Code of Maine Rules
06 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
096 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - GENERAL
Chapter 1335 - SHORELAND ZONING ORDINANCE FOR MUNICIPALITY OF DANFORTH

1. The Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act (Act) requires all municipalities to establish zoning controls in areas within 250 feet of the normal high water line of great ponds, rivers, and saltwater bodies; within 250 feet of the upland edge of freshwater and coastal wetlands; and within 75 feet of the normal high water line of streams. Such zoning standards must be consistent with or no less restrictive than those in the State of Maine Guidelines for Municipal Shoreland Zoning Ordinances, (Guidelines), as adopted by the Board of Environmental Protection (Board).

2. The Guidelines were revised by the Board, effective March 24, 1990, and amended on July 14, 1992 and August 7, 1994. The revised Guidelines include more stringent land use standards than the Board's earlier Guidelines. In addition, the revised Guidelines contain new zoning and land use provisions for activities in shoreland areas adjacent to streams and freshwater wetlands as required by the Act as amended in January of 1989. Following the Board's revisions to the Guidelines in 1990, the Maine legislature, and the Board as authorized in 38 M.R.S.A. Section438-A(2), established July 1, 1992 as the deadline for local ordinances to be amended consistent with the Guidelines.

3.38 M.R.S.A. Section438-A(4) requires the Board to adopt suitable zoning ordinances for municipalities which fail to adopt shoreland zoning ordinances consistent with or no less restrictive than the Guidelines.

4. On December 20, 1991, the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) approved the Danforth Zoning ordinance, as adopted on May 18, 1991. At that time, the Department notified the municipal officials that the zoning map, as provided to the Department, failed to establish shoreland districting adjacent to freshwater wetlands and streams, or clearly identify other shoreland districts as described in the municipal ordinance. The color coded map legend did not include district names matching the shoreland districting established by the ordinance.

5. To date, the municipality of Danforth has failed to amend its zoning ordinance to address the above issues.

6. On November 21, 1994 a draft copy of a supplemental ordinance was forwarded to the municipal officials for comment. The Board also advertised in newspapers of statewide circulation, its intent to adopt the supplemental ordinance for the municipality. No written comments were received during the comment period which ended on December 30, 1994.

Based on the above Findings of Fact, the Board makes the following CONCLUSIONS:

1. Whereas, the deadline has past for municipalities to amend local shoreland zoning ordinances consistent with the Board's Guidelines, and whereas the municipality of Danforth has failed to do so, the Board has the responsibility to adopt suitable ordinance provisions for the municipality.

2. The Board can address the identified deficiencies in the Danforth ordinance by adopting a shoreland zoning map to supplement the current municipal ordinance, using the shoreland districting criteria contained in the Guidelines.

THEREFORE, THE BOARD HEREBY ORDERS AND ADOPTS for the municipality of Danforth the following provisions:

1. A shoreland zoning map is hereby adopted as a supplement to the Danforth Zoning ordinance, as adopted on May 18, 1991. The municipal ordinance shall be administered and enforced according to the shoreland districting identified on that map. Where the State-imposed shoreland zoning map adopts more restrictive districting than shown on the municipal zoning map, the more restrictive districting shall apply.

This order shall remain in effect, and shall be binding upon the municipality of Danforth until amended or repealed by the Board, or until the municipality adopts amendments to the shoreland zoning ordinance, consistent with the Board's Guidelines, and is approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.

DONE AND DATED AT AUGUSTA, MAINE, THIS 25 DAY OF JANUARY, 1995.

BOARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

BY:________________________

Owen R. Stevens, Chairman

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