(A) Abandoned buildings and structures. Any building or structure not in continuous use as defined by permitted, special land use, or nonconforming uses in any district for a period greater than six months shall be considered abandoned and come under the provisions of this chapter and other village codes for buildings and structures. In order to obtain a certificate of occupancy as a use in the future, once six months have passed, the building or structure shall have to meet all the current standards of all applicable village codes.
(B) Accessory buildings/structures in any district. No accessory building or structure may be built upon any lot on which there is no principal building. Accessory structures and buildings may not be inhabited. No accessory building (except for school bus shelters) shall be placed in any front or side yard or closer than ten feet to any other building. Accessory buildings include but are not limited to structures used for the uses listed under § 153.020(A).
(C) Building and occupancy permits.
(1) Building permits required. Any construction related to any type of zoning administrative approval shall be commenced only after a building permit has been obtained.
(2) Prior building permits. Any building permit issued prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be valid, even though not conforming to the provisions of this chapter, provided construction is commenced within 90 days after the date the permit was issued and that the building is completed according to the plans filed with the permit application within one year of the date of issuance.
(3) Occupancy permit. Upon completion of a structure and all required site improvements per approved site plan, and before moving into a building in any district, an occupancy permit is required.
(D) Building site and storage requirements.
(1) Exterior lighting. All lighting for parking areas or for the external illumination of building or for the illumination of signs shall be directed away from and shall be shielded from adjacent districts and shall also be arranged so to not adversely affect driver visibility on adjacent thoroughfares.
(2) Corner clearance. No fence, wall, shrubbery, sign or other obstruction to vision above the height of four feet from the established street grades shall be permitted within the triangular area formed at the intersection of any street right-of-way lines by a straight line drawn between said right-of-way lines at a distance along each line of 30 feet from their point of intersection.
(3) Storage of garbage. All garbage and rubbish must be stored in closed containers or in a dumpster. Garbage may be stored in a building until the time of collection. No garbage or rubbish may be stored for a period of more than two weeks, or so as to cause hardship, health hazard, or annoyance to adjoining properties.
(E) Connections to drainage system. Surface drains, groundwater drains, and foundation or footing drains, shall be connected whenever possible to an enclosed storm sewer, but they shall not discharge to a sanitary sewer or private wastewater treatment plant.
(F) Height and area zoning exceptions. The height and area requirements of all zones shall be subject to the following exceptions:
(1) Height. Chimneys; cooling towers; elevator bulkhead; fire towers; gas tanks; grain elevators; stacks; stage towers or scenery lofts; flour mills; food processing plants; television antennas; refineries; tanks; water towers; radio towers; ornamental towers; monuments; cupolas; domes and spires; necessary mechanical appurtenances; and additions to existing buildings which now exceed the height limitations of the zone district may not exceed 50 feet.
(2) Permitted yard encroachments. The following items shall be considered to be accessory structures, even though they may be attached to a principal building and may project into required side or rear yards for the principal building.
(a) Open porches, paved terraces and patios, provided the following restrictions apply. NOTE: Enclosed porches are considered to be part of the principal building, subject to all yard, setback and area requirements.
(b) The highest finished elevation of the paved area or porch is not over three feet above the average surrounding finished grade.
(c) If roofed, a porch is unenclosed, and the roof is no higher than one story. A roofed area may not exceed 10% of the required side or rear yard.
(d) If unroofed, paved areas or porches may have non-continuous windbreaks or walls not over six feet high and not enclosing more than ½ the perimeter of the paved area or porch.
(e) Structural elements such as cornices, sills, chimneys, gutters, and similar features projecting a maximum of two and ½ feet.
(f) Fire escapes, outside stairways, and balconies, if of open construction, projecting a maximum of five feet.
(h) Handicap accessible facilities.
(G) Restoring unsafe buildings. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the strengthening or restoring to a safe condition of any part of any building or structure declared unsafe by the Zoning Administrator. Any such strengthening or restoring shall be in accordance with the Huron County adopted building code.
(H) Roof and surface drainage. If a building is equipped with gutters or other means for collection of roof water, the downspouts and/or roof water conductor pipes shall be discharged on unpaved ground or paved surface at a distance of at least three feet from the building wall. Further the grade line at the building wall shall be sloped away from the wall at the rate of at least one inch per foot, for a minimum of five feet. Where settlement of the ground has occurred at the building wall, then the property owner is required to add fill to correct the condition to conform with this requirement.
(J) Site and building hazard and nuisance prevention. No use otherwise allowed shall be permitted within any district which does not conform to the following standards of use, occupancy and operation, which standards are hereby established as the minimum requirements to be maintained within the area.
(1) Dumping of hazardous/radioactive wastes. Dumping of hazardous waste materials and/or nuclear wastes shall not be allowed within the village, except as permitted by current federal and state regulations.
(2) Odor. The emission of noxious, odorous matter in such quantities as to be readily detectable at a point along any property line, when diluted in the ratio of one volume of odorous air to four or more volumes of clean air, so as to produce a public nuisance or hazard beyond lot line is prohibited.
(3) Smoke, dust, dirt, and fly ash. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to permit the emission of any smoke, dust, dirt or fly ash from any source whatever which would impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjacent property or unreasonably diminish or impair established property values within the surrounding area or in any other respect unreasonably impair the public health, safety or comfort or welfare of the inhabitants of the village.
(4) Open storage. The open storage for junk, scrap or salvage, or other waste products, where the operations are for the conversion to saleable materials shall be screened from public view from a public street and from adjoining properties not of a similar nature by an enclosure consisting of an obscuring wall or fence not less than eight feet high.
(5) Glare and radioactive materials. Glare from any process (such as, or similar to, arc welding or acetylene-torch cutting) which emits harmful ultraviolet rays shall be performed in a manner as not to be seen from any point beyond the property line and as not to create a public nuisance or hazard along lot lines. Radioactive materials and wastes shall not be emitted to exceed quantities established as safe by the United States Bureau of Standards when measured at the property line.
(6) Fire and explosive hazards.
(a) In the M Districts, the storage, utilization or manufacture of materials or products ranging from incombustible to moderate burning as determined by the Fire Marshal is permitted subject to compliance with all other performance standards above mentioned.
(b) The storage, utilization or manufacture of materials, goods or products ranging from free to active burning to intense burning, as determined by the Fire Marshal is permitted subject to compliance with all other yard requirements and performance standards previously mentioned and providing the following conditions are met.
1. The materials or products shall be stored, utilized or produced within completely enclosed buildings or structures having incombustible exterior walls which meet the requirements of the Huron County adopted building code.
2. All buildings or products shall be set back at least 40 feet from lot lines; or in lieu thereof, all buildings or structures shall be protected throughout by an automatic sprinkler system complying with installation standards prescribed by the National Fire Association.
3. The storage and handling of flammable liquids, liquefied petroleum gases and explosives shall comply with Public Act 207 of 1941, being M.C.L. §§ 29.1 et seq.
(Ord. passed 11-16-2020)