Buchanan Township City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IV
AG Agricultural District
§ 300-4.01 Description and purpose.
This zoning district is intended to accommodate land currently under cultivation, wetlands, woodlands, and other lands in an undisturbed state. Farming, crop cultivation, dairy and livestock operations, and rural estate single-family dwellings are suitable uses in this district. Parcels within the AG District are restricted to a minimum of two acres in area.
§ 300-4.02 Uses permitted by right.
Land, buildings and structures in this Zoning District may be used for the following purposes only:
Farms for both general and specialized agricultural use as defined herein, together with farm dwellings, buildings and other installations necessary to such farms, including temporary housing for migratory workers and its sanitary facilities, provided that such activities are in conformance with all requirements of the Berrien County Health Department, the State of Michigan Right to Farm Act, EGLE and/or any other federal, state and/or local regulating agency having jurisdiction.
Greenhouses, nurseries, orchards, vineyards, and apiaries.
Single-family dwellings.
Publicly owned and operated parks, parkways, and recreational facilities.
Adult foster care family homes of six or fewer persons. This subsection shall not apply to adult foster care facilities, licensed by a state agency, for the care and treatment of persons released for or assigned to adult correctional institutions.
Accessory structures and uses customarily incidental to the above permitted uses.
Family day-care home.
Public stables, where livestock are boarded and/or rented.
Wireless communication antenna, fixed wireless signals.
[Added 9-16-2021 by Ord. No. 123-2021]
Wireless communications antenna when attached to a lawful existing telecommunications tower, water tower, or other structure, subject to overall height restrictions.
[Added 9-16-2021 by Ord. No. 123-2021]
§ 300-4.03 Permitted uses by special use permit.
[Amended 12-3-2020 by Ord. No. 121-2020; 9-16-2021 by Ord. No. 123-2021; 11-20-2025 by Ord. No. 131-2025]
The following uses may be permitted upon approval by the Township Board of Trustees who may require special conditions after review by the Planning Commission in accordance with the provisions of this chapter relating to special use permits.
Public, social, religious and educational institutions that provide for locations of public assembly, with direct access to a county roadway and a minimum of two acres of land area.
Removal and processing of topsoil, sand, gravel or other materials. (See § 300-18.30 for additional standards.)
Kennels and animal boarding establishments.
Township, county, regional and state owned buildings and service facilities (not including outdoor storage yards) when in character with the surrounding residential and agricultural area.
Private recreation areas, uses, and facilities including country clubs, golf courses, and swimming pools.
Public utility buildings, telephone exchange buildings, electric transformer stations and substations, and gas regulator stations (not including service or storage yards) when operating requirements necessitate the locating within the district in order to serve the immediate vicinity. This shall not include wireless communication facilities.
Cemeteries.
Essential services.
Bed-and-breakfast facilities.
Private airports and/or landing fields.
Group day-care home.
Guesthouse.
Event venue.
Wireless communication towers, commercial.
Agricultural sales and service.
§ 300-4.04 Development standards.
No building or structure nor any enlargement thereof shall be hereafter erected except in conformance with the following yard, lot area, height and building coverage requirements:
Height. No residential building or structure shall exceed 35 feet in height. Agricultural structures such as storage silos, barns, grain elevators and similar structures are exempt from the maximum height requirements of this chapter.
Front yard. There shall be a front yard of not less than 50 feet.
Side yard. For residential buildings and structures, there shall be total combined side yards of not less than 40 feet; provided, however, that no side yard shall be less than 10 feet.
Rear yard. There shall be a rear yard of not less than 30 feet.
Lot area. The minimum net lot area in this district, unless specified elsewhere, shall be two acres.
Lot width. The minimum lot width in this district, unless specified elsewhere, shall be 200 feet. The lot width shall be measured at the front building line.
Minimum floor area. Each dwelling unit, unless specified elsewhere, shall have a total minimum of 960 square feet with a minimum of 864 square feet of usable floor area on the main floor.
New buildings constructed to house livestock shall not be placed closer than 50 feet to the lot lines, in addition to regulations which apply to accessory structures and farm animals elsewhere in this chapter.