Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Clam Lake Township, Michigan

Clam Lake Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Clam Lake township's limits (Wexford County, Michigan): the township administers its own zoning ordinance, the Clam Lake Township Zoning Ordinance.

  • The ordinance text was read from a copy hosted on energyzoning.org, not from the township's own zoning page; the township home page links a 'zoning ordinance' page that was not opened. Verify against the township-posted version.
  • The file name of the copy is dated 20220616, which suggests a later revision; the adoption block in the text gives August 12, 2019 (effective August 23, 2019). Amendments after the copy were not checked.
  • Cadillac News (April 12, 2019) reports the township had been using Wexford County's interim zoning ordinance after the county stopped providing zoning support, and that it drafted its own ordinance after adopting a master plan.

  “the township is hereby divided into the following districts, which shall be known as: r - residential rr - resort/residential os - office/service ar - agricultural/residential fr - forest/recreational c-1 - light commercial c-2 – heavy commercial”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  All land inside Clam Lake township's zoning jurisdiction

  • Districts named in Section 2.2: R, RR, OS, AR, FR, C-1, C-2, PUD, PUD-OS, and the Clam Lake Corridor overlay.
  • District dimensional tables are only partly legible in the extracted text.

  “r - residential rr - resort/residential os - office/service ar - agricultural/residential fr - forest/recreational c-1 - light commercial c-2 – heavy commercial pud – conventional planned unit development pud-os – open space preservation pud clam lake corridor – overlay zone”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Multiple-family dwelling units in any district inside Clam Lake township; single-family minimum dwelling size not found

  • Applies to multiple-family units only; the single-family minimum was not located in the sections read.

  minimum floor area per multiple-family unit: >= 530 sq ft (multiple-family units only)

  “the minimum floor area per unit for multiple family units in any district shall be 530 sq. feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Multiple-family dwellings and state-licensed residential facilities in the R (residential) and RR (resort/residential) districts inside Clam Lake township

  • Also a lot area of 9,000 sq ft per unit where municipal sewer is not available and on-site septic is planned.
  • The general single-family minimum parcel size for the R district was not legible in the extracted table and is not stated here.

  minimum parcel size: >= 32000 sq ft (multiple-family dwellings and state-licensed residential facilities in R and RR districts) · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft (same uses)

  ““multi-family dwelling”, and “state licensed residential facilities” located in the residential and resort-residential zones, shall have a minimum lot width requirement of 100 feet and a minimum parcel size requirement of 32,000 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — State-licensed residential facilities in the AR (agricultural/residential) district inside Clam Lake township

    “state licensed residential facilities in the agricultural residential zone shall have a minimum lot width requirement of 165 feet and a minimum parcel size of 65,340 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  State-licensed residential facilities in the AR district inside Clam Lake township

  • Applies to state-licensed residential facilities only; general AR setbacks for single-family homes not located in the legible text.

  minimum side yard setback: >= 30 ft (state-licensed residential facilities in AR) · minimum front yard setback: >= 50 ft (state-licensed residential facilities in AR) · minimum rear yard setback: >= 50 ft (state-licensed residential facilities in AR)

  “the minimum side yard setback requirement shall be 30 feet. the maximum building height shall be 35 feet. the minimum front yard setback shall be 50 feet. the minimum rear yard setback shall be 50 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Multiple-family dwellings and state-licensed residential facilities in the R and RR districts inside Clam Lake township: side yard

    “the minimum side yard setback requirement, shall be 25 feet or the height of the building as measured from the mid-point of the peak to eave to the ground whichever is greater.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Multiple-family dwellings and state-licensed residential facilities in the R and RR districts where municipal sewer serves the lot (the same maximum also appears for AR state-licensed facilities)

  • Applies where municipal sewer is available; the on-site septic variant is a lot-area rule, not a coverage rule.
  • General single-family lot coverage not located in the legible text.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent (municipal sewer served areas; multi-family and state-licensed facilities)

  “in areas served by municipal sewer, there shall be a maximum lot coverage allowance of 20%.”

• Building heightSpecified

  State-licensed residential facilities in the AR district inside Clam Lake township

  • General AR and R district height limits were not located in the legible text.

