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

Town of Addison’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Building permit applications in Addison town before planning board review

  • The page asks applicants to contact the code enforcement officer so an inspection can be done before the planning board meeting.
  • The page does not state whether a final inspection is required after construction.

  “please contact the code enforcement officer, kevin brodie (207) 263-4243, so that he may do an inspection prior to the meeting.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Addison town limits (Washington County, Maine): the town's own Land Use and Development Code, Part I (land use guidance, zoning), administered by the Addison planning board

  • Part I divides the town into protection, management and general land use districts (section 8) and requires a land use permit from the planning board before a new or substantially expanded land use (sections 4 and 9).
  • The posted Part I text is dated March 1973 and shows no later amendments; confirm the current version with the town office.
  • Section 8 of the posted text says the district scheme is 'suggestive only'.

  “town of addison, maine land use and development code passed march 1973 part i: land use guidance (zoning)”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Addison town limits under the town's Land Use and Development Code, Part I, section 8

  • Section 8 defines protection districts (shore and water areas within 250 feet of listed waters), management districts (inland land more than 500 feet from year-round public roads) and general districts (other land within 500 feet of a public road).
  • Section 8 states that these districts are 'suggestive only'.
  • The shoreland ordinance adds resource protection and Addison Point commercial districts; no district dimensional table was read.

  “section 8. land use districts defined: (note: the following are suggestive only.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  New principal and accessory structures inside Addison town's shoreland zone, measured horizontally from the normal high-water line (great ponds classified GPA and rivers that flow to them)

  • Other water bodies, tributary streams and wetlands: 75 feet from the normal high-water line or upland edge of wetland.
  • Resource protection district: 250 feet from the normal high-water line, except for structures specifically allowed in that district.
  • Water-dependent structures that need direct water access (piers, docks, retaining walls) and other functionally water-dependent uses are not subject to the water setback.
  • The posted file is labeled 12.20.2010; the excerpt shows no adoption date. Setbacks for the general residential lot line and road are not in this excerpt and are unknown.

  setback from normal high-water line, new principal and accessory structures, great ponds classified GPA and rivers flowing to GPA: >= 100 feet horizontal distance (75 feet for other water bodies, tributary streams or wetlands; 250 feet in resource protection district; 25 feet in Addison Point commercial district)

  “all new principal and accessory structures shall be set back at least one hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of great ponds classified gpa and rivers that flow to great ponds classified gpa, and seventy-five (75) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of other water bodies, tributary streams, or the upland edge of a wetland, except that in the addison point commercial district the setback from the normal high-water line shall be at least twenty five (25) feet, horizontal distance. in the resource protection district the setback requirement shall be 250 feet, horizontal distance”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — New principal and accessory structures in the Addison Point commercial district inside Addison town's shoreland zone

    “except that in the addison point commercial district the setback from the normal high-water line shall be at least twenty five (25) feet, horizontal distance”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications submitted to Addison town

  • The page states only an initial fee; the total fee schedule was not found.
  • The page says the building permit application is linked from that page; the linked form and the Building Permit Ordinance were not readable.

  initial building permit application fee: 35 USD (initial fee paid at submission; further fees not stated on the page)

  “an initial fee of $35 must be paid at the time you submit your building permit application.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications in Addison town, reviewed at the planning board meeting

  • The planning boards meet the first Wednesday of every month at 6 pm at the town hall, according to the page.
  • Applications must be turned in by the 20th of the month before the meeting in order to be on the agenda.
  • The full Building Permit Ordinance (revised 4.25.23) text was not extracted, so the complete process is not confirmed.

  “the addison planning boards meet the first wednesday of every month at 6 pm at the town hall. building permits should be turned into the office by the 20th of the month prior to be on the agenda.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Whether a building permit is required for new construction inside Addison town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits in Addison town
• Building code adopted — Whether Addison town has adopted a building code
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is required for new homes in Addison town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main residential or general district of Addison 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.