Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Barton Hills, Michigan

Village of Barton Hills’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of a building in Barton Hills village

  • The ordinance refers to a building permit issued for construction of a building; the building permit fee and issuing office were not found.
  • Article 2 defines a village building official as the person responsible for administering the building code for the village.

  “before a building permit is issued for construction of a building, an owner must first submit one of the following”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Barton Hills village limits (Washtenaw County, MI), administered by the village zoning administrator under the Barton Hills Village Zoning Ordinance (2014 text)

  • Village zoning ordinance is administered by the village zoning administrator.
  • The 2014 text was reviewed; later amendments and the 2023 code recodification were not opened.

  “anyone who proposes to construct, alter any portion of the exterior of, or move a building or structure, or who proposes to change the type of land use or to exercise any right claimed under the authority of the barton hills village zoning ordinance shall obtain a zoning compliance permit”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific

  AG agricultural district inside Barton Hills village

  • Table 4.08 is flattened in the PDF text; column alignment read from its header order.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acre · minimum lot width: >= 330 ft

  “ag 5 acres 330 ft. 2 1/2 40 75 ft. 40 ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific — R-1 single-family residential district inside Barton Hills village

    “r-1 1 acre 150 ft. 2 1/2 40 35 ft. 20 ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific

  R-1 single-family residential district inside Barton Hills village

  • Front and side yard values read from Table 4.08 column order; rear setback not shown in the flattened table.
  • Section 5.07 bars projection of porches, decks and patios into a required front or side yard.

  minimum front yard setback: >= 35 ft · minimum side yard setback: >= 20 ft

  “r-1 1 acre 150 ft. 2 1/2 40 35 ft. 20 ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific — AG agricultural district inside Barton Hills village

    “ag 5 acres 330 ft. 2 1/2 40 75 ft. 40 ft.”

• Building heightDistrict specific

  AG agricultural district inside Barton Hills village

  • Table 4.08 is flattened; the 40 value is read as the feet column under the header order stories then feet.

  maximum building stories: <= 2.5 stories · maximum building height: <= 40 ft

  “ag 5 acres 330 ft. 2 1/2 40 75 ft. 40 ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific — R-1 single-family residential district inside Barton Hills village

    “r-1 1 acre 150 ft. 2 1/2 40 35 ft. 20 ft.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles parked or stored on residential lots in Barton Hills village

  • Outdoor storage may not exceed a continuous period of more than five days.
  • No more than one recreational vehicle or unit may be parked or stored outdoors at any one time.
  • Must be owned by and titled to a permanent resident of the lot or the resident's invitee.
  • No permanent connections to water, gas, a septic system or a sanitary sewer system.
  • Recreational vehicles may not be used for living, sleeping or household purposes.

  maximum continuous outdoor storage period: <= 5 days · outdoor units at one time: <= 1 units

  “recreational vehicles or units may not be used for living, sleeping or household purposes.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New building construction in Barton Hills village that needs onsite sewage or sewer connection before a building permit issues

  • Before a building permit issues, the owner must submit one of: a permit to install an onsite system from Washtenaw County or the State; an inspection report from a septic contractor on an existing system; or a permit for connection to an available public sanitary sewer.
  • Permit to install is issued by Washtenaw County or the State, not by the village.

  “before a building permit is issued for construction of a building, an owner must first submit one of the following: a. a permit to install an individual on-site sewage disposal system issued by washtenaw county or the state of michigan;”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Existing onsite sewage systems in Barton Hills village used as the alternative to a county or state permit

  • Inspection report must come from a septic system contractor and verify acceptable operation and capacity.
  • Applies only as one of three alternatives under Section 5.04; no separate mandatory septic inspection was found.

  “an inspection report from a septic system contractor verifying acceptable operation and capacity of an existing onsite sewage disposal system”

• Well permitRequired

  Potable water supply for a building in Barton Hills village, when no public water connection is available

  • Before a building permit issues, the owner must submit a permit to install an individual water well system or a permit for connection to an available public water supply.
  • The ordinance does not name the issuing agency for the well permit.

  “a permit to install an individual on site water well system”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New building in Barton Hills village where public water or sewer is available

  • Ordinance does not require connection by a set distance; it requires either a public connection permit or a well/septic permit before a building permit issues.
  • Mandatory connection distance rule not found in the text reviewed.

  “c. a permit for connection to an available public sanitary sewer system.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning and building permits, certificates, and appeals in Barton Hills village

  • Fees are set by the board of trustees schedule.
  • The schedule is to be posted in the village office; the fee amounts were not located online.
  • Consultant fees may be charged.

  “the board of trustees shall establish a schedule of fees, charges, and expenses, and a collection procedure, for all zoning and building permits and certificates”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning compliance permit for construction or exterior alteration in Barton Hills village

  • Application signed by owner(s) to the zoning administrator.
  • Site plan review under article 6 applies to larger developments; building permit and inspection steps were not located.

  “the application must be signed and dated by the owner(s) of the property”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption in Barton Hills village
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for Barton Hills village
• Inspections — Building inspection for construction in Barton Hills village
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Barton Hills village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Barton Hills 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.