How far back from the water do I have to build?

**Fifty feet.** This one comes entirely from Freeman Township — the covenants say nothing about building near the water, so there is no covenant figure to compare it with.

For waterfront property, the Township's Zoning Ordinance requires setbacks of 50 feet from the water line and 30 feet from the roadway.

**What "Water Line" means.** This is the part that causes confusion, so it is worth being precise. Both the Zoning Ordinance and the Accessory Building Regulations define the Water Line as **the boundary of a lake or stream as plotted on a government map** — a plat map, subdivision map or similar.

It is a mapped line on your recorded plat. It is **not** the water's edge as you see it on the day you measure, and it is not a high water mark. Lake levels move; the plat boundary does not. Measuring from the shoreline you can see may put your building in the wrong place.

Waterfront lots have no separate rear setback. The water side takes the 50 feet, the road side takes the 30 feet, and the two sides take 10 feet each.

If you are not sure where the Water Line falls on your lot, ask the office or the Township Zoning Administrator before you set stakes. A survey may be worth the cost on a tight lot.

*Source: Freeman Township Zoning Ordinance No. 8, Table 1 footnote (l) and Article II; Lake of the Pines Accessory Building Regulations (6/8/2025), item 5 and Definitions.*