| REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION
LAKE SARA A building permit must be obtained from the lake custodian prior to any construction on Lake Sara. Any construction must be started within 3 months and completed within 1 year from the date of the permit. FEE FOR BUILDING PERMIT: $30.00 minimum and $3.00 per thousand of the estimated value of construction above $20,000. LOT AREA AND FLOOR AREA: No residential lot shall contain an area of less than 20,000 square feet. No residence shall contain a gross floor area of less than 1,000 square feet. Such floor area shall be measured from the exterior of the walls of the residence, and shall be exclusive of garages, breeze-ways, open and screened porches and basements, unless covered by the roof of the main dwelling. YARDS: No portion of a residence or other structure including a basement shall be located below the 590 contour elevation nor shall it be within 70 feet of the normal shore line (elevation 580). No portion of a residence or accessory building shall be within 50 feet of any street serving the lot except that on a corner lot, a residence or accessory building shall not be within 25 feet of the side street. No residence shall be within 50 feet of any rear lot line, except that an accessory building may occupy not more than 25 per cent of a required yard, but shall not be within 12 feet of any lot line. No residence or accessory building shall be within 12 feet of any side lot line. Except as provided in the following paragraph, all private boat piers, or docks shall be unenclosed and shall be parallel to the shore line, and these as well as swimming piers or platforms shall not extend more than 20 feet from the shore at normal water level, (Elevation 580). No portion of the pier or dock swimming platform shall extend more than four feet above normal water level. Custodians of residential lots may erect a boat house along the shore line, but only when an area is excavated for such house in a manner whereby no portion of the boat house shall extend beyond the normal shore line (elevation 580) nor shall any project above the normal elevation of the lot on the lake side. BOAT DOCK - SWIM DECK: A boat dock is defined as a structure permanently anchored to an EWA leased property and extending into the reservoir containing a slip or slips for the parking of boats and walkways for access to the boat or boats parked therein. A swim deck is defined as a flat deck structure permanently anchored to an EWA leased property and extending into the reservoir for the purpose of providing an area from which swimming in the reservoir will take place. The maximum width of a boat dock or a boat dock-swim deck combination shall be 53 feet. The width is the dimension which most closely parallels the shoreline to which the structure is anchored. The maximum width of a swim deck standing alone shall be 20 feet. Boat docks, swim decks and boat dock-swim deck combinations may be roofed, but no part of any boat dock, swim deck or boat dock-swim deck combination may extend more than 14 feet above the surface of the water at the 580 foot water level of the reservoir at its highest point. No more than 33 feet of the width of any structure may be roofed. The roof must be continuous and in a rectangular or square shape. Ordinary flagpoles, light poles and similar structures affixed to structure may extend higher than 14 feet. A roofed enclosure may be placed on a boat dock, a swim deck and a boat dock-swim deck combination. The enclosure may not exceed 33 feet in width and 6 feet in depth. An enclosure shall be located on that part of the structure nearest the shore with the depth perpendicular to the width of the structure. A boat dock shall contain a maximum of 2 boat slips. A boat slip may not exceed 10 feet in width. No structure may extend more than 20 feet into the reservoir at its furthest point of extension from the shore line at the 580 foot water level of the reservoir. The design, materials and construction of boat docks, swim decks, and boat dock-swim deck combinations shall enable the structure to withstand the ordinary forces of nature to which such structures may reasonably be expected to endure. The design, location, materials and construction method shall be included in any building permit application. Except to the extent specifically allowed herein, no boat dock, swim deck or boat dock-swim deck combination may be enclosed with a side, sides, front, any of them or any combination of them. A permit must be obtained prior to placing a swim deck railing so the height can be monitored and it does not block the view of the lake. A platted lot may contain not more than one (1) boat dock and one (1) swim deck or combination boat dock-swim deck. Boat docks, swim decks and combination boat docks-swim decks shall not be built closer than twelve (12) feet to any side lot line. GARAGES: A detached garage should be no larger than 24 feet by 24 feet and at least 70 feet from the shore line. A garage should be at least 12 feet from the property line and 50 feet back from the right of way. No pole type garages are permitted. No portable structures on skids shall be used as a garage. No more than one detached garage shall be permitted on any given lot. A garage may be attached to the main residence by the use of a "breezeway". The "breezeway" may not exceed 10 feet in length. STORAGE SHED: No storage shed shall be used for commercial purposes. No storage shed shall be larger than 12 feet by 12 feet. A storage shed must be within all other normal set back requirements. No more than one storage shed shall be permitted on any given lot. SATELLITE DISH: A permit must be obtained prior to installation of a satellite dish and must be within the normal set back requirements. No dish may be placed on a boat house. WELLS AND SEPTIC TANKS: All septic systems must meet the Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Codes. Any renovation or installation of new systems must be approved by the Effingham County Health Department and be in compliance with all Effingham County Health Department and EWA ordinances. Wells to supply potable water for the residence or other use of the property shall be located only within the front yard, except on lake front lots, where the well shall be located between the lake and the building line paralleling same. No water shall be used from any well until it has been tested and approved by the Department of Public Health of the State of Illinois. Tile fields for the disposal of sanitary sewerage shall be located only upon the rear of the lot. On lake front lots the tile field shall be located between the access street and the residence. The length of the tile field shall conform to the requirements of the Effingham County Health Department. No residence shall be constructed without indoor toilet facilities and adequate facilities for the disposal of sewerage. Whenever a system for the collection, treatment and disposal of sanitary sewerage is provided within a subdivision or portion thereof, all residences within 300 feet of such sewer line shall connect thereto within six months after the completion of the line. MISCELLANEOUS: Adjoining custodians should be consulted before the construction of any fence or wall and if objection is filed with the Authority, then no fence or wall shall be erected, enlarged, or reconstructed until the location and plans therefor have been approved by the Authority. No fence should obstruct the view of adjoining residents. No fence may be constructed below the 590' elevation nor within 25' of normal pool. A dog pen shall not exceed 12' x 12' and must be chain link fencing and built within the setback requirements. No grading shall be done upon any residential lot nor shall any tree exceeding four inches in diameter be cut or removed until plans for the grading or removal of the tree has been approved by the Authority. The Authority is authorized to enter upon lot to cut and remove weeds, grass, and underbrush and to assess the costs therefor against the owners of the lot. No residence nor accessory structure shall exceed two and one-half stories or 35 feet in height at the normal ground elevation. No trailer, house car, bus, or tent shall be used for residential purposes at any time. Open sided tents for social functions are permitted on leased property after obtaining permission from lake custodian or trustee. No soft coal shall be used as the main source of fuel for any residence. Unless a lot or tract has been leased for residential use by the Trustees of the Water Authority, no residence shall be erected unless located upon lots in a subdivision recorded in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Effingham County. No rest rooms allowed except in residence or boat house. (These are construction guidelines and may not contain all the requirements. Variances in the above restrictions shall be permitted by the Authority whenever unusual difficulties are encountered because of topography or other unusual conditions, and may vary the requirements so as to enable a reasonable use of the property, but such variance shall not interfere with the character and value of the adjoining lots. If additional information is needed contact the lake custodian. Regulations updated 02/05.) |
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