ARTICLE
VIII: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
Section
8.01 RR: Rural Residential
District
A. Intent:
It is the intent of the Rural Residential District (RR) to provide for a
variety of comparatively low density residential lifestyles in a manner which
preserves the important open spaces and natural resources of the Township and
the Township's rural character. The expanses of open spaces and natural
resources, including woodlands, wetlands, hillsides, and fields, comprise the
fundamental rural character of the Township which residents of the Township
wish to protect and enhance for future generations. Permitted land uses within
this District are established based on the limited availability of public
services. Where higher density is allowed, certain facilities are required to
accommodate the increased public needs. The Rural Residential District includes
a considerable number of existing farms and recognizes this land use for its
important contribution to the local economic base, to the provision of food and
fiber for the State's citizens, and for the historical character and open
spaces it provides. It is not the intent of this District to encourage the
conversion of agricultural lands to more intensive uses, but to provide
opportunities for residential development in a manner compatible with the
continuation of agricultural activities. However, neither is it the intent of
this District to encourage the establishment of more intensive agricultural
uses, such as confined livestock operations, which are incompatible with
residential use of adjoining lands.
B. Uses
Permitted By Right:
1. Single-family
dwellings.
2. Agricultural
buildings and agricultural operations involving no more than two hundred (200)
animal units at a density not to exceed 1.4 animal units per acre.
3. Landscape
nursery operations, including retail sales of nursery stock grown on the
premises. Christmas tree sales associated with nurseries in this District need
not comply with the requirements of Section 6.06.E.
4. Public
or private conservation areas, parks, game refuges, and similar uses.
5. Family
day care homes.
6. Adult
foster care small group homes.
7. Accessory
buildings.
C. Permitted
Accessory Uses:
1. Accessory
uses or structures, clearly incidental to the operation of an existing farm,
including:
a. Agricultural
buildings, pole barns, sheds, and similar structures customarily incidental to
the permitted principal use.
b. Outdoor
storage of equipment and materials limited to farm machinery, implements, and
related material provided that such storage does not constitute junk nor create
a nuisance for abutting property owners. Storage activities shall be subject to
the minimum setback requirements of the District.
2. Uses
typically associated with single-family residences, including swimming pools
and automobile parking.
3. Home
Occupation Class I.
D. Uses Permitted By Right Subject to Special Conditions
1. Private stables subject to the following conditions:
a. A minimum of three (3) acres must be provided for the first
horse, and an additional one-half (½) acre must be provided for each additional
horse not to exceed six (6) horses.
b. Foals born on parcels where horses are presently kept may be
kept on said parcel for two (2) years even though such additional horses may
increase the number of horses on such parcel beyond the acreage limitation, but
in no case shall there be more than one (1) horse and one (1) foal per one-half
acre.
c. No agricultural building for housing animals, pens or
corrals shall be located closer than seventy five (75) feet from any lot line
or closer than seventy five (75) feet from an existing and adjacent dwelling
unit or from any road right of way.
Pastures may be fenced to the perimeter of the property line, providing
that they meet the definition of a pasture.
d. Private stables shall only house horses owned by the owner
of the property.
e. Private stables shall be operated in conformance with all
applicable county, state and federal regulations.
f. All animals shall be maintained in a healthy condition and
carefully handled.
g. Agricultural buildings, pens, corrals and pastures shall be
maintained so that odor, dust, noise or water drainage shall not constitute a
nuisance or hazard to adjoining premises.
h. Inspections of stables may be conducted at any reasonable
time by authorized Township representatives or by any other state or local
agency having authority to conduct an inspection.
i. Manure shall be stored, removed, and/or applied to the soil
in accordance with Michigan Department of Agriculture and Livingston County
Health Department regulations.
j. An enclosed structure is required and must have at least
one 10’ x 10’ stall for every two horses.
Shelter shall be provided for all horses, which may include but not be
limited to a lean to or wind block of adequate size for animals to get out of
inclement weather.
k. No living quarters shall be located in any arena building or stable.
2. Hobby
kennels subject to the following conditions:
a. A hobby kennel shall be on a lot with a minimum size
of 1 acre for the first three (3) animals and one-third (1/3) acre shall be
required for each additional dog with a limit of ten (10) dogs.
b. Hobby kennels shall only house dogs owned by the
occupant of the dwelling unit.
c. All kennels shall be operated in conformance with all
applicable county, state, and federal regulations.
d. Habitual barking or unusual noise from the kennel,
which results in a nuisance to neighboring landowners or residents, is
prohibited. The intensity of level of
sounds shall not exceed seventy-five (75) decibels at the lot line of
industrial uses; sixty-five (65) decibels at the lot line of commercial uses;
and fifty-five (55) decibels at the common lot line when adjacent to
residential uses and residential districts.
