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

Town of Parkman’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential dwellings, subdivisions, commercial uses, private sewage systems, excavations of 10 cubic yards or more, and structures of 100 square feet or more inside Parkman town.

  • Permit application must be filed before the listed work starts.
  • Plumbing facilities need a plumbing permit before a building permit is issued (see septic_permit).
  • Permits must be approved or denied within 60 days of a completed application.
  • Violations are fined up to $100.00 for each violation after notice; each day is a separate offense.

  structure footprint threshold for permit: >= 100 square feet (free standing or addition)

  “7. any structure of one hundred (100) square feet of footprint or more, free standing or addition.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Septic and plumbing installations inside Parkman town. The town's published ordinance requires inspection by the local plumbing inspector; no general building inspection requirement was found.

  • Inspection is specified for the septic system; no general framing or building inspection requirement was found in the pages reviewed.

  “5. have septic system installed and inspected by local plumbing inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Parkman town limits. The town's Land Use Ordinance applies to all land areas within the town; it is a single town-wide ordinance, not a county rule.

  • The ordinance is administered by the code enforcement officer and the planning board; permits are required before listed uses (see building_permit_requirement).
  • The ordinance text reviewed contains no zoning district map or named districts; see zoning_districts.
  • Amendments were revised in 1977 through 2006 according to the town's copy; the effective date stated is April 30, 1979.

  “this ordinance applies to all land areas within the town of parkman.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  All land inside Parkman town. The ordinance has no separate residential district; this is the main residential standard for single-family dwellings.

  • Each additional dwelling unit on one parcel must also meet the minimum lot size.
  • Campground sites must have 5,000 square feet each (commercial class).

  minimum lot size: >= 2 acres (or 87,120 square feet)

  “the minimum lot size shall be two (2) acres or 87,120 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and structures near any shore (normal high water mark) inside Parkman town.

  • Exception: structures requiring direct access as an operational necessity.
  • Shoreland zoning ordinance requirements also apply; the Land Use Ordinance states it must meet the shore land zoning ordinance, which was not located in this run.
  • Separate restrictions apply to Bennett Pond (100 feet no-build) and wetlands over two acres (100 feet).

  shore setback from normal high water mark: >= 100 feet (except structures requiring direct access as an operational necessity)

  “all buildings and structures, except those requiring direct access as an operational necessity, shall be setback at least 100, (one hundred), feet from the normal high water mark of any shore and meet requirements of shore land zoning ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — All buildings and structures inside Parkman town, measured from public roads or rights of way. Single town-wide standard; no district variant found.

    “all buildings and structures will be set back at least 75 (seventy-five) feet from the center line of any public road or public right of way”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile or manufactured homes used as residential dwellings inside Parkman town.

  • Mobile homes are residential dwelling units under the Land Use Ordinance and need the land use permit and the 2-acre minimum lot.
  • The state uniform building and energy code does not apply to manufactured housing (10 MRSA §9724 subsection 5(a)(1)).
  • No Parkman-specific manufactured-home rule was found in the pages reviewed.

  “residential dwelling unit: a room or group of rooms designed and equipped exclusively for use as a permanent, seasonal, or temporary living quarters for only one family. the term shall include mobile homes.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  A second or additional dwelling unit on one parcel inside Parkman town.

  • The minimum lot size must be met for each additional dwelling unit on the same parcel.
  • No separate accessory dwelling rule was found; this is the only ordinance language on multiple units.

  minimum lot size per additional dwelling unit: >= 2 acres

  “if more than one residential dwelling unit is constructed on a single parcel, the minimum lot size shall be met for each additional dwelling unit.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Any private sewage disposal system inside Parkman town.

  • A land use permit application must be submitted before any private sewage disposal system is built.
  • A plumbing permit is issued by the local plumbing inspector.
  • The ordinance requires site analysis and septic design before the plumbing permit.

  “2. site analysis, septic design and lot dimension. 3. plumbing permit from local inspector.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private septic systems installed inside Parkman town.

  • The system must be inspected by the local plumbing inspector after installation and before occupancy, per the ordinance's permit steps.

  “5. have septic system installed and inspected by local plumbing inspector.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privy (outhouse) sanitation on land inside Parkman town.

  • The privy must be set back 100 feet from the normal high water mark of a water body.
  • The bottom of the privy pit must be at least two feet above bedrock and the groundwater table at its highest point, or the privy must have a watertight vault.
  • No plumbing of any kind may be discharged into the privy pit.

  privy setback from normal high water mark: >= 100 feet

  “the privy shall be located at a minimum horizontal distance of 100, (one hundred), feet from the normal high water mark of a water body and the bottom of the privy pit shall be at least two, (2) feet above bedrock and the groundwater table at its highest point or have a watertight vault.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Any subdivision of land inside Parkman town.

  • A land use permit application must be submitted before subdividing.
  • Subdivision review is handled under the planning board ordinance and the Land Use Ordinance; the detailed subdivision standards were not located in this run.

  “1. any residential dwelling whether seasonal or year round. 2. any subdivision of land. 3. any commercial or industrial development, (public campgrounds and public utilities are considered in this class.)”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by Parkman town office inside Parkman town.

  • The published page states there is no fee for a building permit; it does not list fees for plumbing, septic, or other permits, which were not found.

  building permit fee: 0 USD

  “to obtain a building permit please contact the parkman town office via phone (207) 876-3730, email [email protected], or stop by the town office to fill one out. there is no fee for a building permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Land use and septic permits inside Parkman town.

  • The planning board may delegate approval or denial of land use permits to the code enforcement officer, but all applications are reviewed by the planning board.
  • Permits may be conditioned to ensure conformity with the ordinance.
  • Permits must be approved or denied within 60 days of a completed application.

  decision deadline after completed application: 60 days

  “all permits shall either be approved or denied within 60, (sixty), days of receipt of a completed application, including all information requested.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Parkman town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Parkman town.
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map or named districts inside Parkman town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Parkman town.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Parkman 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.