§ 154.055 A/R AGRICULTURAL/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

   (A)   Statement of purpose. The Agricultural/Residential District encourages farms on land resources needed for agricultural production, fosters rural lifestyles and regulates the encroachment from untimely suburban and urban development. Land uses commonly found within the Agricultural/Residential District include farming, woodland, farmsteads, large lot rural non-farm dwellings, open space, outdoor recreation and similar extensive land uses. In the future, based upon the township’s Comprehensive Development Plan, Agricultural/Residential Districts may be converted to other zoning districts to accommodate expansion of suburban and more urban areas.

   (B)   Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted in the Agricultural/Residential District:

      (1)   Farms, when located on a parcel of land ten acres or more in area located outside the boundaries of either a proprietary or supervisor’s plat. A farm shall be subject to the health and sanitary regulations of the county and the state. No farm shall be operated for the disposal of garbage, sewage (except when the sewage is applied by state approved methods for the purpose of fertilizing the soil on a farm and when approved by the Township Board), rubbish, offal or rendering plants, or for slaughtering of animals (except such animals as may have been raised on the premises for consumption by persons residing on the premises);

      (2)   Raising of livestock and farm animals (but not including feedlots) for the purpose of this chapter, shall constitute a farm and require at least ten acres. No livestock or animal buildings or pens shall be located closer than 50 feet from any abutting residential district. (Michigan’s “generally accepted agricultural and management practices” (GAAMPS) may require a greater setback.) All livestock and farm animals shall be kept within a fenced enclosure. All livestock or animal buildings and enclosures shall be kept in a well-maintained condition. The farm operator is advised that raising livestock and farm animals should be conducted and sited in accordance with the state “generally accepted agricultural and management practices” (GAAMPS) under Public Act 94 of 1995, being M.C.L.A. § 286.472. The township explicitly leaves GAAMPS enforcement to the state and is not, by reference herein, incorporating them into the ordinance;

      (3)   An accessory residential animal hobby on non-farm lots or parcels outside of an existing residential plat, subdivision and condominium development, unless the development is originally designed to provide for the accessory residential animal hobbies as provided herein.

         (a)   Raising of hobby animals on parcels of land less than ten acres in area shall be limited to one animal unit (except horses and cattle. All other animal types not in the table on the next page are to be calculated thus: 1,000 pounds live weight equals one animal unit) for the first five acres, plus one additional animal unit for each two additional acres.

         (b)   The use shall be accessory to an existing residence located on the same lot or parcel. Animals kept for a 4-H project are included under this permitted use. All hobby animals shall be kept within a fenced enclosure. No hobby animals or animal buildings, pens or corrals shall be located closer than 50 feet from any abutting property line, except that hobby animal paddocks may extend to one foot from the property line or to a property line fence established between neighbors with a mutual agreement required to be recorded at the Register of Deeds for any fence on a property line.

         (c)   All hobby animals or animal buildings and enclosures shall be kept in a well-maintained condition, and waste products shall not create a health hazard or a public nuisance. Storage or piling of waste products shall be confined to areas where hobby animal buildings and quarters are permitted (accessory building) and away from wells, water bodies and drainage ways.

         (d)   Notwithstanding the below table, offspring of the hobby animals may be kept on the premises for the time period that is customary for the species.

         (e)   A plot plan only (not a full site plan) is required for this use. See § 154.151.

         (f)   On parcels of five to 6.99, seven to 8.99 or nine to 9.99 acres, the following numbers of hobby animals shall be allowed.

Number of Residential Animals Allowed On
Type of Hobby Animal	5 to 6.99 acres	7 to 8.99 acres	9 to 9.99 acres
Cattle (slaughter and feeder)	2	3	4
Horse	2	3	3
EQUIVALENTS*
Mature dairy cattle (milked or dry)	-	1	2
Swine**	2	5	7
Sheep, lambs, goats	10	20	30
Turkeys	30	60	90
Laying hens	30	60	90
Ducks	5	10	15
Ostrich, emu, lama	2	4	6
*The animal equivalents shown here are based on U.S. Code of Federal Regulations: 40 C.F.R. Appendix B (§ 122.23)
**Each weighing over 25 kilograms, approximately 55 pounds.

