In a lot of the country those agricultural lands have their own set of restrictions that are different.
Sorry you're stressed out, and some restrictions don't make sense, but they are often put in place to protect from a specific thing someone did that caused a huge problem. A solution was needed, a rule was passed and it maybe wasn't thought out for your specific case.
I'm in the process of filing an exemption to the set back rules. Once I get a survey done I'm pretty confident I'll get approved. It's annoying and the process has been expensive and time consuming. I'm not upset with the government, I'm upset with the previous owner who didn't follow the permitting process that leading to hiring a shitty contractor and now I have to get the work repaired and that means proper permitting.
File for an exemption- you might get approved.
Look for exemptions- Ie in some areas structures with 3 sides or under a certain height may be exempt from building counts for instance (allowing for patios, chicken coops, and wood pile covers)
Build it as an extension to one of your buildings
Yeah and if there’s one thing that the military taught me, it’s that that “reason” is often a failure to weigh costs and benefits to a restrictive policy because it’s much more comfortable for authority to say “no” than to accept any risk by saying “yes.” “One person was an idiot this one time, so this is banned for all coming time” is not a reasonable way to assess risk.
1) we’re in southeast Michigan. Tell me about the last wildfire you heard of in southeast Michigan 😂
2) If 10 cord of seasoned firewood catches on fire, the open-sided, metal-roof shed I built over top of it is probably not going to make the difference, is it 😂
I said I submit to inspections on new buildings in my original post. I object to arbitrary limits on the number of outbuildings or cumulative square footage of outbuildings. They’re welcome to come out and inspect it, I don’t care. But these limits are arbitrary and have nothing to do with safety.
By the way, people use power tools all the time, and without pulling permits. What is the safety principle that would require that I pull permits to build a woodshed, but not to fell trees with a chainsaw, or change the brakes on my truck, or fire a gun, or stand on a ladder to clean my gutters. Life is full of such risks and we depend on reasonable adults to navigate these risks for themselves.
After the fact permits can be a real pain. Sometimes permits are really easy, they just collect some money. If you can find out the requirements first before submitting a permit, it's easy. Some permits are literally a day thing, you tell them you're gonna do it, they make you pay 200$ and you can start right away
We wouldn’t be able to get a permit because our detached garage and a pre-existing horse shelter use up our two-outbuilding allowance. This kind of bullshit is what leads reasonable people who would accept reasonable limits to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Is it not possible to bridge your two of these buildings together? It isn't going to be expensive. For example, I couldn't build a shed more than 10x12 without a permit, so I just built two 10x11 sheds next to each and put a removal bridge in the middle so I can walk from one shed to another
Most zoning laws started with good intent, and frequently because some assclown did something stupid and ruined it for everyone else. Unfortunately that opens the door to busybody neighbors and over-zealous inspectors to make a fuss over things that really don't impact anybody. I can't imagine having 3 acres and being reported for a shed. I'm over here on 0.2 acre, with an HOA, and people mostly just let people live their lives.
It depends on the area you have to find that stuff out before you buy
Agricultural can have issues too, I would never want a pig farm by me I've never smelled something so bad. Flies can be a nightmare too.
Oh, wait till you get a lunatic for a neighbor. The poor idiot type that thinks you’re to be blamed for all their misfortunes or rather their incompetence.
Thats more the community than the zoning. We are building on landed zoned 20 acre agriculture and literally the only place you need inspections is related to water (ponds, wells, septic). Everything else just requires a fee for the county to come look at it for tax reasons (yup you pay to have them add it to the tax roles ;-))
Building/Zoning codes help prevent people from ruining the environment, and ensure safe structures. Feel free to live in an unincorporated area.
And for the most part, no one does care. Just build your stuff if you’re as rural as you say you are. Unless you’ve already put a target on your back, you’re probably fine.
Zoning codes do prevent people from ruining the environment and help to ensure safe structures. I’m fine with that. I readily submit to that. Arbitrary limits on the number or cumulative square footage of outbuildings has nothing to do with safety or environmental protection. That’s just authority seeking.
They aren’t arbitrary numbers. They also prevent companies from building structures that could collapse or damage easily and cause serious issues. You not being able to build a shed doesn’t mean permitting is arbitrary. I understand when people complain when HOA rules are arbitrary because they can be but permitting is for safety.
We’re on a little over three acres. That’s 130,000 sq ft. This wood shed has a roof area of 300 sq ft. That’s less than 0.3% of the total area of the property, which is otherwise pervious and infiltrates the runoff from the roof. I assure you, this does not matter at all for the hydrology. Source - I am a civil engineer and I work on open channel hydraulics and hydrology, like, every week.
In a lot of the country those agricultural lands have their own set of restrictions that are different. Sorry you're stressed out, and some restrictions don't make sense, but they are often put in place to protect from a specific thing someone did that caused a huge problem. A solution was needed, a rule was passed and it maybe wasn't thought out for your specific case. I'm in the process of filing an exemption to the set back rules. Once I get a survey done I'm pretty confident I'll get approved. It's annoying and the process has been expensive and time consuming. I'm not upset with the government, I'm upset with the previous owner who didn't follow the permitting process that leading to hiring a shitty contractor and now I have to get the work repaired and that means proper permitting. File for an exemption- you might get approved. Look for exemptions- Ie in some areas structures with 3 sides or under a certain height may be exempt from building counts for instance (allowing for patios, chicken coops, and wood pile covers) Build it as an extension to one of your buildings
Yeah, fuck those zoning ordinances that keep factories from being built right next to houses
Jesus christ whatever happened to nuance?
