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

Town of Shirley’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, addition, relocation or replacement of any building in Shirley town

  • Permit is issued by the code enforcement officer (CEO) after examination of the application.
  • Permits are void unless work starts within one year of issuance; extensions may be granted.
  • The Land Use Ordinance applies to new construction, mobile homes, alterations, additions, relocation and replacement of any dwelling or mobile home.

  “before the construction, addition, relocation or replacement of any building or part thereof shall be commenced, the owner or lessee, or the architect, contractor or builder employed by such owner or lessee shall obtain from the ceo a permit covering such proposed work.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Electrical wiring in Shirley town dwellings before it is covered or concealed

  • Requirement is for electrical wiring only; the Land Use Ordinance does not set a general inspection schedule for other work.
  • Code enforcement officer may enter buildings for inspections with owner permission (section 2).

  “no electric wiring shall be covered or concealed until it has been inspected and permission to conceal it has been given by the licensed electrician.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Shirley town within 250 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high water of any pond or river (shoreland zone). The town's Shoreland Zoning Ordinance is the only zoning ordinance located in the town's documents; the Land Use Ordinance regulates construction and has no zoning district map.

  • Shoreland zone only; the ordinance does not show a town-wide zoning map.
  • Shoreland zoning ordinance effective June 30, 1974 per its section 3; the town's copy was recorded at the Registry of Deeds.

  “the ordinance applies to all land areas within 250 feet, horizontal distance, of the normal high water of any pond, or river as defined.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Year-round dwellings in Shirley town

  • Seasonal dwellings may be smaller with a building plan and special planning board approval.
  • Living space excludes porches, patios and similar areas.

  minimum ground-floor living space: >= 400 sq ft (seasonal dwellings with planning board approval)

  “no dwelling shall be constructed that will have an enclosed area of less than four hundred (400) sq. ft. of living space on the ground floor.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Any lot in Shirley town on which a building is constructed or moved; the Land Use Ordinance sets no separate districts

  • Only one residential dwelling per lot.
  • Shoreland zone lots are also subject to the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (not quoted here).

  minimum lot area: >= 80000 sq ft · minimum road frontage: >= 100 ft

  “no building shall be constructed upon or moved to a lot with an area less than eighty, thousand (80,000) sq. ft with a frontage width facing any street, not less than one hundred (100 feet).”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and dwellings on any lot in Shirley town (road and side-yard setbacks)

  • Shoreland zone (within 250 feet of normal high water) has separate setbacks in the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, not quoted here.
  • Setback measured from road centerline.

  road setback, town road: >= 50 ft (measured from center of road) · road setback, state road: >= 75 ft (measured from center of road) · side yard from adjoining lot line (dwelling): >= 20 ft

  “no building, addition, alteration, replacement or relocation shall be erected or placed on a lot unless it shall be set back fifty (50) feet from center of the road for town roads and seventy-five (75) feet from the center of the road for state roads.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small dwellings (tiny homes) used as year-round residences in Shirley town

  • Minimum 400 sq. ft. of ground-floor living space applies to dwellings (see minimum_dwelling_size).
  • Seasonal dwellings may be smaller with a building plan and planning board approval.

  “a smaller size will be permitted for seasonal dwellings: it will require a building plan and special approval of the planning board.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured (mobile) homes placed as dwellings in Shirley town

  • Must have a pitched roof, a foundation or a minimum 6-inch reinforced slab, and residential siding.
  • Must meet state building codes.

  “manufactured housing, regardless of its date of manufactured, shall have a pitched roof, a foundation or a minimum of 6 inches reinforced slab, and exterior residential siding same as all regular houses under this ordinance and state building codes.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New residential dwellings in Shirley town

  • Soil test, site evaluation and plumbing permits are required before construction; copies accompany the building permit application.
  • Shoreland zone construction also requires a plumbing permit before the building permit (Shoreland Zoning Ordinance section 12.b.3).

  “site evaluation and plumbino permits required on all new residential dwellings. copies should accompany this application.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies (outhouses) for seasonal dwellings in Shirley town

  • Only seasonal dwellings are covered; year-round sanitation follows the plumbing rules.

  “permission for construction of privies for seasonal dwellings must be obtained from the ceo or the plumbing inspector.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveways and entrances onto town roads in Shirley town

  • Road access permit from the Shirley road commissioner; no work starts until the permit is approved.
  • Driveway at least 10 ft wide, with a 20-ft culvert of at least 15-inch diameter.
  • On Route 15 (Greenville Rd) the Maine Department of Transportation must be contacted instead.

  minimum driveway width: >= 10 ft · minimum culvert diameter: >= 15 in

  “driveways: each lot shall be provided with a driveway of not less than ten (10) feet in width. a road access permit must be obtained from the shirley road commissioner. driveways must have a 20foot length culvert with a minimum of a 15 inch diameter.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for dwellings in Shirley town

  • Fee schedule was approved at town meeting 6/13/2011 and the permit form says fees are effective as of 2011; confirm current fees with the town office before relying on them.
  • Non-habitable unfinished structures under 48 sq. ft. have no charge; after-the-fact permits cost 4x the original fee; appeals are $100.

  habitable finished structure fee: 0.2 USD per sq ft (houses, camps and miscellaneous livable structures) · non-habitable unfinished structure fee: 0.15 USD per sq ft (accessory structures, stairwells, woodsheds, decks, garages, foundations)

  “habitable finished structures fee $.20 per square foot this includes houses, camps and miscellaneous livable structures.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process in Shirley town

  • Application goes to the code enforcement officer; the ordinance sets a 30-day decision period.
  • Permit void if work does not start within one year; permit must be displayed on the premises.
  • Appeals go to the municipal officers or board of appeals, then Superior Court (Rule 80B).
  • Process is described in a 2011 ordinance; no online application or current CEO contact was found.

  decision period: <= 30 days

  “the ceo after the proper examination of the application shall either issue the requested permit or transmit notice of refusal within thirty (30) days.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Shirley town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificate for a new dwelling in Shirley town
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Shirley town
• Building height — Maximum building height in Shirley town
• Living in an RV — Living in an RV on private land in Shirley 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.