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

Town of Verona Island’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Verona Island town outside the shoreland area defined by the town ordinance.

  • The Land Use and Development Ordinance excludes the stated shoreland areas.

  “This Ordinance shall apply to the establishment and/or substantial enlargement of all residential, commercial, retail, industrial, recreational, and institutional structures and land uses within the Town of Verona which are proposed in land areas other than those areas within 250 feet of tidal waters or within 250 feet from the upland edge of a freshwater wetland which is ten acres or greater.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  The Shoreland Zoning Ordinance area inside Verona Island town.

  • The districts are shown on the Official Shoreland Zoning Map, which the ordinance makes part of the ordinance.
  • The ordinance applies to the specified shoreland distances.

  shoreland districts: Limited Residential; Limited Commercial; Resource Protection

  “The areas to which this Ordinance is applicable are hereby divided into the following districts as shown on the Official Shoreland Zoning Map which is made a part of this Ordinance: 1. Limited Residential 2. Limited Commercial 3. Resource Protection”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems in the town land-use ordinance area.

  • The town ordinance identifies the Licensed Plumbing Inspector as the permit authority for private sewage disposal systems.

  “LPI Permit - Requires permit from Licensed Plumbing Inspector. [...] 21. Private sewage disposal systems LPI”

• Septic permitRequired

  Private sewage disposal systems in the town land-use ordinance area.

  • The table designates an LPI permit for private sewage disposal systems.

  “LPI Permit - Requires permit from Licensed Plumbing Inspector. [...] 21. Private sewage disposal systems LPI”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies and other sanitary-waste systems in the town land-use ordinance area.

  • Privies may be permitted only where community sewer facilities do not serve the area.
  • No plumbing may connect to or discharge into the privy pit.
  • The pit bottom must be at least two feet above bedrock and the seasonal high groundwater table, unless it has a watertight vault.
  • Privies are not permitted on recent floodplain soils.
  • Other systems require Maine Department of Health and Welfare approval and a Planning Board permit.

  privy pit clearance above bedrock and high groundwater: >= 2 feet (unless the pit has a watertight vault)

  “Privies may be permitted in areas not served by community sewer facilities under the following conditions: a. No plumbing of any kind shall be connected to or discharged into the privy pit. [...] c. The bottom of the privy pit shall be at least two feet above bedrock and the ground water table at its highest point during the year or have a watertight vault. d. Privies shall not be permitted on recent flood plain soils.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable

  Agriculture in the town Land Use and Development Ordinance area.

  • The ordinance table's key defines 'yes' as allowed without a permit.

  “KEY: Yes - Allowed (no permit required) [...] 12. Agriculture yes”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Road and driveway construction in the town Land Use and Development Ordinance area.

  • The ordinance table specifies CEO/PB permitting; the official text opened does not resolve which authority applies to each circumstance.

  “15. Road and driveway construction CEO/PB”

• Permit processPartial

  Land-use permits in the town Land Use and Development Ordinance area.

  • The ordinance requires a Planning Board Land Use Permit before covered establishment, expansion, substantial expansion, re-establishment, or rebuilding.
  • Other applicable permits are not displaced.

  “After the effective date of this Ordinance, no person, firm, corporation or other legal authority may establish, expand or substantially expand a structure or land use, or re-establish or rebuild a structure or land use which has been discontinued for a period of 12 calendar months or more without first having obtained a Land Use Permit from the Planning Board in conformance with this Ordinance, provided that the granting of the Land Use Permit in no way relieves such person from the obligation to obtain other permits provided for in other federal, state or local ordinances, regulations or laws.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Verona Island town.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Verona Island town.
• Inspections — Construction inside Verona Island town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Construction inside Verona Island town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residences in the town land-use ordinance area.

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 Verona 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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