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

Antioch Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Antioch township's limits (Wexford County). Antioch township is a member of the Wexford Joint Planning Commission, which administers the joint zoning ordinance and zoning map that include an Antioch township map detail.

  • Zoning is administered through the Wexford Joint Planning Commission (WJPC), 401 N. Lake Street, Cadillac, MI 49601, phone 231-444-6159, under a joint municipal planning arrangement; the township's own website (antiochtownship.org) does not list a zoning page.
  • The WJPC page lists 'there is no zoning in colfax, greenwood, or henderson townships', so Antioch township is not among the no-zoning townships named there.
  • The zoning ordinance text itself was not opened in this research pass; permitted uses and dimensional rules must be read from the ordinance (see followups).

  “serving the following jurisdictions of municipalities: (click township to go to its own website or its mta site.) antioch township - boon township”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning map detail for Antioch township, under the Wexford Joint Zoning Ordinance

  • Map detail is published by the WJPC; the district names and standards were not transcribed in this pass.

  “entire zoning map (see the map, below) zoning map detail for antioch township”

Rules another office applies inside Antioch Township

Antioch 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 permitRequired

  Building permits for construction inside Antioch township, issued by the Wexford County Building Department; no Antioch township building department was found on the township's website.

  • Step 1 of the county packet is a zoning permit from the local township or Wexford Joint Planning Commission, and step 2 is the health-district well/septic permit, before the building permit.
  • A residential one-story detached accessory structure under 200 square feet and less than 10 feet high needs no building permit, but zoning approval is still required.
  • Packet revision date 05/20/2021 is a revision stamp, not an effective date.

  “issue building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits (this office does not issue building permits for the city of cadillac, city of manton, and cedar creek township)”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Onsite septic systems inside Antioch township, administered by the Wexford/Missaukee County District #10 Health Department for Wexford County, including Antioch township.

  • The county packet directs residents to the district health department for septic permits. Whether every Wexford township is inside its service area was not confirmed; the district's own service-area page was blocked by a bot-check screen.

  “step 2: well/septic permit. contact the wexford/missaukee county district #10 health department for a well and septic permit or waiver if already existing.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New onsite septic systems inside Antioch township

  • A septic permit or a waiver for an existing system is obtained from the district health department before the building permit.
  • Fee and application details were not opened.

  “step 2: well/septic permit. contact the wexford/missaukee county district #10 health department for a well and septic permit or waiver if already existing.”

• Well permitRequired

  New private wells inside Antioch township

  • A well permit or a waiver for an existing well is obtained from the district health department.

  “step 2: well/septic permit. contact the wexford/missaukee county district #10 health department for a well and septic permit or waiver if already existing.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access onto a county road or state highway from land inside Antioch township

  • Permit comes from the Wexford County Road Commission if the driveway is on a county road, or from MDOT if on a state highway; a waiver applies if the driveway already exists.

  “step 3: driveway permit. contact the wexford county road commission (if on a county road) or mdot (if on a state highway) to obtain a driveway permit or waiver if already existing.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Wexford County building permit fees for construction inside Antioch township

  • The packet says it includes a building permit fee schedule; the fee amounts were not transcribed in this pass.
  • The packet is marked revised 05/20/2021, which is a revision stamp and not an effective date.

  “building permit fees: we accept check or cash, no cards. application fee (required for all building permits) …...…….$100.00”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit process for construction inside Antioch township

  • Step 1 is a zoning permit from the local township or Wexford Joint Planning Commission; step 2 is the district health department well/septic permit; step 3 is the driveway permit; step 4 covers wetland or floodplain areas (text cut off in the packet and not transcribed).

  “steps to obtaining a building permit in wexford county: step 1: zoning permit. contact the appropriate local agency to obtain a zoning permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Antioch township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Antioch township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Antioch township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Antioch township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district inside Antioch 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.