The sound levels shall be measured with a type of audio output meter
approved by the United States Bureau of Standards.
e. All dogs must be licensed and maintained in a
healthful manner.
f.
Dogs shall be
kept confined and not allowed to run at large on the property, except as part
of supervised training.
g. Runs and/or exercise areas and buildings where the
dogs are maintained shall be located in the side and/or rear yard only. Kennel runs shall be screened by a solid
fence, evergreen screen or wall, which is at least six (6) feet in height. The wall of the principle building or an
accessory structure may be submitted for the required screening wall if such
wall screens the view of the kennel run from adjacent property.
h. Accessory buildings where dogs are kept, runs, and
exercise areas shall not be located nearer than fifty (50) feet to any adjacent
residential lot line.
i.
The premises
shall be kept in a clean and sanitary manner to prevent the accumulation of
flies, the spread of disease, or offensive odor.
j.
Dog odors shall
not be detectable beyond the lot lines of the property in which the kennel is
located.
k. Dust and drainage from the kennel enclosure shall not
create a nuisance or hazard to adjoining property or uses.
l.
Exercise yards,
when provided for training or exercising, shall not be used between the hours
of
E. Uses
Permitted By Special Use Permit: (See specific provisions in Article XVII)
1. Public
facilities, including municipal buildings, schools, libraries, recreational
facilities, and similar uses and activities.
2. Public,
parochial, and private elementary, intermediate and/or high schools, and
institutions of higher learning, offering courses in general education.
3. Agricultural
processing and distribution.
4. Bed
and breakfast establishments.
5. Campgrounds.
6. Cemeteries
and/or mausoleums.
7. Child
care centers.
8.
Churches or
religious institutions.
9. Commercial
kennels.
10. Communication
towers.
11. Excavation
operations.
12. Farm
markets.
13. Group
day care homes.
14. Golf
courses and country clubs.
15. Private
recreational facilities.
16. Stables
(Commercial).
17. Shooting
ranges, including gun, rifle, skeet, trap, pistol and archery clubs.
18. Veterinarian
clinics.
19. Community
wastewater utility systems, as defined by Section 3.02 of this ordinance,
subject to the standards found in Section 17.31.
20. Home
Occupations Class II.
F. Site
Development Requirements: The following minimum and maximum standards shall
apply to all uses and structures in the RR: Rural Residential District unless
they are specifically modified by the provisions of Article VI: General
Provisions; Article XVII: Standards for Specific Special Land Uses; or Article
XVIII: Planned Unit Developments, or as varied pursuant to Article V, Zoning
Board of Appeals.
1. Minimum
a. Unplatted
Parcel Division: No building or
structure shall be established on a parcel less than two (2) acres.
b. Platted
2. Minimum
Frontage:
a. Unplatted
Parcel Division: Each parcel shall have a frontage of not less than one
hundred fifty (150) feet.
b. Platted
3. Yard
and Setback Requirements:
a. Front
yard: Seventy (70) feet from the road right-of-way line, except that a
setback of one hundred (100) feet from the
b. Side
yards: Fifteen (15) feet.
c. Rear
yard: Twenty-five (25) feet.
d. No
agricultural buildings for housing animals, pens, or corrals shall be located
closer than two hundred (200) feet from all lot lines or less than one hundred
fifty (150) feet from all street right-of-way lines; provided further than the
minimum side yard setback shall be reduced one (1) foot for each additional
foot that the barn, pen or corral is set back from the existing right-of-way
over one hundred fifty (150) feet; provided further that the side yard setback
shall not be reduced below a minimum of fifty (50) feet.
4. Maximum
5. Maximum
Height: Unless otherwise provided in this Ordinance, no principal building
shall exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet measured from the finished
grade.
6. The
Planning Commission may require a landscaped, greenbelt buffer that shall consist
of, but not be limited to, trees, shrubs, grasses and herbaceous vegetation,
exclusive of noxious weeds, where the impact of a proposed development will
have a negative impact on an existing, abutting parcel or parcels. If such a greenbelt is required, it shall be
a twenty-five (25) foot wide landscaped greenbelt buffer established alongside
and between the boundaries of the proposed development and any existing
abutting parcels the Planning Commission determines could be negatively
affected by the proposed development. A
fifty (50) foot wide greenbelt shall be established adjacent to any public road
right of way which is not located within the project.
