ZoningVerdict

Accessory dwelling units in Orion Township, MI

What the Orion Township zoning ordinance says about accessory dwelling units, district by district. Section numbers link to the official ordinance.

All districts

Orion Township's zoning ordinance has no accessory dwelling unit provision. The terms accessory dwelling and accessory apartment appear nowhere in the definitions or the general provisions verified for this pack, and several rules actively point the other way:

  • Basement residency is expressly prohibited township-wide, except for earth-sheltered homes as defined in Article II (Section 27.02.H).
  • A temporary building, motor home, trailer, or incomplete structure may not be used as a dwelling without Zoning Board of Appeals approval, and then only during disaster repairs, for up to three months at a time (Section 27.02.C).
  • A mobile home may not be placed on a lot that already has a dwelling (Section 5.02.K.1.a; Section 6.02.A.1.a).
  • Even the narrow lakefront second-garage exception expressly bans overnight habitation in the detached building (Section 27.02.A.1.e).

This is a reading of what the ordinance does not contain, so treat it as a starting point rather than a final answer. A second dwelling unit on a single-family lot would need a rezoning, a use variance, or a future ordinance amendment. Michigan law also protects certain state-licensed residential facilities regardless of local zoning. Confirm any plan with the Planning & Zoning Department at 248-391-0304 ext. 5000.

Get the full picture for your property

Enter an address. We identify the zoning district and assemble what the ordinance says about it: permitted uses, dimensional rules, accessory structures, and the approval process.

District identification is free. The full brief is $79.