 

      (4)   Farm buildings, plant and tree nurseries, and greenhouses;

      (5)   Farm markets for sale of agricultural products raised or grown on the farm premises and

agriculture-related items; when carried on entirely within the farm dwelling or accessory buildings (including roadside stands), and only when carried on as an accessory use to a farm.

         (a)   In the case of roadside sales and roadside stands, the sale shall not extend for more than nine months. The roadside stand shall be located not less than ten feet from the existing road right-of-way, and an open area for patron’s parking shall be provided subject to the same ten-foot setback.

         (b)   All structures or buildings used for the sale shall be of portable construction, temporary, non-permanent and not anchored to the site. The structures must be removed from the front yard of the premises within 30 days of the termination of the sale.

      (6)   Single-family detached dwellings. The requirements a single-family dwelling must meet to locate in this district are included in the definition of single-family dwelling. Additional requirements related to area, height and placement on a lot are given under § 154.063. A plot plan is required under § 154.151;

      (7)   Single-family detached dwellings developed in accordance with a residential clustering option as set forth in § 154.032;

      (8)   Foster family homes (one to four children) and foster group homes (five to six children) as defined in § 154.003;

      (9)   Family day care homes (one to six children) as defined in § 154.003;

      (10)   State-licensed residential care facilities for six or fewer persons;

      (11)   Garage sales, yard sales or similar types of sales, provided that no like sale shall take place for a period of more than four days and no residence shall be permitted more than three sales per year with at least 14 days between sales;

      (12)   Home occupations as defined (§ 154.003) and as regulated (§ 154.030);

      (13)   Public and parochial elementary, intermediate and secondary schools;

      (14)   Publicly owned and operated parks and recreational facilities;

      (15)   Accessory buildings and structures customarily incidental to any of the above uses when located on the same property. See § 154.063(R) and § 154.009;

      (16)   Personal storage buildings, subject to the following requirements. A personal storage building is considered to serve the same function as a residential garage, namely for the storage of the property owner’s vehicles and household items. However, a personal storage building is not required to be accessory to a residential structure or other use.

         (a)   One such building is permitted per lot of at least three acres in the A/R District.

         (b)   The height, length and width shall not exceed the dimensions allowable under § 154.009(C)(4).

         (c)   The building’s location on the lot shall accommodate a future residential dwelling of a size typical of the neighborhood and accessory uses such as a driveway and septic system and shall accommodate yard setbacks and other requirements of § 154.063. In addition, the building shall be located no closer than 200 feet to the planned right-of-way line and be served by a driveway that can accommodate the township’s emergency response vehicles.

         (d)   An application for a building permit for a personal storage building shall meet the requirements of § 154.151 and include sufficient information for the Zoning Administrator to determine that the requirements above also will be met.

         (e)   No home occupation or commercial use or use as living quarters is permitted in a personal storage building or on the premises in other than a dwelling.

         (f)   Outdoor storage of items is permitted in the rear of the building.

         (g)   If and when a building permit is issued for a residential dwelling on the property or other lawful primary use is made of the property, the personal storage building shall be automatically reclassified as an accessory building, subject to the requirements of such, and shall be included in the calculation of lot coverage and for other district regulations.

      (17)   Storage of a contractor’s commercial vehicles and equipment: Storage of commercial vehicles and equipment, such as but not limited to that used by a contractor, a builder, an excavator, a landscaper, a construction company or a snow removal business (pickup trucks, vans, delivery vehicles, snow plows, lawn maintenance equipment, tank trucks, semi-tractors and trailers, and construction equipment) is permitted after review and approval by the Planning Commission of a plot plan, subject to the conditions below.

         (a)   All the uses shall be located on a major thoroughfare or secondary road, as shown in the Comprehensive Master Plan for the township.

         (b)   All equipment or stored materials shall be set back at least 150 feet from all property lines.

         (c)   Adequate off-street parking shall be provided to serve the expected number of users of the commercial vehicles and for the storage of the commercial vehicles.

         (d)   No on-site employees shall be permitted other than members of the household.

