Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Chebeague Island, Maine

Town of Chebeague Island’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Chebeague Island town limits, administered under the town's own Zoning Ordinance (Code of Ordinances Chapter 17, Article II)

  • Shoreland overlay districts are governed by a separate Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, which controls if it conflicts with the zoning ordinance (the zoning PDF states this in its overlay provisions; the shoreland ordinance itself was not opened).

  “No use of land or buildings shall be allowed, nor shall any building be erected or altered for a use, which use is not specifically allowed within the district in which it is located”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Chebeague Island town as set in the Zoning Ordinance Sec. 204 district regulations (Island Residential IR and Island Business IB), with shoreland overlays under a separate ordinance

  • Shoreland setbacks follow the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance per the IR setback text.
  • District map and the shoreland overlay list were not opened.

  “The Town of Chebeague Island Zoning Map divides the Town into the following districts: Island Residential (IR) Island Business (IB)”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Island Residential (IR) district in Chebeague Island town: lots created on or after August 1, 1975 (single-family detached and duplex lots)

  • Duplex development requires no less than 0.94 acres of lot area per dwelling unit.
  • Lot frontage must be no less than 150 feet.
  • Sec. 203.3: no parcel may be subdivided into lots smaller than the district minimum except as allowed under Sec. 205 (lot regulations).

  minimum lot size: >= 1.5 acre (single-family or duplex lots in IR created on or after August 1, 1975) · minimum lot frontage: >= 150 feet (IR lots created on or after August 1, 1975)

  “The following lot standards shall apply to all lots within the IR district created on August 1, 1975 or later: 1. 1.5 acre minimum lot size;”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on residential lots in Chebeague Island town, under the Sec. 407 lot rules (lots at least 1.5 acres with 150 feet of street frontage, or qualifying lots of record)

  • Lots at least 1.5 acres in size and with at least 150 feet of frontage on a street may build a single-family residence or duplex; a lot with an existing single-family dwelling may add one ADU within, attached to, or detached from the dwelling, or a combination of two ADUs.
  • Placing two ADUs within a primary structure makes that structure a multiplex, subject to Sec. 406.
  • Each ADU living area must be no smaller than 190 square feet and no larger than 1100 square feet; neither one ADU nor two combined may exceed the living area of the existing primary residence.
  • Lots of record as of August 1, 1975 that are smaller than 1.5 acres and not subject to the lot merger rule of Sec. 205.3 are also covered by the same paragraph.

  ADU living area: 190 to 1100 square feet (combined ADUs may not exceed the living area of the primary residence) · lot size for ADU rules: >= 1.5 acre (also needs at least 150 feet of street frontage)

  “Its living area shall be no smaller than 190 square feet and no larger than 1100 square feet”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new homes in Chebeague Island town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Chebeague Island town
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption in Chebeague Island town
• Inspections — Building inspection in Chebeague Island town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Chebeague Island 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Chebeague Island means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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