Public notice: Bridgewater Township

BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP

ORDINANCE NO. 67-08

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Pursuant to the authority vested in it by the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, Public Act 110 of 2006, as amended, Bridgewater Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan ordains the following amendments to Section 5.201 (Accessory Dwelling) of the Bridgewater Township Zoning Ordinance No. 67 to modify the format of this section and to revise the floor area standards for an accessory dwelling in the Rural Districts and Residential Districts.

BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICHIGAN, HEREBY ORDAINS:

SECTION 1.

Article 5.0 (Use Standards), Section 5.201 (Accessory Dwelling) is hereby deleted and replaced in its entirety to modify the format of this section and to revise the floor area standards for an accessory dwelling in the Rural Districts and Residential Districts, as follows: 

Section 5.201 Accessory Dwelling.

It is the intent of this Section to permit accessory dwellings in the Rural Districts and Residential District either within a principal single-family dwelling or under certain circumstances in a separate building on the same lot as the principal dwelling, for the purposes of providing a variety of housing options in the Township; accommodating the desire of some senior citizens, family groups, and other persons with special needs for private housing close to relatives; and providing additional housing accessory to Rural Uses.  It is further the intent of this Section to permit dwellings accessory to certain non-residential land uses in the Business Districts, subject to specific standards designed to preserve the intended character of the zoning district. 

The standards of this Section are designed to prevent the undesirable proliferation of multiple-family buildings in rural and single-family residential areas of the Township, and to preserve the character and appearance of commercial buildings that include an accessory dwelling unit.  Accessory dwellings shall be subject to the following standards:

A. General Standards Applicable to Both Attached and a Detached Dwelling Units Accessory to Principal Detached Single-Family Dwellings. 

The following general standards shall apply to both attached and detached dwelling units that are accessory to detached single-family dwellings in the Rural Districts and Residential Districts:

1. A maximum of one (1) accessory dwelling unit shall be permitted per principal dwelling.
2. Sufficient land area shall be available on the lot for the principal dwelling and accessory dwelling unit to fully conform to all applicable dimensional standards for the zoning district, as specified in Article 3.0 (Dimensional Standards), and to all applicable standards of this Section.  
3. The accessory dwelling shall conform to all requirements and standards of this Ordinance that apply to the principal dwelling.
4. The accessory dwelling unit shall have a minimum gross floor area of 300 square-feet.
5. The principal building on the lot shall be the primary and permanent legal residence of the property owner(s). 
6. The accessory dwelling unit shall include a kitchen, bath, and toilet facilities, and at least one (1) bedroom, all independent of the principal dwelling.
7. The principal dwelling and accessory dwelling shall remain on the same lot and under the same ownership.  Use of land division, subdivision plat, condominium subdivision or other means to divide the land, building or ownership shall be prohibited.
8. Use of a separate driveway access from the road to an accessory dwelling shall be prohibited.  Vehicle access to the accessory dwelling shall be limited to an extension of the driveway to the principal dwelling.

B. Additional Standards for a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit that is Accessory to a Principal Detached Single-Family Dwelling.  

A detached accessory dwelling unit that is located on the same lot as the principal single-family dwelling but within a separate building on the lot shall conform to the following additional standards:

1. The detached accessory dwelling unit shall be located only in the rear yard area of the principal building on the lot, at a location that would be clearly visible to emergency vehicles in the driveway serving the principal dwelling.
2. The maximum gross floor area of a detached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the gross floor area of the principal building, up to an overall maximum limit of 800 square-feet.
3. The detached accessory dwelling shall be set back a minimum of 30 feet from the principal building and all other structures on the lot.
4. A separate address number assignment shall be required for the detached accessory dwelling.
5. The building shall meet all applicable federal and state design, construction, and safety codes for the type of construction.
6. The building shall be placed on a permanent foundation wall meeting all requirements of the State Construction Code, subject to the following:
   1. The building shall be secured to the ground by an anchoring system that meets all State Construction Code and other applicable requirements before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
   2. Wheels, tongue, hitch, or similar appurtenances attached to a manufactured dwelling shall be removed before anchoring the dwelling.
7. The accessory dwelling shall be connected to potable water and sanitary sewerage or septic facilities that shall conform to applicable Township and outside agency requirements.
8. Access to each dwelling shall be provided by a minimum of two (2) means of egress, one (1) of which shall be an exterior door on the front elevation.  The second means of egress shall be located on a side or rear elevation and may be a fully accessible egress window or another exterior door.
9. The accessory dwelling shall be aesthetically compatible in design and appearance with housing in the neighborhood and other single-family dwellings in Bridgewater Township.  Compatibility shall be determined according to the following standards:
   1. Exterior walls shall be finished with natural or simulated natural materials, common to single-family dwellings in the Township, such as but not limited to beveled siding, vertical siding, board and batten siding, or brick.
   2. Roof designs and roof materials shall be similar to those commonly found on dwellings in the Township.

C. Additional Standards for an Attached Accessory Dwelling Unit that is Accessory to a Principal Detached Single-Family Dwelling.  

An accessory dwelling unit that is attached to the principal single-family dwelling shall conform to the following additional standards: 

1. The attached accessory dwelling unit shall be clearly secondary to the use of the principal building as the residence of the property owner.  
2. The property owner shall occupy a minimum of 1,200 square feet of gross floor area in the principal building as their principal residence. 
3. The maximum gross floor area of the attached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the gross floor area of the principal building.
4. The exterior of the principal building shall remain unchanged, so that it does not give the appearance of being divided into separate units.  
5. Access to the attached accessory dwelling unit shall be limited to a common front foyer, or a separate entrance door on a sidewall.  The use of an exterior stairway to provide access to an upper floor accessory dwelling shall be prohibited.

D. General Standards for Dwelling Units Accessory to Non-Residential Uses.  

The following shall apply to dwelling units accessory to non-residential uses as permitted by this Ordinance:

1. Accessory dwelling units shall be located within the principal building.  
2. Accessory dwelling units shall be prohibited on the ground floor or street level of the building.
3. Accessory dwelling units shall have separate kitchen, bath, and toilet facilities and a private entrance.  Where there is more than one (1) accessory dwelling unit in a building, such entrances may be provided from a common hallway.

E. Approval Required for all Accessory Dwelling Units.  

Construction or expansion of an accessory dwelling unit shall be subject to site plan approval per Article 8.0 (Site Plan Review).  The site plan application shall include submittal of floor plans, building elevation drawings, and a plot plan of the lot to verify compliance with this Ordinance.  For dwellings served by privately owned well or septic facilities, proof of adequate system capacity shall be provided to the Township.  

SECTION 2.

All ordinances and amendments thereto that are in conflict with this Ordinance are hereby repealed.

SECTION 3.

Adopted by the Township Board of Trustees for Bridgewater Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, at a meeting of the Township Board held on the 04 day of September 2025.  This ordinance shall become effective on the eighth day following publication thereof.  

Dated: September 04, 2025   

Laurie Fromhart, Supervisor

Michelle McQueer, Clerk

CERTIFICATION

The above Ordinance No. 67-08 was adopted at a meeting of the Bridgewater Township Board of Trustees on the 04 day of September 2025; and published in the Manchester Mirror, a newspaper of general circulation in Bridgewater Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan on the 08 day of September 2025.

Michelle McQueer, Clerk

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.