The
area of the required greenbelt, which lies within the boundaries of a lot or
unit, applies to the area calculation for that lot or unit. The required greenbelt areas shall be
maintained perpetually in natural vegetation or landscaping, as provided above,
to provide a visual buffer. The Planning
Commission may modify this requirement at the end of stub streets and along
phasing boundaries, provided that the intent of this Section is maintained.
7. No
lots or units shall be permitted driveway access from a road that is not an
interior private road of the plat, condominium or development.
8. Provisions
of Article XIV: Parking and Loading Requirements.
9. Provisions
of Article XV: Signs.
Section
8.02 SR: Suburban Residential District
A. Intent:
It is the intent of the Suburban Residential District (SR) to provide
opportunities for higher density residential development typically associated
with a suburban land use pattern. This district includes areas of the Township,
which are currently served by a higher level of public services as compared to
most of the balance of the Township, and these additional services permit a
higher intensity of residential development while protecting the public health,
safety, and welfare. This District is intended to implement the planned future
land use pattern of the Marion Township Comprehensive Plan in the northern
portion of the Township where a Suburban Residential Area is proposed and
intended to accommodate residential developments of a density of one (1)
dwelling unit per .75 acre or greater. The Suburban Residential District is
intended to both permit the development of suitable vacant land for residential
purposes while also preserving the residential character of existing area
neighborhoods.
B. Uses
Permitted By Right:
1. Single-family
dwellings.
2. Family
day care homes.
3. Adult
foster care small group homes.
4. Accessory
buildings.
C. Permitted
Accessory Uses:
1. Uses
typically associated with single-family residences, including swimming pools
and automobile parking.
2. Home
Occupation Class I.
D. Uses
Permitted By Right Subject to Special Conditions:
1. Private stables subject to the following conditions:
a. A minimum of three (3) acres must be provided for the first
horse, and an additional one-half (½) acre must be provided for each additional
horse not to exceed four (4) horses.
b. Foals born on parcels where horses are presently kept may be
kept on said parcel for two (2) years even though such additional horses may
increase the number of horses on such parcel beyond the acreage limitation, but
in no case shall there be more than one (1) horse and one (1) foal per one-half
acre.
c. No agricultural building for housing animals, pens or
corrals shall be located closer than seventy five (75) feet from any lot line
or closer than seventy five (75) feet from an existing and adjacent dwelling
unit or from any road right of way.
Pastures may be fenced to the perimeter of the property line, providing
that they meet the definition of a pasture.
d. Private stables shall only house horses owned by the owner
of the property.
e. Private stables shall be operated in conformance with all
applicable county, state and federal regulations.
f. All animals shall be maintained in a healthy condition and
carefully handled.
g. Agricultural buildings, pens, corrals and pastures shall be
maintained so that odor, dust, noise or water drainage shall not constitute a
nuisance or hazard to adjoining premises.
h. Inspections of stables may be conducted at any reasonable
time by authorized Township representatives or by any other state or local
agency having authority to conduct an inspection.
i. Manure shall be stored, removed, and/or applied to the soil
in accordance with Michigan Department of Agriculture and Livingston County
Health Department regulations.
j. An enclosed structure is required and must have at least
one 10’ x 10’ stall for every two horses.
Shelter shall be provided for all horses, which may include but not be
limited to a lean to or wind block of adequate size for animals to get out of
inclement weather.
k. No living quarters shall be located in any arena building or
stable.
2. Hobby kennels subject to the following conditions:
a. A hobby kennel shall be on a lot with a minimum size of 1
acre for the first three (3) dogs and one-third (1/3) acre shall be required
for each additional dog with a limit of ten (10) dogs.
b. Hobby kennels shall only house dogs owned by the occupant of
the dwelling unit.
c. All kennels shall be operated in conformance with all applicable
county, state, and federal regulations.
d. Habitual barking or unusual noises from the kennel, which
results in a nuisance to neighboring landowners or residents, is
prohibited. The intensity of level of
sounds shall not exceed seventy-five (75) decibels at the lot line of
industrial uses; sixty-five (65) decibels at the lot line of commercial uses;
and fifty-five (55) decibels at the common lot line when adjacent to
residential uses and residential districts.
