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

Town of Greenwood’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction within Greenwood town limits.

  • Approval is by the Greenwood Planning Board or Codes Officer before construction starts.

  “construction permits: permits approved by the greenwood planning board or codes officer are required before any construction can be started.”

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Construction submitted on Greenwood's building-permit application.

  • Chimneys must comply with NFPA 211; stairways, handrails, guardrails, smoke detectors, fire escapes, and means of egress must comply with NFPA 101.
  • The referenced NFPA edition must be the version most currently adopted by the Maine Fire Marshal's Office when the permit is approved.

  “the construction, alteration, renovation or installation of chimneys must be in accordance with nfpa 211”

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings under construction or alteration in Greenwood town limits.

  • Inspection is discretionary with the Code Enforcement Officer.

  “inspection of buildings during construction or alteration is at the code enforcement officers discretion.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Shoreland areas inside Greenwood town limits subject to the Town's Shoreland Zoning Ordinance.

  • The ordinance applies to areas shown on the Official Shoreland Zoning Map.

  “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:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Areas covered by Greenwood's Shoreland Zoning Ordinance.

  • District boundaries are shown on the Official Shoreland Zoning Map, certified by the Town Clerk and located in the Town Office.

  districts: Resource Protection; Limited Residential; Limited Commercial; General Development; Stream Protection District (Applies to the ordinance's mapped shoreland areas.)

  “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. Resource Protection 2. Limited Residential 3. Limited Commercial 4. General Development 5. Stream Protection District”

• SetbacksSpecified

  New structures on lots addressed by Greenwood's Planning Board brochure.

  • A preexisting structure within 10 feet of a lot line may be rebuilt in the exact same space.
  • Right-of-way centerline setbacks vary with right-of-way width.

  side and rear lot-line setback: >= 10 feet (A qualifying preexisting structure within 10 feet may be rebuilt in the exact same space.) · right-of-way setback: >= 25 feet from centerline (For rights-of-way less than 33 feet; 50 feet applies for rights-of-way of 33 feet or more.)

  “lot lines: the minimum distance from all side and rear lot lines to a new structure is 10 feet. if, prior to acceptance of the 10-foot rule, a structure was within 10 feet of a lot line, a structure can be rebuilt in the exact same space.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family, condominium, multifamily, commercial, industrial, and outbuilding structures addressed by Greenwood's Planning Board brochure.

  • Height is measured from the lowest ground level.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (Measured from the lowest ground level.)

  “structure height: the maximum height for all single-family dwellings, condominium units, multifamily units, commercial and industrial structures and outbuildings shall be 35 feet from the lowest ground level.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  New or relocated manufactured housing inside Greenwood town limits.

  • The Town Plumbing Inspector must complete a final inspection before occupancy.
  • A house number must be attached and visible from the road or street to public-safety personnel.

  “occupancy: no building or manufactured housing shall be occupied until after its construction or relocation until the town’s plumbing inspector has completed a final inspection and a house number is attached to the structure or place so it is visible from the road or street by public safety personnel.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Subsurface wastewater systems serving development inside Greenwood town limits.

  • Town materials require approval by the Plumbing Inspector before a building-permit application is submitted.

  “subsurface wastewater disposal systems: septic system designs need to be approved by the plumbing inspector before building permit applications can be submitted.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building and shoreland-permit applications inside Greenwood town limits.

  • Building applications require plans, elevations, and a site plan.
  • Shoreland applications are placed on the Planning Board agenda at least seven days before its meeting.
  • Incomplete or inaccurate applications may be rejected and delay approval.

  “completed shoreland zoning applications will be placed on the planning board agenda at least seven days prior to the planning board meeting.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Greenwood

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

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic-system installation in Greenwood town limits where a site evaluation is needed.

  • Consult the Local Plumbing Inspector or State Site Evaluator if unsure whether a site evaluation is needed.

  “If you need a site evaluation, you will also need a permit to install the system for which the evaluation was done. If you aren't sure, contact your Local Plumbing Inspector or the State Site Evaluator.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Pit privies, greywater disposal areas, and other first-time wastewater disposal in Greenwood town limits.

  • A site evaluation is generally needed when sewage, wastewater, or human waste is first placed beneath ground.
  • This includes pit privies, greywater disposal areas, and full septic systems.

  “This includes all first-time development, all replacement systems, and expansions of existing systems. This also includes pit privies, greywater disposal areas, and full septic systems.”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Greenwood town limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Greenwood town limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Greenwood town limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Greenwood town limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Greenwood 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 Greenwood 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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