Rule Revision
The Maine Land Use Planning
Commission has adopted two sets of rule revisions, each affecting Chapter 10 –
Land Use Districts and Standards.
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Grid-scale
Solare Energy Systems Rule Revisions
These revisions allow development of grid-scale solar energy generation
facilities
with a permit in the Commercial Industrial Development
Subdistrict (D-CI). The revisions include a set of criteria that help
identify eligible locations for redistricting
to D-CI for the purpose of
developing a grid-scale solar energy generation facility.
A D-CI
subdistrict designated for the purpose of developing a grid-scale solar
energy generation facility will automatically revert to the prior
subdistrict designation if the facility is not developed within a
reasonable period of time, or if built, upon decom-missioning of the
facility.
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Rural Business Development Subdistrict in Washington
County
These
revisions extended the opportunity for Rural Business Development subdistricts
into Washington County in partnership with the Washington County
Commissioners through the Commission’s Community Guided Planning and
Zoning program. This regional planning effort implements the directive in
Public Law 2011, Chapter 682, Section 34, for the Commission to initiate
prospective zoning in the unorganized and deorganized parts of the state.
The purpose of the Rural Business Development Subdistrict (D-RB) is to
encourage
an appropriate range of business development in rural areas, and
locate development in or at the edge of existing development and in
concentrated areas along appropriate portions of major transportation
corridors. The locations for the D-RB are selected to maintain the rural
character of the region and avoid significant visual, natural resource,
and fiscal impacts of unplanned growth.
The D-RB subdistrict includes
areas to accommodate a range of small commercial, light manufacturing, and
institutional facilities and businesses that are generally compatible
with, and complementary to, natural resource-based land uses; but may
create some adverse impacts to residential uses, recreation uses, or
resource protection.
A redlined document (illustrating
each change) for each of these rulemakings are available
on the Commission’s website
at:
www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/laws_rules/proposed_rules/rules.shtml
These rule revisions became effective
on March 5, 2018. You may view and print this
most recent version of
Chapter 10 from the Commission’s website by following this link: www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/laws_rules/ch10.html. If you
wish to obtain a paper copy of Chapter 10 as amended, please contact the
Commission by email at LUPC@maine.gov
or by
telephone at (207) 287-2631.
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