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

Town of Greenville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New structures (including decks, steps, sheds and garages), additions, and most alterations to existing structures inside Greenville town

  • Construction may proceed only after the building permit is issued.
  • Most commercial uses also need a conditional use permit from the CEO or planning board.
  • Additional permits (plumbing, sewer or other state permits) may also be required.

  “a building permit is required for any new structure (including decks, steps, sheds and garages), additions and for most alterations to existing structures.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Greenville town

  • Inspections are performed to confirm the work matches the approved permit.

  “inspections are performed to ensure that work is done as approved.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Greenville town limits (Piscataquis County, Maine): the town's own Greenville Land Use Ordinance with districts and dimensional tables

  • Zoning-based permits require CEO review or planning board conditional use review depending on the use.

  “building permits are issued to authorize the start of a construction project if an application demonstrates that the proposal will be in compliance with the greenville land use ordinance, the maine uniform building and energy code, as well as other applicable state and/or federal regulations.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts established by the Greenville Land Use Ordinance, Article V

  • District boundaries are on the official zoning maps (Article V section 2); the map itself was not opened.

  “section 11. rural district. the following standards are designed to minimize the impacts of development on the rural character of this district:”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential and village zoning districts in Greenville town, for limited reduced setbacks by CEO variance

  • Available only by a variance from the code enforcement officer, for a shown reasonable justification.
  • Only for lots created before June 1995 that are one quarter acre or less; no harm to neighbors or public interest.
  • Reduced setbacks are separate from shoreline setbacks in Table V-2.

  reduced setback for accessory dwellings and accessory buildings: 5 feet (by CEO variance on qualifying lots)

  “reduced setbacks: setbacks may be reduced with a variance from the code enforcement officer in the residential and village zoning districts under the following conditions and are limited to:”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential buildings inside the Route 15 scenic corridor overlay district only; general residential district setbacks are not established by this claim

    “minimum building setbacks from route 15 are as follows: residential: 75 feet from the road right-of-way; commercial and other non-residential structures: 75 feet from the road right-of-way.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Development inside the Route 15 scenic corridor overlay district only

  • Applies only inside the scenic corridor overlay; base district coverage in Table V-2 was not read.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

  “scenic corridor district standards maximum lot coverage: 40%”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicle use on private land inside Greenville town

  • Requires a permit under the land use ordinance, Article VI section 9.
  • Land use table note 12 points to the same permit requirements.
  • Permit conditions and duration limits were not opened.

  “l. recreational vehicles and individual private campsites (see article vi section 9)”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tents, RVs and individual private campsites used for camping on private land inside Greenville town

  • Camping use requires a permit under Article VI section 9.
  • Commercial campgrounds need state licensing (Maine DHHS, 10-144 chapter 205).

  “b. recreational vehicles, tents and similar shelters used for camping, and individual private campsites”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and modular home installation inside Greenville town; mobile homes and mobile home parks are barred in shoreland zones

  • Installation, construction, or relocation of a mobile or modular home needs a permit.
  • Mobile homes and mobile home parks are prohibited in shoreland zones; older mobile home standards are in Article VI section 16.

  “c. installation, construction, or relocation of a mobile home or modular home”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units on lots in any zone allowing single-family or multi-family dwellings inside Greenville town

  • Maximum size 800 sq ft or 80% of the primary structure, whichever is greater; minimum size 200 sq ft.
  • Height cannot exceed the primary structure.
  • Not permitted on non-conforming lots or within or attached to non-conforming structures.
  • If not on public sewer, must meet all subsurface waste requirements of a single-family dwelling.

  maximum ADU size: <= 800 sq ft (or 80% of the primary structure, whichever is greater) · minimum ADU size: >= 200 sq ft

  “10. adus are permitted in any zone that allows single-family and multi-family dwellings.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  New septic system installation inside Greenville town; the town code enforcement department handles permitting and inspection

  • State subsurface wastewater disposal rules still set the technical standards.
  • Local Plumbing Inspector handles plumbing separately, per the town contact listing.

  “the code enforcement department is responsible for the permitting and inspection of any new structure, plumbing and septic system installation in the town of greenville”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Greenville town

  • Minor subdivisions (four or fewer lots, no new street) and major subdivisions are reviewed by the planning board under Article III.
  • Mobile home parks and most cluster developments follow the same review track.

  minor subdivision lot count: <= 4 lots or dwelling units (and no street is proposed to be constructed)

  “a minor subdivision contains not more than four (4) lots or dwelling units, and in which no street is proposed to be constructed.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Roads and driveways inside the shoreland zone in Greenville town; driveway rules outside the shoreland zone were not found

  • Roads and driveways are not allowed in the shoreland zone except as provided in Article VII section 7.
  • A state driveway permit application is linked on the town permits page, but the state rule was not opened.

  “within the shoreland zone, roads and driveways are not allowed except as provided in article vii section 7.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process inside Greenville town

  • Application is requested from the CEO by email or phone; the page lists Tuesday to Friday, 7am to 5pm hours.

  “you may request a building permit application by contacting [email protected] or by calling tim post 207-695-2421 tuesday - friday from 7am - 5pm.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Greenville

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Greenville town enforced through the town's permit process under the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code

  • Applies through the town's building permit review; the code is state-adopted and the town applies it when issuing permits.

  “building permits are issued to authorize the start of a construction project if an application demonstrates that the proposal will be in compliance with the greenville land use ordinance, the maine uniform building and energy code, as well as other applicable state and/or federal regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Greenville town
• Certificate of occupancy — New dwellings inside Greenville town
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Greenville town
• Building height — Buildings inside Greenville town districts
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Greenville town

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.