mainelanduseplanningcommission.docVIP

Maine Land Use PLANNING Commission Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Land Use Districtsand Standards For Areas within the Jurisdiction of theMaine Land Use Planning Commission Chapter 10of the Commission’s Rules and Standards Initially Adopted January 12, 1977 Latest Revisions November 18, 2016 Note: In response to P.L. 2011, ch.599 (enacting LD 1739), in management and protection districts (except for development areas in Resource Plan Protection Subdistricts (P-RP)), the Commission no longer is responsible for regulating timber harvesting, land management roads, water crossings associated with land management roads, and gravel pits less than five acres in size. The regulation of these activities has been transferred to the Maine Forest Service. A GUIDE TO USING AND UNDERSTANDING THIS DOCUMENT Using Chapter 10 UNDERSTANDING CHAPTER 10 Sub-Chapter I General Provisions The General Provisions provide information on some of the Commission’s rules of practice. For the typical applicant, the most useful sections of this chapter include Section 10.02 Definitions and Section 10.11 Nonconforming Uses and Structures. Other sections in this Sub-Chapter include: Interpretation of Land Use Standards, Exemptions, Variances, Penalties for Violations, and Appeals. Sub-Chapter II Land Use Subdistricts The Commission has established zoning subdistricts to protect important resources and prevent conflicts between incompatible uses. These subdistricts are grouped into three categories: Management, protection, and development subdistricts. Sub-chapter II describes these Land Use Subdistricts and identifies the specific activities that are allowed within each one. Applicants should first identify within which subdistricts their proposed activity is located by referring to a Land Use Guidance Map of the appropriate town, plantation or township. These maps may be obtained from any of the Commission’s offices. After the correc