A building or structure shall not be erected, moved, reconstructed, altered, extended or enlarged, nor shall other structural changes be made in a building or structure, unless a zoning permit authorizing such activity is first issued. All such activity, including excavating for a building or structure, shall be carried out only in accordance with the terms of the zoning permit.

Zoning permits are issued by the Zoning Administrator upon the Administrator's determination that all proposed construction, other work or land use would comply with this chapter. A zoning permit may include terms and conditions necessary or useful in assuring compliance with the terms of this chapter.

The person proposing any of the construction, other work, or land use activity described in Subsections A and B shall apply for a zoning permit on a form provided by the Township and shall submit the same to the Zoning Administrator.

A copy of the zoning permit, as issued by the Zoning Administrator, shall be conspicuously displayed on the building, land, or other applicable premises prior to the commencement of any work and shall be continuously displayed until all work or other authorized activity has been completed.

A zoning permit shall be valid and effective only if the excavation, erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, extension, enlargement, or other work or activity is commenced not later than 90 days after the date of issuance of the permit and is diligently pursued to completion. In the absence of such commencement within such 90 days, or in the absence of diligent progress in the work thereafter, a new application shall be required.

A zoning permit shall not be valid or effective unless all exterior aspects of the construction, reconstruction, alteration, erection, extension, or enlargement are completed not later than 18 months after the date of issuance of the zoning permit; provided, however, that in the case of extenuating circumstances preventing such completion within such period of time, the applicant may apply for an extension of time for such completion, and the same may be approved by the Zoning Administrator for a period of time determined by the Administrator by the issuance of an amended zoning permit.

The Zoning Administrator may revoke and cancel a zoning permit if the applicant or any person acting for the applicant has failed or neglected to comply with any applicable term or provision of this chapter or any term or provision of the zoning permit, or if the Administrator determines that the applicant has made a material false statement in the application for the permit.

Written notice of any such revocation and cancellation shall be sent by first-class U.S. Mail to the applicant or posted at the construction site. Such mailing or posting shall constitute notice to the applicant that the zoning permit has been revoked.

The written notice of revocation and cancellation of a zoning permit shall terminate all rights of the applicant arising under the terms of the permit, as of the date of issuance of the notice. As of the date of the notice, the applicant shall cease all construction or other work originally authorized by the permit.

All applicants for the rezoning of lands, special land uses, site plan approval, condominium and site condominium approvals, platted subdivision approvals, variances, permits, special exception approvals, and all other land use review or consideration provided for by the terms of this chapter shall pay to the Township any required application fee and other fees or charges established by resolution of the Township Board. Applicants shall also deposit all required amounts into a zoning escrow account as provided by resolution of the Township Board, and such deposited sums shall be used for reimbursement of Township expenses with respect to the zoning applications or other relief being applied for.

An application for any of the above-stated land use reviews and considerations, and other applications authorized hereunder, shall not be complete, and need not be considered, until the required application fee and other charges have been paid in full and until the deposit of the required sum into any required zoning escrow account has taken place and such deposit maintained or reestablished at the required amount.

Except as stated otherwise in this chapter, whenever a public hearing on a zoning application is required by this chapter or by the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, as amended,[1] notice of the public hearing shall be published and delivered in accordance with the requirements of this section.

The notice shall be published once, at least 15 days before the date of the public hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township.

Delivery of notice.

The notice of public hearing shall include the following information:

When financial security is required for completion of any improvement provided for by this chapter, such security shall comply with the requirements stated in this section.

Performance bond.

Cash deposit, certified check or irrevocable bank letter of credit.

Such security shall be used by the Township for the purpose of completing improvements if an applicant or a developer fails to do so, including, but not limited to, payment of engineering, legal, and other professional services, as well as completion of applicable improvements; provided, however, that the Township shall not be obliged to complete any such improvements.

Upon certification by the Zoning Administrator that all improvements have been fully completed, the Zoning Administrator shall authorize the return or termination of all security that has been provided. As improvements are completed, the Zoning Administrator may authorize reductions in the amount of security, but security may be retained in an amount not exceeding the estimated cost of all remaining improvements.

If a required performance bond or irrevocable letter of credit has expired or is terminated prior to completion of all construction or other work for which such security has been given, then all such construction and other work shall be stopped until an appropriate security satisfactory to the Township has been submitted and accepted.

Upon notice given by the Zoning Administrator or Building Official that any land use is occurring or that any work on a building or structure is being carried out contrary to or in violation of any provision of this chapter, such land use or work shall be immediately stopped. The stop-work order shall be in writing and shall be given in the name of the Zoning Administrator or Building Official. It shall be posted on the property involved and shall be sent by first-class U.S. Mail to the owner of the property involved, as the owner's address is shown in the current Township property tax assessment roll, and may also be sent to any other last-known address of the property owner.

Any person who shall continue to work in or about a building or structure or to use land or a building or structure after a stop-work order has been posted at the site and mailed to the property owner shall be in violation of this chapter, including provisions thereof cited in the stop-work order, except such work as the Zoning Administrator or the Building Official may authorize to be performed in order to moderate or end a violation.

Any use of land which is commenced or conducted, or any building or structure which is erected, moved, placed, reconstructed, razed, extended, enlarged, altered, maintained or changed, in violation of any provision of this chapter is hereby declared to be a nuisance per se.

Any person who disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with any provision of this chapter or any permit, approval or exception granted hereunder or any lawful order of the Building Official, Zoning Administrator, Zoning Board of Appeals, or the Township Board issued in pursuance of this chapter shall be in violation of this chapter. Any such violation is hereby declared to be a nuisance per se.

A violation of this chapter is a municipal civil infraction, for which the fine shall not be less than $100 nor more than $500 for the first offense and not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 for subsequent offenses, in the discretion of the court, and in addition to all other costs, damages, attorneys' fees, and expenses provided by law. For purposes of this section, "subsequent offense" means a violation of the provisions of this chapter committed by the same person within 12 months of a previous violation of the same provision of this chapter, for which said person admitted responsibility or was adjudicated to be responsible. Each day during which any violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.

Any one or more of the following Township officials are authorized to issue citations for violation of provisions of this chapter which are designated to be municipal civil infractions, if any one or more of them have reasonable cause to believe that an infraction has occurred, based upon personal observation or the report of a person who has allegedly witnessed the infraction:

If a citation is based solely upon the complaint of someone who allegedly witnessed the violation, and not upon the personal observation of the official, then the citation shall be approved, in writing, by the Township Supervisor and the Township Attorney.

Citations shall be numbered consecutively and shall be in a form approved by the State Court Administrator's office.

Citations shall be served upon the alleged violator as provided by law.

Citations shall require an appearance at the District Court within a reasonable time after the citation has been issued.

The procedures for the admission or denial of responsibility, request for informal or formal hearings, and all other matters related to processing of citations for civil infractions shall be as provided by law.

In addition to the foregoing procedures and penalties for violations, the Township may commence and pursue injunction, mandamus, abatement or any other available legal action or proceedings to prevent, enjoin, abate or remove any violation of this chapter. Such remedies are in addition to all others provided by law.