(A) Permit required. No building or structure, except farm buildings in the Agricultural District and Rural Estate District, but not excepting farm dwellings, shall be erected, moved, placed, reconstructed, extended, enlarged or altered, except wholly interior alterations or repairs at a cost of $500 or less, unless a permit therefor has been issued by the Zoning Inspector. An application for a permit shall be in writing and upon duplicate printed forms furnished by the township. A permit issued by the Zoning Inspector is non-transferable and must be obtained before any work, excavations, erection, alteration or movement is commenced. Satisfactory evidence of ownership of the lot or premises may be required by the Zoning Inspector and shall be furnished upon request. If the application is approved, the Zoning Inspector shall so mark both copies of the application over his or her signature and file one copy with the Township Clerk and return the other copy to the applicant. The Zoning Inspector shall also provide the applicant with a construction card signed by the Zoning Inspector stating the extent of the work authorized. This card shall be attached to and remain on the lot or premises during the progress of the work authorized.
(B) Contents of application.
(1) Each application shall include such reasonable information as may be requested by the Zoning Inspector in order to determine compliance with the terms and provisions of this chapter and shall include, as a minimum, the following information:
(a) The location and actual dimensions of the lot or premises to which the permit is to apply;
(b) The kind of buildings or structures to which the permit is to apply;
(c) The width of all abutting streets;
(d) The area, size and location of all buildings or structures to which the permit is to apply;
(e) The type of use to be made of the building or structure to which the permit is to apply;
(f) The use of buildings or structures on adjoining lands; and
(g) The estimated cost of the building or structure.
(2) The Zoning Inspector, in his or her discretion, may waive the inclusion of any of the foregoing information in an application if he or she shall determine that such information is not reasonably necessary for him or her to determine compliance with the terms and provisions of this chapter.
(C) Accessory buildings or structures. Accessory buildings or structures, when erected, moved, placed, reconstructed, extended, enlarged or altered, at the same time as the principal building on the same lot or premises and when shown on the application for the permit for the principal building, shall not require the issuance of a separate permit. A separate permit shall be required if any accessory building or structure is erected, moved, placed, reconstructed, extended, enlarged or altered separately or at a different time than the principal building on the same lot or premises.
(D) Planning Commission approval. When the terms and provisions of this chapter require authorization by the planning Commission as a special use and such authorization is given, then both copies of the application shall be marked approved by the Secretary of the Planning Commission in addition to being so marked as provided by the Zoning Inspector.
(E) Issuance of permit.
(1) Within ten days after the receipt of any application, the Zoning Inspector shall either:
(a) Issue a permit if the proposed work is in conformance with the terms and provisions of this chapter; or
(b) Deny issuance of a permit and state the reason(s) or cause(s) for such denial in writing.
(2) In each case, the permit or the written reason(s) or cause(s) for denial shall be transmitted to the owner or owners agent.
(F) Expiration of permits. A permit for a single-family dwelling for which all construction work has not been completed within one year from the date of its issuance shall expire automatically; a permit for any other building or structure for which all construction work has not been completed within two years from the date of issuance shall expire automatically. A permit expiring automatically pursuant to this division (F) shall, upon re-application, be renewable once for addition terms of one and two years, respectively (one year for single-family dwelling and two years for any other building or structure), on payment of an additional fee equal to one-half of the original permit fee.
(G) Cancellation of permits. The Zoning Inspector shall have the power to revoke and cancel any permit in the event of failure or neglect to comply with all of the terms and provisions of this chapter or in the event of any false statements of misrepresentations in the application for the permit. Notice of such cancellation and revocation shall be securely posted on the construction, such posting to be considered as service upon and notice to the permit holder of the cancellation and revocation of the permit.
(H) Fees.
(1) Fees shall be determined by the Township Board.
(2) The amount of such fees shall be determined from the estimated cost of the building or structure as set forth in the application for the permit. If, upon completion of the building or structure, the Zoning Inspector shall determine that the estimated cost does not represent a fair valuation of the cost of the building or structure, he or she shall notify the applicant in writing of the permit fee deficiency and the building or structure shall not be used until such deficiency has been paid to the Zoning Inspector.
(3) In addition, the following special fees shall be paid to the Zoning Inspector, who shall remit the same to the Township Treasurer. The payment of such fees is a condition precedent to the validity of such permit:
(a) Special use: $10;
(b) Temporary office building or yard for construction: $10;
(c) Temporary office for sale or rental of real property: $10;
(d) Temporary mobile home permit: $10;
(e) Permanent sign: $5;
(f) Appeal: $10; and
(g) Rezoning: cost to be set by the Township Board.
(Prior Code, Ch. XV, § 15.03) (Ord. 1977-1, passed 10-10-1977; Ord. 2001-1, passed 7-17-2001)