Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Colona Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Colona Township

Colona Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Henry County zoning districts applying to land inside Colona township outside incorporated areas

  • Districts are AG-1, AG-2, CO-1, HI-1, R-1 through R-5, B-1, M-1 as listed in the ordinance.
  • Maps are kept by the zoning enforcing officer; township maps are incorporated by reference.
  • Disconnected territory is classed AG-1 until reclassified.

  “for the purposes of this ordinance, all land lying outside of the incorporated areas in henry county is hereby divided into the following districts:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Manufactured homes in unincorporated Colona township placed in AG-1 or R-1 (and listed residential districts)

  • Applies to manufactured homes under the HUD-code and Illinois-code placement rules; the general site-built dwelling minimum is in the section 7.6 bulk table and was not read.
  • Restrictive covenants may impose a different minimum.

  minimum living area: >= 825 square feet (or as per deed restrictions/subdivision covenants)

  “minimum living area is 825 square feet (section 7.6 bulk requirements)”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal building setback from county, state or federal highway right-of-way on unincorporated land in Colona township

  • Setbacks on township or private roads are governed by front yard regulations, not this rule.
  • Where a lot is in single ownership and recorded before the ordinance, setback rules may not reduce buildable width or depth below 35 feet.
  • Variances are possible where hardship exists.

  setback from highway right-of-way: >= 50 feet (100 feet from centerline on 100-foot ROW highways; 90 feet on 80-foot ROW highways)

  “county, state and/or federal highways – 50 feet back from common right-of-way/property line boundary (100 feet back from r.o.w. centerline on highways with 100 feet r.o.w. and 90 feet back from r.o.w. centerline on highways with 80 feet r.o.w.).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Accessory buildings on unincorporated land in Colona township

    “accessory buildings shall be a minimum of 10 feet from the nearest wall of the principal building and shall conform to all bulk regulations for the specific district except that accessory buildings may be constructed a minimum of 10 feet from the rear property line.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Accessory buildings on unincorporated land in Colona township

  • Height is measured from floor of building to roof peak of building.
  • Principal building height limits are in the unread section 7.6 table.

  accessory building height: <= 20 feet

  “accessory buildings shall not exceed 20 feet in height, measured from floor of building to roof peak of building.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on unincorporated land inside Colona township, Henry County zoning

  • Only HUD-code or Illinois-code manufactured homes may locate in any zoning district.
  • Hardship placements in AG-1, R-1, R-2 or R-3 districts require an individual zoning special use permit and are temporary, for the applicant only.

  “manufactured homes/housing not constructed in compliance to the hud code or il code shall not be permitted to locate in any zoning district in unincorporated henry county”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems (septic) for a home inside Colona township, including the unincorporated area of Henry County

  • IDPH regulates installation of systems with no surface discharge and also reviews and approves plans before construction.
  • About 90 Illinois local health agencies also review sewage disposal construction plans, by local ordinance or as IDPH's agent; which agency serves Colona township was not confirmed.

  “the illinois department of public health (idph) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems that have no surface discharge (such as septic tanks and seepage fields)”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Colona Township or Henry County directly.

• Building permit — New residential construction on unincorporated land in Colona township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Colona township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for new construction inside Colona township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction on unincorporated land in Colona township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes on unincorporated land in Colona township

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Colona Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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