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

Town of Mapleton’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land and structures inside Mapleton town limits (Aroostook County, Maine)

  • The town adopted its own Mapleton Zoning Ordinance; it is administered by the code enforcement officer and planning board, with shoreland zoning, floodplain and subdivision provisions in the same ordinance or separate town ordinances.
  • The ordinance text cites Aroostook County soil survey and Aroostook County Registry of Deeds, which confirms the town is in Aroostook County, Maine.

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall govern all land and all structures within the boundaries of the town of mapleton.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All of Mapleton town

  • Only the first two districts were readable in the text layer: R (single-family residential) and R-B (residential business). Any further districts, including an agricultural district referenced in the definitions, were not extracted.

  “for the purposes of this ordinance, mapleton is hereby divided into the following zoning districts: 1. single-family residential district r”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Individual lots inside a mobile home park in Mapleton town (not single-family lots)

  • Park standards apply except where Title 38 or a town ordinance requires otherwise.
  • Central subsurface system density: overall park density may not exceed one dwelling unit per 20,000 square feet of total park area.

  minimum lot area, lots served by public wastewater disposal: >= 6500 sf · minimum lot width, lots served by public wastewater disposal: >= 50 feet · minimum lot area, lots served by individual subsurface wastewater systems: >= 20000 sf · minimum lot width, lots served by individual subsurface wastewater systems: >= 100 feet · minimum lot area, lots served by central subsurface system: >= 12000 sf · minimum lot width, lots served by central subsurface system: >= 75 feet

  “lots served by a central subsurface waste water disposal system approved by the maine department of human resources. a. minimum lot area: 12,000 sf b. minimum lot width: 75 feet c. the overall density of the mobile home park served by a centralized system shall not exceed one dwelling unit per 20,000 square feet of total park area.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Mobile home park individual lots inside Mapleton town (not single-family lots)

  • Mobile homes in a park adjacent to a public road must be set back further from the road (distance not extracted).

  minimum setback from mobile home park individual lot line: >= 15 feet

  “structures shall not be located less than 15 feet from any mobile home park individual lot line.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Relocation of pre-1976 manufactured housing units inside Mapleton town

  • Dwelling definition includes mobile homes and manufactured housing; the manufactured housing section's other conditions were not extracted.

  “units constructed prior to june 15, 1976 that were legally sited in town as of august 4, 1988 may be relocated provided that they meet all other design requirements.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Temporary elder cottage (ECHO) unit on a lot that already has a single-family dwelling, inside Mapleton town except resource protection districts

  • Code enforcement officer permit required.
  • Owner of the principal structure must reside on the lot (further conditions in the same section, not extracted).
  • Temporary habitation by an older person or a person with a disability, so adult children can care for aging parents or such persons.

  “the construction or placement of a temporary "echo" unit on a lot which a single-family dwelling is located may be allowed by a permit granted by the code enforcement officer regardless of a non-conforming lot size and frontage if the following are met:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Mapleton town that meet the ordinance definition of subdivision

  • Subdivision review does not apply to subdivisions approved before September 23, 1971, subdivisions in existence on that date, or plans recorded in the Aroostook County registry of deeds before that date, and airports with approved layout plans.
  • Applicants for parcels of 10 acres or greater located on Route 227 or Route 163 must submit a cluster development plan.
  • Planning board reviews all subdivision requests; approved plans must be recorded in the Aroostook County Registry of Deeds within ninety (90) days or become void.

  “the planning board shall review all requests for subdivision approval.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and land use permits and applications inside Mapleton town

  • The schedule is Section 12 of the zoning ordinance; amounts were not extracted from the text layer.

  “each application for a permit shall be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of: a. $5 per thousand-dollar valuation (minimum $300) for each new or relocated commercial structure”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new residential construction inside Mapleton town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits or inspections inside Mapleton town
• Building code adopted — Whether Mapleton town has adopted a state building code (MUBEC) for residential construction
• Inspections — Building inspection for new residential construction inside Mapleton town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Mapleton 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.