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (state-licensed residential facilities in AR)

  “the maximum building height shall be 35 feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupying a recreational vehicle as a dwelling on land inside Clam Lake township under the township zoning ordinance

  • A recreational vehicle may not be used for dwelling purposes unless authorized by a temporary use permit.
  • One RV may be occupied temporarily for recreation only in the forest-recreational (F-R) district, up to fourteen consecutive days, owner-occupied, not rented or leased, with no health or sanitary violations.
  • Permanent RV occupancy in other districts was not found in the sections read.

  temporary RV occupancy period: 14 consecutive days (F-R district only; owner must own the unit; not rented or leased)

  “one recreational vehicle may be temporarily located and occupied for recreational purposes on a lot in a forest-recreational, f-r, district only, provided that; (1) the owner of the lot is also the owner of the recreational unit, (2) the recreational unit is not rented or leased to the occupants, and (3) there are no violations of health or sanitary codes. the recreational unit may be marked and used for recreational purposes, as stipulated herein, up to fourteen (14) consecutive days.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Occupying a manufactured home on a lot inside Clam Lake township during construction of a dwelling on that lot

  • Permit required; the permit lasts not more than one year from issuance.
  • Applies only to a lot in a zoning district that meets requirements for a dwelling.
  • Permanent manufactured-home placement rules were not located in the sections read.

  occupancy period during dwelling construction: <= 1 year (from date of issuance of the special permit)

  “the owner of any lot in a zoning district which meets requirements for a dwelling, may erect not more than one (1) manufactured home upon the premises and occupy the same during the actual construction of a dwelling thereon, but not exceeding one (1) year from date of issuance of a special permit therefore.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Customary accessory farm buildings and structures on land inside Clam Lake township

  • The exemption covers the zoning ordinance only, not the building code, well/septic, or driveway permits.
  • Structures other than open fences must be at least 100 feet from any abutting highway right-of-way and must meet all zoning setback requirements.

  minimum setback from highway right-of-way: >= 100 ft (building or structure other than open fences)

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall not apply to the erection, repair or use of customary accessory farm buildings and structures, such as barns, sheds, pens, fences and the like, provided that no building or structure other than open fences, through which there shall be clear vision, shall hereafter be erected, moved or maintained less than one hundred (100) feet from any highway right-of-way line abutting the premises and all zoning setback requirements are met.”

Rules another office applies inside Clam Lake Township

Clam Lake 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

  New construction inside Clam Lake township (Wexford County building permit process; applies inside Clam Lake township as part of Wexford County)

  • The packet is a county building information packet; it describes the permit steps but does not list the fee or exemption thresholds.
  • Step 1 is a township zoning permit obtained from the local agency before the county building permit; Steps 2-4 (well/septic, driveway, floodplain/wetland) also apply.

  “act 230 125.1510 sec. 10(1) the state construction code requires a permit before any construction is started.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Onsite septic systems on land inside Clam Lake township (Wexford County), handled by the Wexford/Missaukee County District #10 Health Department

  • Health department handles well and septic permits or waivers for existing systems, as stated by the county packet.
  • The Clam Lake zoning ordinance refers to on-site septic systems in the residential district (lot area of 9,000 square feet per unit where municipal sewer is not available); it does not assign the septic permit to the township.

  “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

  Onsite septic systems for construction on land inside Clam Lake township (Wexford County), via the Wexford/Missaukee County District #10 Health Department

  • A waiver is available instead if a septic system already exists, per the county packet.
  • Required before the building permit steps proceed.

  “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

  Private water wells for construction on land inside Clam Lake township (Wexford County), via the Wexford/Missaukee County District #10 Health Department

  • A waiver is available instead if a well already exists, per the county packet.

  “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

  New driveway access to a public road from land inside Clam Lake township: county road commission for county roads, MDOT for state highways

  • Waiver if a driveway already exists.
  • Which agency applies depends on the road classification.

  “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.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction in a wetland or floodplain area on land inside Clam Lake township, reviewed by EGLE (state)

  • Applies only if the parcel is in a wetland/floodplain area or a determination is needed.
  • The packet also says that building within 400 feet of any river triggers an additional requirement; that text was not fully read.

  “step 4: if located in a wetland/floodplain area or need determination; contact sue conradson at egle.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for construction inside Clam Lake township, as run by the Wexford County Building Department after the township zoning step

  • The published sequence is county-level: zoning permit (local agency), well/septic (District #10), driveway, then floodplain/wetland determinations.
  • The township's own zoning-permit procedure and application forms were not located.

  “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 Clam Lake Township or Wexford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permitting inside Clam Lake township
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Clam Lake township
• Inspections — Construction inside Clam Lake township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new construction inside Clam Lake township
• Camping on your land — Tent or seasonal camping on private land inside Clam Lake 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.