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

Town of Roxbury’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Structures subject to Roxbury's building-permit ordinance.

  • Inspections are to ensure compliance with applicable laws and conditions attached to permit approvals.

  “The Code Enforcement Officer shall conduct on-site inspections to insure compliance with all applicable laws and conditions attached to permit approvals.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings to be occupied inside Roxbury town limits.

  • The certificate is issued by the Code Enforcement Officer before occupancy.

  “I understand that a “Certificate of Occupancy” is required prior to occupying the building (issued by CEO)”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Town permit applications, including shoreland-related land inside Roxbury town limits.

  • The published permit form lists these special-zone selections but does not provide the complete district map or all district regulations.

  published zone labels: Shoreland; Resource Protection; Limited Residential District; Limited Commercial District; Flood Zone; General (Listed on the building/use permit application.)

  “SPECIAL ZONES ❑ SHORELAND ❑ RESOURCE PROTECTION ❑ LIMITED RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT ❑ LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ❑ FLOOD ZONE ❑ GENERAL”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in a proposed subdivision inside Roxbury town limits.

  • This is a subdivision-ordinance standard and is not evidence of a townwide base-zoning setback standard.

  lot-line setback: >= 25 feet (No part of any structure.) · road-right-of-way setback: >= 50 feet (Measured from any edge of a road right-of-way.)

  “No part of any structure shall be built within 25 feet of any lot line or within 50 feet of any edge of a road right-of-way.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Subsurface wastewater systems inside Roxbury town limits.

  • Maine statute requires the permit and assigns issuance to the plumbing inspector upon completed application approval and municipal fee payment; Roxbury's permit form separately requires septic/HHE200 approvals.

  “The plumbing inspector shall issue any permit under this section upon receipt and approval of a completed application form as prescribed by the commissioner”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Proposed subdivisions inside Roxbury town limits.

  • Before final approval, the board must find that the listed requirements and Title 30-A M.R.S.A. §4404 standards have been met.
  • A subdivision meeting the Site Location of Development Act definition also requires Board of Environmental Protection approval before construction begins.

  “No person, firm, corporation or other legal entity may sell, lease, develop, build upon or convey for consideration [...] any land in a subdivision which has not received board approval”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways or roads serving a proposed subdivision inside Roxbury town limits.

  • An approved Maine Department of Transportation permit is required for access onto Route 17, Route 120, or Horseshoe Valley Road.
  • An approved Roxbury Road Commissioner or Selectmen permit is required for access onto a town road.

  “A copy of the approved driveway or Entrance permit issued by the Roxbury Road Commissioner or selectmen if A driveway or road will enter onto any town road.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Permit applications inside Roxbury town limits.

  • The application fee is nonrefundable but is deducted from assessed project fees if the permit is approved.
  • The fee schedule states it was amended January 23, 2024; the ordinance permits Select Board revision after a public hearing.

  building permit application fee: 10 USD (Credited toward total permit fees.) · new residential construction fee: 100 USD (House, camp, mobile, or modular.) · new driveway or paving fee: 25 USD (Fee-schedule item.)

  “New Residential Construction – fee $100 [...] Driveways (New or Paving) fee $25.00 [...] $10 application fee will be credited towards Total Permit Fees”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Roxbury town limits.

  • Applicants must provide copies of plumbing, DEP, and other permits; complete all application questions; provide dimensions, setbacks, a lot diagram, signatures of all owners, and a tax bill or deed copy.
  • Applications must be submitted by noon at least 15 days before the scheduled Planning Board meeting and in four copies.
  • Shoreland septic permits will not be approved unless shoreland zoning requirements are met.

  submission lead time: >= 15 days before scheduled Planning Board meeting (Submission to Town Office by noon.) · application copies: 4 copies (Applicant submission.)

  “Applications must be submitted to the Town Office by noon at least fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled Planning Board meeting. Applicants shall submit four (4) copies of the application.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Roxbury

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

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  A seasonal dwelling in a shoreland zoning area inside Roxbury town limits that is converted to a year-round or principal dwelling using a holding tank.

  • A conversion permit must be obtained from the local plumbing inspector.
  • A seasonal conversion permit cannot be approved where a holding tank is used for wastewater disposal or storage.

  “A seasonal conversion permit shall not be approved if a holding tank is used as a means of waste water disposal or storage.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Roxbury town limits.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Roxbury town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Roxbury town limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Roxbury town limits.
• Building height — Buildings inside Roxbury 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 Roxbury 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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