Clinton Township, MI Right to Farm: Farm Nuisance Protection (2026)

21(b), adopted by Ordinance 484 in 2023, governs any municipality-permitted keeping of farm animals or petting zoos as part of an agricultural or accessory residential use. Before operating, the owner must submit information to and receive final approval from the Township's zoning or building administrator, then submit a site plan detailing the number and breed of animals proposed. A. 471 et seq. The ordinance folds the State Agriculture Commission's current GAAMPs recommendations directly into local law for site selection and odor control on new and expanding livestock facilities, and requires manure storage and treatment to follow GAAMPs construction and design standards along with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service field office technical guides.

Structures, feedlots, and waste storage facilities must meet the setbacks the GAAMPs establish for site selection and odor control, rather than a separate Township-set distance. The section also carries its own nuisance clause: unreasonable odors, dust, noise and drainage must be controlled so the operation does not become a nuisance, hazard or annoyance to adjoining residents, even where the operation otherwise complies with GAAMPs. 13, the chicken-specific section controls. By channeling local farm-animal approval through the state's GAAMPs framework, the Township imports the Right to Farm Act's nuisance-protection standard: an operation that follows GAAMPs siting, odor and manure-handling practices is positioned to rely on the Act's shield against nuisance suits, while the Township layers its own site-plan and permit process on top.