§7060. Buildings and equipment
1. Ordinances regulating buildings and equipment required. Plantations adopting planning and zoning shall adopt ordinances:
A. Regulating the design, construction materials and construction of new buildings and additions to and alterations of existing buildings; regulating the alteration, demolition, maintenance, repair, use, change of use, safety features, light, ventilation and sanitation facilities of all buildings; regulating the installation, alteration, maintenance, repair and use of all equipment in or connected to all buildings; and requiring permits and establishing reasonable permit fees for all of the operations mentioned in this paragraph; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
B. Establishing adequate standards for all features of means of exit, fire protection, fire prevention, accident prevention and structural safety of buildings that are used occasionally or regularly for public assembly; compelling the owners to make improvements to bring these buildings up to the established standards; requiring the owner or lessee of a building used for public assembly that is regulated by an ordinance authorized by this section and operated with the intent of financial gain to obtain a permit for which a fee may be imposed commensurate with its size or capacity; and requiring the owner or lessee of such a building to file a plan showing all safety features as a condition precedent to the issue of a permit or the further use of one already issued.
(1) The building official shall send a written order to the owner or lessee of a building used for public assembly requiring any conditions that exist in violation of an ordinance to be corrected within 30 days after the order is sent.
(2) After the 30-day period expires, the owner or lessee is strictly liable for all injury caused by the failure to correct the violations and the building official shall order the building vacated.
(3) As used in this section, "building used for public assembly" means a room or space in or on any structure that is used for the gathering of 100 or more persons for any purpose and includes any room or space on the same level, above or below, that has a common entrance; and [PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §13 (AMD).]
C. Requiring persons, other than a dealer licensed by the State with a sales tax certificate issued by the State Tax Assessor, who intend to construct or locate in the plantation new manufactured housing, as defined in section 4358, subsection 1, to provide:
(1) A bill of sale indicating the name, address, dealer registration number and sales tax certificate number of the person who sold or provided the manufactured housing to the buyer locating the housing in the plantation; or
(2) Certification of payment of the sales tax in accordance with Title 36, section 1760, subsection 40 and Title 36, section 1952-B.
In any plantation which requires a permit for manufactured housing, the permit is deemed to be not approved or valid until payment of the sales tax has been certified with the assessors or the Maine Land Use Planning Commission. [PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. A, §55 (RPR); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD); PL 2011, c. 682, §38 (REV).]
[PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §13 (AMD); PL 2011, c. 682, §38 (REV).]
2. Additional provisions. The provisions of this subsection apply to subsection 1.
A. The provisions pertaining to buildings apply equally to all structures and parts of them, including mobile and modular homes. [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
B. The building official is the licensing authority, unless otherwise provided by the plantation. [PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §14 (AMD).]
C. Ordinances defining the duties of the building official and other enforcement officers, not contrary to Title 25, chapter 313, may be enacted. All enforcement officers designated by ordinance must be given free access at reasonable hours to all parts of buildings regulated by ordinance. [PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §14 (AMD).]
D. An application for a permit must be in writing and must be signed by the applicant and directed to the building official. The failure of the building official to issue a written notice of the decision, directed to the applicant within 30 days from the filing of the application, constitutes a refusal of the permit. The building official may not issue any permit:
(1) For a building or use for which the applicant is required to obtain a license under Title 38, section 413, until the applicant has obtained that license; or
(2) For a building or use within a land subdivision, as defined in section 4401, unless that subdivision has been approved in accordance with that section. [PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §14 (AMD).]
E. An appeal may be taken from any order issued by the building official or from the licensing authority's refusal to grant a permit.
(1) A person aggrieved by an order of the building official or a permit applicant may appeal in writing to the plantation assessors. At their next meeting following receipt of the appeal, the plantation assessors shall affirm, modify or set aside the decision of the building official according to the terms of the pertinent ordinance. They may permit a variation from the terms of an ordinance when necessary to avoid undue hardship, as long as there is no substantial departure from the intent of the ordinance. They may permit an exception to an ordinance only when the terms of the exception have been specifically set forth by the plantation. The failure of the plantation assessors to issue a written notice of their decision, directed to the applicant, within 30 days from the filing of the appeal constitutes a denial of the appeal. If a plantation has by ordinance required that all such appeals be taken to a board of appeals, the procedure must be the same as in appeals directed to the plantation assessors, unless the plantation has provided otherwise.
(2) An appeal may be taken from the decision of the plantation assessors or the board of appeals as provided in section 2691, subsection 3, paragraph G. [PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §14 (AMD).]
[PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §14 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1987, c. 737, §§A2,C106 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§A55,56 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§C8,10 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 261, Pt. B, §§13, 14 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 682, §38 (REV).