Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Ashland, Maine

Town of Ashland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New structures, alterations, enlargements, demolitions and new or changed land/structure uses inside Ashland town, administered by the town's Code Enforcement Officer

  • Permit comes from the town's code enforcement officer (CEO).
  • Applies to newly constructed, altered, enlarged and demolished structures per the same page.

  “application for a building or demolition permit is required for all newly constructed, altered, enlarged, and demolished structures.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Ashland town limits (Ashland, ME 04732, Aroostook County). The town's own zoning ordinance and shoreland zoning ordinance govern use and dimensional rules there.

  • The town's own page directs residents to review both the shoreland ordinance and the zoning ordinance for setbacks; the zoning ordinance PDF could not be read (scanned image), so its district and use terms are not recorded here.
  • Shoreland zoning rules apply within the shoreland zone, as separately stated on the town setback page.

  “set-backs for buildings: review ashland shoreland ordinance and ashland zoning ordinance”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential construction in Ashland town (the town page sets these for residential districts; district names are not stated on the page, so these apply to the main residential zone pending the zoning ordinance)

  • Corner lots: both street frontages are treated as front yards, with a 25-foot setback on each; the other two sides are side and rear yards at 15 feet.
  • A clear sight triangle must stay free of fences, hedges or structures over about 3 feet high at corner intersections.
  • Shoreland zone properties also meet the shoreland setbacks in a separate claim.
  • Fences are treated differently from buildings.

  front yard setback: 25 feet (measured from the front property line) · side yard setback: 15 feet (from each side property line) · rear yard setback: 15 feet (from the rear property line)

  “front yard 25 feet from the front property line side yard 15 feet from each side property line rear yard 15 feet from the rear property line”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential construction inside the shoreland zone in Ashland town

    “100 feet from the normal high-water line of great ponds, rivers, and wetlands.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building and demolition permit fees for construction in Ashland town

  • Fee schedule stated as effective 09/13/2022 on the town page; check the town office for any later schedule.
  • Residential fee: construction up to $500.00 is $10.00; $501.00 to $10,000.00 is $15.00; $10,000.00 and above is .002 times value, up to $200.00.
  • Commercial fee: construction up to $500.00 is $10.00; $501.00 to $10,000.00 is $15.00; $10,000.00 and above is .002 times value, up to $400.00.
  • Utility-scale solar energy systems $5,000.00; variance or administrative appeals $30.00 plus costs; certificate of occupancy $25.00 (fee line only; whether a certificate is required is not stated).

  residential permit fee, construction up to $500: 10 USD · residential permit fee, $501 to $10,000 construction: 15 USD · residential permit fee, construction $10,000 and above: 0.002 of construction value (maximum $200.00) · variance or administrative appeal fee: 30 USD (plus costs)

  “effective 09/13/2022, the following schedule of fees shall apply:”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Ashland or Aroostook County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Ashland town
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Ashland town
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Ashland town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings in Ashland town
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list for Ashland town

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.