By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
WOODLAND — Selectpeople agreed that updates to the town’s building ordinance code were long overdue, but the changes will have to be approved at a Woodland Town Meeting at 7 p.m. on March 20 in order to be enacted.
Assistant to the Selectpeople Carl Grant explained that the changes to the town’s building ordinance are in conjunction with MUBEC (the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code).
Planning board members who spent months combing through the building ordinance code received praise from the selectpeople, who agreed that planning board members did a good job revamping the ordinance in a very short amount of time.
Planning board member Kevin Chapman informed the selectpeople that the town’s code enforcement officer Lewis Cousins deserves most of the praise for the thoroughly updated code.
Cousins was present at the selectpeople meeting, discussing the proposed ordinance changes with the board of selectpeople thoroughly and informing them of many changes — cesspools on vacant lots will need to be filled at the expense of the owner, anyone who has an auto graveyard or junkyard needs to get a permit from the town, and individuals owning kennels, defined as having five or more dogs, will be required to obtain a permit from the town, to name a few of the numerous building code updates.
Updated bylaws for the town’s board of appeals were also included in the revamp.
Cousins explained that the board of appeals met in mid-February to review the new bylaws and were pleased with the updates, citing how the new bylaws detail specifics regarding what type of variances the board can give and other stringent measures.
The costs of obtaining a building permit were also discussed by the selectpeople as well as what types of buildings are subject to the new building ordinance code. Cousins explained that the building code does not apply to structures like log cabins, modular homes, mobile homes, post and beam construction, etc.
As the new bylaws proposed the cost of a building permit, including additions to existing buildings, be $5 per $1,000 valuation with a minimum of $300, the selectpeople expressed concern with that $300 minimum.
Using the current $5 per $1,000 valuation with a minimum of $25, cousins explained that a theoretical $1,500 addition would cost $75, while the expenses associated with the five inspections mandatory for the building permit would cost the town at least $135, plus travel expenses.
The next meeting of the Woodland Selectpeople is planned for Tuesday, March 20 at 4 p.m. at the Woodland Town Office, three hours before the scheduled Town Meeting.
