Why is my front setback measured from the middle of the road in Shelby Township?

Shelby Township measures front and street-side setbacks from the centerline of the road right-of-way, not from your front lot line (Section 3.27; Section 3.28.B.3). The published numbers therefore include half the road right-of-way. For a house in R-1-C on a local road, the 55 foot centerline setback works out to roughly 25 feet from a typical front lot line on a 60 foot right-of-way.

The setback varies by road classification on the Township Master Plan. For single-family lots: arterials 85 to 110 feet, collectors 68 to 93 feet, local roads 55 to 80 feet depending on the district; freeways use 50 feet from the right-of-way line, and private roads measure from the road easement (Section 3.27.A). Commercial and industrial districts have their own centerline tables, plus 25 extra feet and a landscaped berm when facing residential property (Section 3.27.C).

One relief valve: where most of a block was already built out before October 19, 1997, new construction lines up with the established building line, capped at 40 feet from the front lot line (Section 3.28.B.1.a). Confirm your road's classification with Planning and Zoning before designing to a number.