system. with a connection to an approved sanitary sewer system, the minimum lot size is reduced to thirty thousand (30,000) square feet for all agricultural and rural (single family) residential land uses.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural residential (AR) district, Decatur township unincorporated area

    “e. lot area. the minimum lot area in this district, unless specified elsewhere, shall be one (1) acres.”

  • Specified — R-2 medium density residential district, Decatur township unincorporated area, single-family dwellings

    “the minimum lot area in this district, unless specified elsewhere, shall be: 1. single family dwellings - thirty thousand (30,000) square feet. 2. single family dwelling with pubic water and sewer - twenty-two thousand (22,000) square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural residential (AR) district, Decatur township unincorporated area, residential buildings

  • Side yard applies to residential buildings and structures.
  • Agricultural structures such as storage silos, barns, and grain elevators are exempt from the maximum height requirements (height not restated here).

  front yard minimum: >= 40 feet · side yard minimum: >= 10 feet (residential buildings and structures) · rear yard minimum: >= 50 feet

  “b. front yard. there shall be a front yard of not less than forty (40) feet. c. side yard. for residential buildings and structures, there shall be a side yard of not less than ten (10) feet. d. rear yard. there shall be a rear yard of not less than fifty (50) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 low density (rural) residential district, Decatur township unincorporated area, residential buildings

    “b. front yard. there shall be a front yard of not less than thirty-five (35) feet. c. side yard. for residential buildings and structures, there shall be a side yard of not less than ten (10) feet. d. rear yard. there shall be a rear yard of not less than twenty-five (25) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  C-2 general commercial district only, Decatur township unincorporated area; not residential districts

  • Light industrial L-1 is limited to 50 percent building coverage; the manufacturing district figure also is 50 percent in the opened text.

  maximum building coverage of lot: <= 60 percent (C-2 general commercial district)

  “g. building coverage. not more than sixty (60) percent of any lot may be covered by buildings.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 low density (rural) residential district, Decatur township unincorporated area

  • Exception text for agricultural structures in the AR district exempts silos, barns and grain elevators from maximum height; the R-1 chapter's exceptions were not opened.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “dential building or accessory structure shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Trailer coaches, motor homes and similar vehicles used for sleeping, on private land in Decatur township unincorporated area

  • Visitor use only, up to 15 days in a calendar year.
  • Otherwise the vehicle must remain unoccupied and may not be connected to sanitary sewer, water or gas.
  • A travel trailer, motor home or other recreational vehicle is never a dwelling under the ordinance definition.
  • Manufactured housing parks: recreational vehicles may not be occupied as living quarters in new developments (separate claim).

  visitor occupancy limit: <= 15 days per year (visitors only)

  “trailer coaches, motor homes and other vehicles or equipment designed or adaptable for sleeping purposes may be utilized for up to fifteen (15)) days during the course of one year for visitors.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Prohibited — Recreational vehicles and travel trailers as living quarters in new or future manufactured housing park developments in the R-3 district

    “d. travel trailers or recreational vehicles shall not be occupied as living quarters in all new and future manufactured housing developments.”

• Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

  Single-family homes in the R-1 low density (rural) residential district, Decatur township unincorporated area

  • Allowed only as permitted by the Van Buren County Health Department.
  • The R-1 text states utilities are not encouraged for extension in this area.

  “utilities are not encouraged for extension in this area and all homes may utilize on-site well and sanitary septic systems as permitted by the van buren county health department.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New single-family homes in the R-1 low density (rural) residential district, Decatur township unincorporated area

  • The R-1 text does not require connection to public water or sewer. It discourages utility extension and allows on-site well and septic systems.
  • Connection to an approved sanitary sewer system reduces the required lot area (see minimum lot size claim). No general mandate to connect to public water or sewer when available was found in the opened text.
  • Multiple-family developments and planned unit developments must connect to public water and sanitary sewer under the ordinance (not opened in full).

  “utilities are not encouraged for extension in this area and all homes may utilize on-site well and sanitary septic systems as permitted by the van buren county health department.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Sewer (with conditions) — Manufactured housing parks in the R-3 manufactured housing park district, Decatur township unincorporated area

    “public sewer systems shall be required in manufactured housing parks, if available within two-hundred (200) feet at the time of preliminary plan approval.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Access roads for communications towers and antenna facilities in Decatur township unincorporated area

  • Applies only to communications facilities; general driveway permit rules for homes were not located in the opened text.
  • Driveway permit is issued by the authority that handles driveways (not identified in the opened text).

  “a driveway permit, where necessary, will be sought and received by the applicant prior to issuance of any building permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Decatur Township

Decatur 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)

  On-site sanitary septic systems for homes in Decatur township unincorporated area (Van Buren County Health Department service area, applies inside Decatur township)

  • Township zoning text defers septic systems to the Van Buren County Health Department ('as permitted by').
  • The health department's own permit and inspection procedures were not opened.

  “utilities are not encouraged for extension in this area and all homes may utilize on-site well and sanitary septic systems as permitted by the van buren county health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction exemption in Decatur township unincorporated area
• Building code adopted — Construction codes for new buildings in Decatur township unincorporated area
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes in Decatur township unincorporated area
• Camping on your land — Tent or RV camping on private land in Decatur township unincorporated area
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings in Decatur township unincorporated area

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.