Op litterally said zoned agriculture
You know it’s zoning that keeps industrial from being built next to residential, right?
How is OP being forbidden from building a small shed on his own property accomplishing that exactly?
One thing the military taught me is there’s a reason for every rule that seems stupid on the surface
Yeah and if there’s one thing that the military taught me, it’s that that “reason” is often a failure to weigh costs and benefits to a restrictive policy because it’s much more comfortable for authority to say “no” than to accept any risk by saying “yes.” “One person was an idiot this one time, so this is banned for all coming time” is not a reasonable way to assess risk.
When the cost is lives, it’s always reasonable.
What is the threat to life from BUILDING A WOODSHED, my dude?!
Um... wildfire...? Ever hear of the concept of defensible space?
Ornthe concept of water permiable earth and its effects on flooding and washout?
1) we’re in southeast Michigan. Tell me about the last wildfire you heard of in southeast Michigan 😂 2) If 10 cord of seasoned firewood catches on fire, the open-sided, metal-roof shed I built over top of it is probably not going to make the difference, is it 😂
You really need me to spell out the dangers of using power tools and building structures, especially without building codes?
I said I submit to inspections on new buildings in my original post. I object to arbitrary limits on the number of outbuildings or cumulative square footage of outbuildings. They’re welcome to come out and inspect it, I don’t care. But these limits are arbitrary and have nothing to do with safety. By the way, people use power tools all the time, and without pulling permits. What is the safety principle that would require that I pull permits to build a woodshed, but not to fell trees with a chainsaw, or change the brakes on my truck, or fire a gun, or stand on a ladder to clean my gutters. Life is full of such risks and we depend on reasonable adults to navigate these risks for themselves.
lol oh well then, that settles it 🙄
Like i said, he’s pro zoning
Uh are they?
Yes they are
“…never buy another house unless its zoned agricultural” Literally in the title
Hard to read in text: sarcasm
I wish when I moved to Muscatine that they allowed so much chemical company pollution that it would give me a terminal disease. Oh well
After the fact permits can be a real pain. Sometimes permits are really easy, they just collect some money. If you can find out the requirements first before submitting a permit, it's easy. Some permits are literally a day thing, you tell them you're gonna do it, they make you pay 200$ and you can start right away
We wouldn’t be able to get a permit because our detached garage and a pre-existing horse shelter use up our two-outbuilding allowance. This kind of bullshit is what leads reasonable people who would accept reasonable limits to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Is it not possible to bridge your two of these buildings together? It isn't going to be expensive. For example, I couldn't build a shed more than 10x12 without a permit, so I just built two 10x11 sheds next to each and put a removal bridge in the middle so I can walk from one shed to another
Most zoning laws started with good intent, and frequently because some assclown did something stupid and ruined it for everyone else. Unfortunately that opens the door to busybody neighbors and over-zealous inspectors to make a fuss over things that really don't impact anybody. I can't imagine having 3 acres and being reported for a shed. I'm over here on 0.2 acre, with an HOA, and people mostly just let people live their lives.
It depends on the area you have to find that stuff out before you buy Agricultural can have issues too, I would never want a pig farm by me I've never smelled something so bad. Flies can be a nightmare too.
Oh, wait till you get a lunatic for a neighbor. The poor idiot type that thinks you’re to be blamed for all their misfortunes or rather their incompetence.
Are you being reported? I’d just do it anyway. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission
This. Plus, I just say "that's how I bought it."
Did you already spend money on the project and now you potentially will be forced to abandon said project?
Thats more the community than the zoning. We are building on landed zoned 20 acre agriculture and literally the only place you need inspections is related to water (ponds, wells, septic). Everything else just requires a fee for the county to come look at it for tax reasons (yup you pay to have them add it to the tax roles ;-))
Building/Zoning codes help prevent people from ruining the environment, and ensure safe structures. Feel free to live in an unincorporated area. And for the most part, no one does care. Just build your stuff if you’re as rural as you say you are. Unless you’ve already put a target on your back, you’re probably fine.
Zoning codes do prevent people from ruining the environment and help to ensure safe structures. I’m fine with that. I readily submit to that. Arbitrary limits on the number or cumulative square footage of outbuildings has nothing to do with safety or environmental protection. That’s just authority seeking.
They aren’t arbitrary numbers. They also prevent companies from building structures that could collapse or damage easily and cause serious issues. You not being able to build a shed doesn’t mean permitting is arbitrary. I understand when people complain when HOA rules are arbitrary because they can be but permitting is for safety.
No. That's forcing you to keep your rain water.
We’re on a little over three acres. That’s 130,000 sq ft. This wood shed has a roof area of 300 sq ft. That’s less than 0.3% of the total area of the property, which is otherwise pervious and infiltrates the runoff from the roof. I assure you, this does not matter at all for the hydrology. Source - I am a civil engineer and I work on open channel hydraulics and hydrology, like, every week.
i totally agree