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

Town of Newburgh’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings, uses, and sanitary facilities inside Newburgh town subject to the Land Use Ordinance.

  • The applicable permit may be a plumbing permit and/or building-and-use permit.
  • Uses shown as CEO or PB in Table B-1 require the stated reviewing authority; uses shown as Y are allowed without a permit but must comply with land-use standards.

  “A plumbing permit and/or building and use permit shall be required for all buildings, uses and sanitary facilities according to the provisions of this Ordinance.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work performed under Newburgh's building-permit application.

  • Owner or contractor must notify the Building Inspector 24 hours in advance.
  • Written approval is required before proceeding with successive job phases.

  advance notice: >= 24 hours

  “Owner/Contractor shall notify Building Inspector 24 hours in advance for all inspections and shall receive written approval before proceeding with successive phases of the job.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land and water areas inside Newburgh town, Maine.

  • The ordinance supersedes and replaces the land-use ordinance effective June 13, 2019.

  “The provisions of this Ordinance shall govern all land and water areas of the Town of Newburgh, Maine.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land-use districts inside Newburgh town, exclusive of lands subject to shoreland-zoning requirements.

  • District locations and boundaries are established on the Town of Newburgh Land Use Map, on file in the Town Clerk's office.
  • Shoreland-zoning requirements are excluded from the stated district description.

  “For the purposes of this Ordinance, the Town of Newburgh is hereby divided into the following land use districts: Commercial Residential Rural”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  All land-use districts inside Newburgh town.

  • Additional lot area may be required by other ordinance provisions.
  • For multiple principal buildings on one parcel, the minimum land-area-per-dwelling-unit requirement applies; ADUs are exempt from that requirement.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum land area per dwelling unit: >= 1 acre (ADUs are exempt.) · minimum street frontage: >= 200 feet (Subject to Table B-2 notes, including cul-de-sac and back-lot provisions.)

  “Minimum lot area 2 acres Minimum land area per dwelling unit 1 acre Minimum street frontage (in feet) 200 ft”

• SetbacksSpecified

  All land-use districts inside Newburgh town.

  • Additional setbacks may be required by other ordinance provisions.
  • Front setbacks on public roads are measured from the road centerline; side and rear setbacks are measured from the property line.

  front setback: >= 75 feet · side setback: >= 25 feet · rear setback: >= 25 feet

  “Front setback 75ft Side setback 25 ft Rear setback 25 ft”

• Building heightSpecified

  All land-use districts inside Newburgh town.

  • Additional restrictions may be imposed by other ordinance provisions.

  maximum building height: <= 45 feet

  “Minimum setbacks (in feet) Front setback 75ft Side setback 25 ft Rear setback 25 ft Maximum building height (in feet) 45 ft”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Single-family mobile homes in the Commercial, Residential, and Rural districts inside Newburgh town.

  • The Table B-1 symbol CEO means Code Enforcement Officer permit required.
  • All applicable land-use standards remain applicable.

  “2. Single family mobile home CEO CEO CEO”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Subsurface wastewater systems associated with proposed structures or uses inside Newburgh town.

  • The site evaluation must be approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector or Code Enforcement Officer when the proposed structure or use requires a subsurface wastewater disposal system.

  “including the site evaluation approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector or Code Enforcement Officer”

• Septic permitRequired

  A proposed Newburgh structure or use requiring installation of a subsurface wastewater disposal system.

  • A valid plumbing permit or completed plumbing-permit application must be submitted.
  • The submission includes a site evaluation approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector or Code Enforcement Officer.

  “A valid plumbing permit or a completed application for a plumbing permit, including the site evaluation approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector or Code Enforcement Officer, shall be submitted whenever the nature of the proposed structure or use would require the installation of a subsurface wastewater disposal system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision proposals inside Newburgh town.

  • The Planning Board acts on subdivision review as set forth in the Subdivision Ordinance.
  • Following Planning Board approval, the applicant must return to the Code Enforcement Officer for applicable permits.

  “The Planning Board shall be responsible for reviewing and acting upon applications requiring Site Plan Review and Planning Board Approval, as well as acting upon applications for subdivision review, as set forth in the Subdivision Ordinance.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New lots created inside Newburgh town.

  • A new lot must have frontage on a public road, a private road or other access route meeting town road-construction specifications, or meet the back-lot provisions.
  • Back-lot rules and cul-de-sac-frontage exceptions may apply.

  “All lots hereinafter created shall possess frontage on (1) a public road, or on (2) a private road or other thoroughfare or access route which meets the specifications for road construction in the Town, or (3) which meet the provisions for a back lot.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Code Enforcement Officer permit applications for new or expanded development inside Newburgh town.

  • Fee must be paid to the Town before an application is complete.
  • The fee is nonrefundable.

  base fee: 50 USD (For a Code Enforcement Officer permit application.) · additional fee: per 1 USD per $1,000 estimated fair-market project cost (For new or expanded development.)

  “Applications for a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer shall be accompanied by a base fee of $50 plus $1 per $1000 of estimated cost of the project at fair market value shall be required for new or expanded development.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Activities and permits requiring Code Enforcement Officer approval inside Newburgh town.

  • Applicant must submit a written application and scaled site plan on the municipal form.
  • Plumbing-permit materials are required where a subsurface wastewater system is required.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer has 30 days to determine completeness and seven working days after a complete application to examine it.

  completeness determination: <= 30 days (From receipt of a written application.) · CEO review: <= 7 working days (From receipt of a complete application.)

  “Every applicant for a permit shall submit a written application, including a scaled site plan, on the appropriate form provided by the municipality, to the Code Enforcement Officer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Newburgh town, Maine.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Newburgh town, Maine.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Newburgh town, Maine.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Newburgh town, Maine.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Newburgh town, Maine.

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 Newburgh 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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