         (e)   The number of commercial vehicles or pieces of equipment on-site shall be limited to five. For purposes of counting, a truck and trailer normally used together and stored together will be counted as one vehicle. A piece of equipment that is stored on the trailer of a truck/trailer combination shall not be counted as an additional vehicle.

         (f)   Vehicles stored within a building will not be counted for the above limitations.

         (g)   Any hazardous materials, such, as but not limited to, gasoline, diesel fuel and motor oils, shall conform to all requirements for hazardous materials under state law.

         (h)   Storage of materials, such as, but not limited to, topsoil, dirt, gravel, limestone and crushed concrete, stored on the premises for use in commercial activity will be limited to occupying no more than 3,000 square feet of contiguous ground, free standing piles and in bins. There shall be adequate means provided to prevent these materials from spreading to adjacent properties or waterways due to wind or rain.

         (i)   Whenever the proposed use is adjacent to a residential zoning district or use, the Planning Commission may require that a landscaped greenbelt and berm if necessary be provided in order to provide proper screening of the vehicle(s), equipment or material storage from the residential district or use.

      (18)   Private recreational areas in accordance with the standards of § 154.113;

      (19)   Public and private conservation areas; and

      (20)   Accessory signs in accordance with § 154.025.

   (C)   Special approval land uses. Special approval land uses are permitted subject to the procedures set forth in §§ 154.090 through 154.098, which include a public hearing. A site plan is required for all special approval uses (§ 154.150), except as otherwise provided herein. Section 154.095 provides general standards to guide action by the Township Planning Commission. For a specific land use, additional standards are specified in §§ 154.099 through 154.135, and in this section below:

      (1)   Summer housing and migratory labor camps used for seasonal labor between April 1 and November 15, provided that the building or structure complies with these regulations:

         (a)   All buildings or structures shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition and shall be furnished with a safe and sanitary water supply and sewage disposal facilities that are no less than those required by the County and State Health Departments; and

         (b)   All buildings or structures shall be located so as to comply with regulations for structures in an Agricultural/Residential District as set forth § 154.063, with the exception that no building shall be located nearer than 50 feet to any side property line.

      (2)   Plant and tree nurseries and greenhouses with sales areas;

      (3)   Commercial and open-to-the-public stables, kennels and animal clinics as provided in § 154.115;

      (4)   Quarries, mining and extraction as provided in § 154.104;

      (5)   Large-scale outdoor recreational uses, as provided in § 154.114;

      (6)   Gun and hunt clubs, shooting and archery ranges as provided in § 154.129. Note: does not apply to activity of a property owner or resident upon his or her own property for personal use;

      (7)   Combat game areas, as provided in § 154.128;

      (8)   Cemeteries, as provided in § 154.130;

      (9)   Personal use aircraft landing fields as provided in § 154.133;

      (10)   Communication towers as provided in § 154.134;

      (11)   Feedlots and the raising of fur-bearing animals as provided in § 154.109. Note: the special approval uses below are also special approval uses in the residential districts;

      (12)   Group day care home as provided in § 154.116 and boarding and rooming houses as provided in § 154.119;

      (13)   Bed and breakfast establishments as provided in § 154.107;

      (14)   Churches and public buildings as provided in §§ 154.110 and 154.111;

      (15)   Golf courses, including driving ranges or miniature golf courses only when accessory to a regular golf course of nine holes or more, as provided in § 154.112;

      (16)   Utility provider buildings, telephone exchange buildings, electric transformer stations, and substations, and gas regulator stations, but not including storage yards when operation requirements necessitate the locating within the district in order to serve the immediate vicinity as provided in § 154.106;

      (17)   High-pressure gas or high-voltage (120 kV or greater) electric transmission lines as provided in § 154.099;

      (18)   Uses similar to the above uses (divisions (C)(1) through (17)); and

      (19)   Accessory uses, buildings and structures, customarily incident to the above uses. See §§ 154.009 and 154.063(R).

   (D)   Area, height And placement requirements. The building, height, lot coverage, floor area, lot size and setbacks shall be determined in accordance with the schedule of regulations set forth in § 154.063.

(Ord. passed 6-28-2006) Penalty, see § 154.999