Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Blue Hill, Maine

Town of Blue Hill’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Building alterations, additions, and construction in Blue Hill that increase real-estate value by $250 or more.

  • This is a required Notice of Intent filing, not an identified general building-permit ordinance.
  • The notice must be filed first with the Tax Assessors or their designated agent.
  • The definition covers new buildings or changes increasing value by $250.00 or more.

  improvement-value threshold: >= 250 USD (A new building or change in an existing building.)

  “Provides that notice be given to the Town’s Assessors (or their designated agent, the Code Enforcement Officer) prior to making any improvements to a parcel of land which increase the value of the parcel by $250 or more.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage-disposal systems inside Blue Hill when public sewer is unavailable.

  • The system must comply with the State of Maine Plumbing Code, Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, and Town ordinances as amended.
  • The written permit is signed by the Local Plumbing Inspector.

  “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Local Plumbing Inspector.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of a private sewage-disposal system inside Blue Hill.

  • The owner must obtain a written permit signed by the Local Plumbing Inspector before construction.
  • The application must be on the Town-furnished form and supplemented with requested plans, specifications, and information.
  • A permit and inspection fee must be paid in advance; amount is established by the Board of Selectmen.

  “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Local Plumbing Inspector.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage-disposal systems constructed inside Blue Hill.

  • The permit is ineffective until installation is completed to the Local Plumbing Inspector's satisfaction.
  • Applicant must notify the Local Plumbing Inspector before underground portions are covered.
  • Inspection must be made within 24 business hours after notice.

  inspection response time: <= 24 business hours (After the Local Plumbing Inspector receives required notice.)

  “The inspection shall be made within twenty-four (24) business hours of the receipt of notice by the Local Plumbing Inspector.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage, privies, septic tanks, cesspools, and other sewage-disposal facilities inside Blue Hill.

  • Such facilities are unlawful except where no sewage facilities are available and subject to State Subsurface Disposal Rules.
  • Where public sewer is unavailable, a private disposal system must comply with the stated State and Town requirements.

  “it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage, except where no sewage facilities are available and subject to the State of Maine Subsurface Disposal Rules.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or another sewage-producing purpose inside Blue Hill that abut a public sanitary-sewer street, alley, or right-of-way.

  • Connection is required within 90 days after official notice by the Selectmen.
  • The public sewer must be within 200 feet of the property line measured along a public way.
  • An existing private system may remain if there is no hazard, nuisance, or unsanitary condition and written permission is obtained from the named Town committee; permission may be withdrawn.

  public-sewer distance: <= 200 feet (Measured along any public way from the property line.) · connection deadline: <= 90 days (After official notice by Selectmen.)

  “within ninety (90) days after date of official notice by Selectmen to do so, provided that said public sewer is within two hundred (200) feet of the property line as measured along any public way”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside Blue Hill town limits.

  • Application form is approved and promulgated by the Planning Board.
  • Applicants submit ten copies of the preliminary application and plan to the CEO, who forwards them to the Planning Board.
  • The application has stated abutter-notice and plan-content requirements.

  preliminary application copies: 10 copies (Submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer.)

  “An applicant shall submit ten (10) copies of the application and preliminary plan to the Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) who shall forward these materials to the Planning Board.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Private sewage-disposal permits inside Blue Hill.

  • Permit and inspection fee must be paid in advance.
  • The Board of Selectmen establishes the amount; no current dollar schedule was located.

  “A permit and inspection fee shall be paid in advance. The amount of this fee shall be established by the Board of Selectmen.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Private sewage-disposal-system permits inside Blue Hill.

  • Applicant uses Town-furnished form.
  • Applicant supplies plans, specifications, and other information deemed necessary by the Local Plumbing Inspector.
  • Fee is paid in advance.

  “The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the Town, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications, and other information as are deemed necessary by the Local Plumbing Inspector.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Blue Hill

Town of Blue Hill does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential dwelling units in Blue Hill's shoreland zone adjacent to tidal or non-tidal areas.

  • Land below the normal high-water line, upland wetland edge, and land beneath roads serving more than two lots cannot count toward minimum lot area.
  • Each additional dwelling unit, principal structure, or use on one parcel must meet dimensional requirements.

  minimum lot area: 37500 square feet (Residential dwelling unit within shoreland zone adjacent to tidal areas.) · minimum lot area: 40000 square feet (Residential dwelling unit within shoreland zone adjacent to non-tidal areas.)

  “Adjacent to Tidal Areas 37,500 150 (ii) Within the Shoreland Zone Adjacent to Non-Tidal Areas 40,000 200”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Individual private campsites in Blue Hill's shoreland zone.

  • Only one recreational vehicle is allowed on a campsite.
  • It cannot be on a permanent foundation except a gravel pad, and no structure other than a canopy may be attached.
  • A written sewage-disposal plan approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector is required.
  • If placed more than 120 days per year, residential-structure requirements and compliant subsurface disposal apply unless served by public sewage.

  annual RV placement threshold: > 120 days per year (Above this threshold, residential-structure and sewage-disposal requirements apply.)

  “When a recreational vehicle, tent or similar shelter is placed on-site for more than one hundred and twenty (120) days per year, all requirements for residential structures shall be met”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Individual private campsites in Blue Hill's shoreland zone.

  • One campsite per lot existing on the ordinance's effective date, or per 30,000 square feet of shoreland-zone lot area, whichever is less, may be permitted.
  • Campsite placement has the stated waterbody/wetland setbacks.
  • A sewage-disposal plan approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector is required.

  private campsite lot-area ratio: per 30000 square feet (One campsite per lot existing on the effective date, whichever is less.)

  “One campsite per lot existing on the effective date of this Ordinance, or thirty thousand (30,000) square feet of lot area within the shoreland zone, whichever is less, may be permitted.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Placement of manufactured homes in Blue Hill's designated special flood-hazard areas.

  • A Flood Hazard Development Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer is required before placement begins.
  • The permit is in addition to other permits required under Town codes and ordinances.
  • Article VII exceptions apply.

  “Before any construction or other development (as defined in Article XIV), including the placement of manufactured homes, begins within any areas of special flood hazard established in Article I, a Flood Hazard Development Permit shall be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer except as provided in Article VII.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or development, including manufactured-home placement, inside Blue Hill's designated special flood-hazard areas.

  • Flood Hazard Development Permit must be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer before activity begins.
  • Article VII exceptions apply.
  • The permit is additional to other required Town permits.

  “a Flood Hazard Development Permit shall be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer except as provided in Article VII. This permit shall be in addition to any other permits which may be required pursuant to the codes and ordinances of the Town of Blue Hill, Maine.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Blue Hill town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Blue Hill town limits.
• Inspections — General building construction inside Blue Hill town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Blue Hill town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Blue Hill town limits.

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 Blue Hill 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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