§ 23.02. Improvement Location Permits

(a)

An improvement location permit shall be obtained for any of the following actions. This provision is applicable to any structure, including accessory structures, whose ground floor area exceeds 144 square feet, or any additions to existing structures where the change will enlarge the ground floor area of the structure, regardless of the size of the addition. However, it does not apply to any interior alterations, other than a change of use, or any exterior change which does not alter the ground floor area of a structure.

Table 23.02
Required Permit Types

Activity/Use	Improvement Location Permit
Agricultural buildings or structures	Sketch plan
Single family detached and two family dwellings	Sketch plan
Multiple family dwellings	Site plan
Non residential building	Site plan
Mixed-use building or development	Master Development Plan
Establishment of a new special exception use (see Article 17)	Site plan
Planned Unit Development (see Article 25)	Site plan
Private road	Site plan
Construction solely on the building interior that does not increase usable floor area	Exempt
Cosmetic (non-structural) changes to any structure including the replacement of windows in existing openings, re-roofing, the installation of siding material, and repainting	Exempt
Wireless communication facility	Site plan
Change in use to an existing building to a similar or less intensive use, as determined by the enforcement official based upon the classification of uses in the district	Exempt
Change in use to an existing building to a more intensive use, as determined by the enforcement official	Sketch plan
Temporary uses, buildings, structures, and seasonal events	Sketch plan
Temporary storage/accessory structures	Sketch plan
Accessory commercial or industrial outdoor storage	Site plan
New parking lot/loading area or change in driveway access for a non-residential use	Site plan
Expanding an existing parking lot or paving an existing gravel parking lot	Site plan
Resurfacing of existing parking lot without increasing number of spaces	Exempt
Residential driveways and sidewalks that are located entirely on private property	Sketch plan
Construction, relocation or erection of signs, retaining walls, fences, walls, waste receptacle, sidewalks, antennas, lights, poles, cooling/heating or other mechanical equipment for any nonresidential use	Sketch plan
All fences (landscaping, privacy or security) and all retaining walls except on farms and lots in the Agricultural District	Sketch plan
Residential TV towers, satellite dishes, and other similar structures	Exempt
Modifications to comply with accessibility requirements	Exempt
Mineral extraction	Site plan
Alteration of the existing grade in excess of two (2) feet relative to the grade at the property lines of adjoining property owners in Subdivisions, and/or in R-1, R-2, R-3, LR, MH Zoning Districts	Sketch plan
Private ponds	Sketch plan
All uses on the La Porte and Michigan City airport properties	Exempt See Article 11