The sound levels shall be measured with a type of audio output meter
approved by the United States Bureau of Standards.
e. All dogs must be licensed and maintained in a healthful
manner.
f. Dogs shall be kept confined and not allowed to run at large
on the property, except as part of supervised training.
g. Runs and/or exercise areas and building where the dogs are
maintained shall be located in the side and/or rear yard only. Kennel runs shall be screened by a solid
fence, evergreen screen or wall, which is at least six (6) feet in height. The wall of the principle building or an
accessory structure may be submitted for the required screening wall if such
wall screens the view of the kennel run from adjacent property.
h. Accessory buildings where dogs are kept, runs and exercise
areas shall not be located nearer than fifty (50) feet to any adjacent
residential lot line.
i. The premises shall be kept in a clean and sanitary manner
to prevent the accumulation of flies, the spread of disease, or offensive odor.
j. Dog odors shall not be detectable beyond the lot lines of
the property in which the kennel is located.
k. Dust and drainage from the kennel enclosure shall not create
a nuisance or hazard to adjoining property or uses.
l. Exercise yards, when provided for training or exercising,
shall not be used between the hours of
E. Uses
Permitted By Special Use Permit:
1. Public
facilities, including parks, municipal buildings, schools, libraries,
recreational facilities, and similar uses and activities.
2. Public,
parochial, and private elementary, intermediate and/or high schools, and
institutions of higher learning, offering courses in general education.
3. Bed
and breakfast establishments.
4. Cemeteries
and/or mausoleums.
5. Child
care centers.
6. Churches
and religious institutions.
7. Communication
towers.
8. Group
day care homes.
9. Golf
courses and country clubs.
10. Kennels.
11. Private
recreational facilities.
12. Two-family
dwellings.
13. Community
wastewater utility systems, as defined in Section 3.02 of this ordinance,
subject to the standards found in Section 17.31.
14. Home
Occupations Class II.
F. Site
Development Requirements: The following minimum and maximum standards shall
apply to all uses and structures in the SR: Suburban Residential District
unless they are specifically modified by the provisions of Article VI: General
Provisions; or Article XVII: Standards for Specific Special Land Uses; or as
varied pursuant to Article V: Zoning Board of Appeals.
1. Minimum
Net
a. No building or structure shall be established
on a parcel less than 32,670 square feet (0.75 acre).
b. A
building or structure with public sewer may be established on a parcel of not
less than 20,000 square feet providing the frontage of said parcel is not on a
major thoroughfare.
(Amended
2. Minimum Frontage:
a. Unplatted
Parcel Division: Each parcel shall have frontage of not less than one
hundred twenty (120) feet where public sewer is not available. Where public
sewer is available, one hundred (100) feet minimum frontage is required.
b. Platted
3. Yard
and Setback Requirements:
a. Parcel
Splits
1) Front
yard: Seventy (70) feet from the road right-of-way line.
2) Side
yard: Fifteen (15) feet.
3) Rear
yard: Twenty-five (25) feet.
4) In no
case shall any setback be less than one hundred (100) feet from the
b. Subdivisions and Single-Family
Condominium Projects
1) Front
yard: Thirty-five (35) feet from the road right-of-way line.
2) Side
yard: Fifteen (15) feet.
3) Rear
yard: Twenty-five (25) feet.
4) In no
case shall any setback be less than one hundred (100) feet from the
4. Maximum
5. Maximum
Height: Unless otherwise provided in this Ordinance, no principal building
shall exceed a height of thirty-five (35) feet measured from the finished
grade.
6. The
Planning Commission may require a landscaped, greenbelt buffer that shall
consist of, but not be limited to, trees, shrubs, grasses and herbaceous
vegetation, exclusive of noxious weeds, where the impact of a proposed
development will have a negative impact on an existing, abutting parcel or
parcels. If such a greenbelt is
required, it shall be a twenty-five (25) foot wide landscaped greenbelt buffer
established alongside and between the boundaries of the proposed development
and any existing abutting parcels the Planning Commission determines could be
negatively affected by the proposed development. A fifty (50) foot wide greenbelt shall be
established adjacent to any public road right of way which is not located
within the project.
The
area of the required greenbelt, which lies within the boundaries of a lot or
unit, applies to the area calculation for that lot or unit. The required greenbelt areas shall be
maintained perpetually in natural vegetation or landscaping, as provided above,
to provide a visual buffer. The Planning
Commission may modify this requirement at the end of stub streets and along
phasing boundaries, provided that the intent of this Section is maintained.
7. No
lots or units shall be permitted driveway access from a road that is not an
interior private road of the plat, condominium or development.
8. Provisions
of Article XIV: Parking and Loading Requirements.