Land Use & Zoning | Lincoln County Reg 3

Land Use and Zoning

Land use planning and zoning are crucial for towns in Maine as they help to regulate and manage the use of land within the community. These tools ensure that development is done sustainably and beneficial for the town's residents, businesses, and environment. By implementing effective land use planning and zoning, towns in Maine can promote economic growth, protect natural resources, and maintain the character of their communities.

At Lincoln County Regional Planning, we offer a range of Planning services related to

Land Use and Zoning
Comprehensive Plan
Ordinance Review & Development
Planning Board Assistance
Research & GIS Mapping
Workshops & Training

Comprehensive Planning

What are Comprehensive Plans?

How do they benefit towns?

What is the Growth Management Act?

The Growth Management Act, also known as the Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Act, helps communities manage their land use and growth. Established in 1988, this act aims to create a framework within communities to create their own vision for its future. These documents need to be state-approved and can last for two years.

Comprehensive Plans are an opportunity to guide development within your community. These plans address topics like housing, natural resources, and climate change. You can find a link to your town's comprehensive plan under the "Our Region" tab.

Having a complete comprehensive plan enables towns to access significant funding opportunities, such as Community Development Block Grants. Through the comprehensive plan, towns will gather data on concerns like lack of housing stock, aging sidewalks, or the need for historic preservation. These plans take into account such information and provide a pathway to address issues.

Ordinance Review

LCRPC provides preliminary assistance with land use ordinances, subdivision ordinances, and shoreland zoning ordinances. We can assist with editing and provide assistance to towns within our region to make sure municipalities can achieve their goals.

Most recently we assisted the Town of Whitefield as their Planning Board began a review of their Building and Development Ordinance. During this period we had an initial meeting with the Planning Board to understand their main concerns and were able to follow up virtual and provide comments as the planning board worked to update section by section.

Please reach out to Emily Rabbe for assistance.

L.D. 1829 Updates

LD 1829, An Act to Build Housing for Maine Families and Attract Workers to Maine Businesses by Amending the Laws Governing Housing Density

(Signed by Governor Mills on Friday, 06/20/2025)

LCRPC is just learning about this legislation and its potential impacts on municipal ordinances. This bill appears to build off LD 2003 changes and attempts to remove additional barriers from getting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) constructed. This summary was quickly produced and may be amended as more information comes forward.

We anticipate having more insight for you as rulemaking takes place; however, it appears the following changes will be made:

Fire suppression sprinklers are not required for an accessory dwelling unit unless the accessory dwelling unit is within or attached to a structure of more than 2 dwelling units, including accessory dwelling units.
A municipality may not enact rate of growth ordinances that limit residential development in designated growth areas.
Outside the shoreland zone, a municipality shall allow, subject to review by a municipal fire official or designee, an affordable housing development to exceed any municipal height restriction by no less than one story or 14 feet.
Upon receipt of written verification from a local plumbing inspector that a housing structure meets the requirements of MRSA $4364 (LD 2003 state statute), additional review or documentation by a municipality related to waste and wastewater requirements before issuing a certificate of occupancy is prohibited.
Updates use allowances by stating that for any area in which residential uses are allowed, including as a conditional use, a municipality shall allow at a minimum:
Three dwelling units, attached or detached, including accessory dwelling units, per lot; and
Four dwelling units, attached or detached, including accessory dwelling units, per lot if the lot is located in a designated growth area, as identified in a comprehensive plan or served by a public, special district or other centrally managed water system and a public, special district or other comparable sewer system.
A municipality may allow more units than the minimum number required by this subsection.
Updates lot size and density allowancesfor private property by applying to any area in which residential uses are allowed, including as a conditional use.
If a lot is located in a designated growth area and is served by public water and public sewer, a minimum lot size requirement may not exceed 5,000 square feet and a density requirement may not exceed 1,250 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit for the first 4 dwelling units and 5,000 additional square feet of lot area per dwelling unit for subsequent units.
If a lot is located outside a designated growth area and in an area served by public water and public sewer, a minimum lot size requirement may not exceed 5,000 square feet and a density requirement may not exceed 5,000 square feet of lot area for the first 2 dwelling units contained within a single structure, not including accessory dwelling units.
If a lot is located in a designated growth area but is not served by public sewer a minimum lot size requirement may not exceed the minimum lot size required by Title 12, chapter 423-A (a quick read looks like 20,000 square feet)
If 4 or fewer dwelling units have been constructed on a lot as a result of the allowances under this section, the lot is not eligible for any additional increases in density, unless more units are allowed by the municipality.
A municipal ordinance may not establish dimensional requirements for multiple units allowed by this section that are greater than dimensional requirements required for single-family dwelling units. As used in this subsection, “dimensional requirements” means requirements that govern the size and placement of structures, including building height, lot area, minimum frontage, lot depth and setbacks.
A municipality may not require planning board approval for 4 or fewer dwelling units within a structure.
An accessory dwelling unit must be allowed on a lot that does not conform to the municipal zoning ordinance if the accessory dwelling unit does not further increase the nonconformity.
A municipality shall allow the construction or occupancy of an ADU on a lot even if the owner of the lot where the ADU is located does not reside in a dwelling unit on that lot.
The municipal reviewing authority and the municipal body hearing zoning appeals shall attend a training on land use planning offered by a state agency or a statewide association representing municipalities or a regional council or municipality within 180 days of appointment. Current board members need to take a training within 180 days of the effective date of this Act.
Subdivision: Changes the definition to include the division of a new structure or structures on a tract or parcel of land into 5 (used to be 3) or more dwelling units within a 5 year period.
Implementation deadline for town-meeting form of government is July 1, 2027. Town council form of government is July 1, 2026.