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

Town of Arrowsic’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and sanitary facilities inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • A valid septic permit is required before a building permit for construction, installation, or alteration of plumbing facilities.
  • parameters omitted because the ordinance does not state a general permit fee in the cited passage.

  “A plumbing permit and Building and/or Conditional Use Permit shall be required for all buildings, conditional uses and sanitary facilities, according to the provisions of this Ordinance.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted development inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • Inspections concern 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.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land and buildings inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • The ordinance states it was effective June 30, 1979 and amended June 17, 2015.

  “TOWN OF ARROWSIC ZONING ORDINANCE Effective Date June 30, 1979 As Amended June 17, 2015”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Rural Residential 1 District inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • Table III includes additional frontage, depth, and setback controls.
  • The table's shoreland note requires all dimensional requirements for each additional dwelling unit, principal governmental structure, or use on a single parcel.

  minimum lot size: 2 acres · required circle diameter within lot: 200 feet

  “Rural Residential 1 District 2 acres and all lots shall be of such dimension as to contain within their boundaries a circle having a diameter of 200’.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Rural Residential 2 District inside Arrowsic town limits.

    “Rural Residential 2 District 5 acres and all lots shall be of such dimension as to contain within their boundaries a circle having a diameter of 300’.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles at individual private campsites inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • Only one campsite per lot; it must meet current lot size or be an existing lot on the ordinance effective date.
  • Campsite setbacks apply.
  • Only one recreational vehicle is allowed; it may not be on a permanent foundation except a gravel pad, and no structures other than canopies may attach.

  recreational vehicles per campsite: 1 vehicle

  “Individual, private campsites are permitted provided the following conditions are met: 3.9.1 There shall be only one campsite per lot, the lot size must meet current Ordinance lot size or be an existing lot on the effective date of this Ordinance. 3.9.2 Campsite shall meet the setback requirements of the zone within which the lot is located. 3.9.3 Only one recreational vehicle shall be allowed on a campsite. Recreational vehicles shall not be located on any type of permanent foundation except a gravel pad, and no structure(s) except canopies shall be attached to the recreational vehicle.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Individual private campsites inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • Only one campsite per lot; the lot must meet current ordinance lot size or be an existing lot at the ordinance effective date.
  • Campsites must meet applicable zone setbacks.
  • The cited provision permits individual private campsites but not campgrounds.

  campsites per lot: 1 campsite (Existing lot on effective date of the ordinance)

  “Individual, private campsites are permitted provided the following conditions are met: 3.9.1 There shall be only one campsite per lot, the lot size must meet current Ordinance lot size or be an existing lot on the effective date of this Ordinance. 3.9.2 Campsite shall meet the setback requirements of the zone within which the lot is located.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home parks inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • Mobile home parks must meet residential-subdivision requirements and applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations; where this provision conflicts with the subdivision ordinance, this provision prevails.

  “Except as stipulated below, mobile home parks shall meet all the requirements for a residential subdivision, and shall conform to all applicable Federal and State laws, and local ordinances or regulations. Where the provisions of this section conflict with specific provisions of the Arrowsic Subdivision Ordinance, the provisions of this section shall prevail.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Structures or uses involving construction, installation, or alteration of plumbing facilities inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • The applicant must secure a valid septic permit in conformity with the ordinance's sanitary provisions before a building permit may issue.

  “No Building Permit shall be issued for any structure or use involving the construction, installation or alteration of plumbing facilities unless a valid Septic Permit has been secured by the applicant in conformance with the sanitary provisions of this Ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  First-time residential sanitation inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • Subsurface systems must comply with State of Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules.
  • A holding tank is not allowed for a first-time residential use.
  • New residences, changes in use, and replacement systems require a Plumbing Inspector permit.

  “All subsurface sewage disposal systems shall be installed in conformance with the State of Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, and the following: a) clearing or removal of woody vegetation necessary to site a new system and any associated fill extensions, shall not extend closer than seventy-five (75) feet, horizontal distance, from the high-water line of a water body or the upland edge of a wetland and b) a holding tank is not allowed for a first-time residential use.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  New roads and driveways in Arrowsic Resource or Special Protection Districts.

  • Planning Board may permit access to a permitted use or approve it where no reasonable alternative route or location exists outside the district.
  • When permitted, it must be set back as far as practicable from water, tributary stream, or wetland.

  “New roads and driveways are prohibited in a Resource or Special Protection District except that the Planning Board may grant a permit to construct a road or driveway to provide access to permitted uses within the district. A road or driveway may also be approved by the Planning Board in a Resource or Special Protection District, upon a finding that no reasonable alternative route or location is available outside the district.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Structures in the floodplain and Resource Protection District areas of steep slope inside Arrowsic town limits.

  • This is a limited-area prohibition; the zoning ordinance directs to a separately printed Floodplain Management Ordinance for further rules.

  “Floodplain Management Ordinance: Printed under separate cover. Note: 3.6.1.3 Structures are prohibited in the floodplain and in Resource Protection District areas of steep slope (Section 2.3.1.4).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Arrowsic town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Arrowsic town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Arrowsic town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Arrowsic town limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Arrowsic 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 Arrowsic 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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