Details

Title	Code of Ordinances, Lewiston, Maine
Highlights	Lewiston has made numerous amendments to the standard building and housing codes.                         There is implicit recognition that the zoning code did not provide for affordable housing.   Lewiston, Maine allows mobile homes on certain individual lots and allows nonconforming uses to be reconstructed if damaged up to 80 percent of market value.
Description	The Lewiston, Maine, Code of Ordinances contains a number of provisions that impact affordable housing. The building code is found in Chapter 18 Article II. The City has numerous amendments to the code. The Property Maintenance Code is found in Chapter 18 Article III. It also contains several amendments. The Fire Code is contained in Chapter 38, Article II. The Zoning Code is found in Appendix A. It contains several sections that effect housing affordability. In Section 2 the City allows in-law apartments and home occupations in low-density residential districts. In Article XII Section 11, In-law Apartment Standards, the City establishes certain requirements for these accessory units. Only one in-law apartment is allowed per single-family dwelling but it can be created within or attached to a single-family detached dwelling. The occupants must be related to the principal occupant(s) of the single-family home. In addition, the apartment cannot have a separate front or side entrance. The City permits home occupations if the use meets certain conditions. Some of those restrictions include: no person other than a member of the family residing on the premises can be engaged in the occupation; the home occupation must be incidental to the residential use; and not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the total floor area shall be used by the home occupation. Mobile homes are allowed on individual lots in rural agricultural zones and are allowed in mobile home parks. Where allowed on individual lots, Article XII, Section 13 sets standards that these units must meet. Units must have wheels; axles and tongue removed, must have a fully enclosed foundation, and must be connected to a public sewer or an approved private sewage disposal system. The City allows the development of mobile home parks in Article XI, Section 21. Such parks must contain at least five acres, must contain at least 6,500 square feet for each lot, and must have minimum front, back and side setbacks. In addition, any expansion or additional development must be reviewed and approved by the City. The City does allow mobile home park cluster development where the minimum lot size can be reduced to provide permanent open space as part of the development. Non-conforming uses are discussed in Appendix A, Article VI. The City specifically addresses nonconforming mobile home parks in Section (a) and allows owners of these non-conforming uses to replace older mobile homes with newer models. In addition, the Code allows any damaged or destroyed nonconforming use to be repaired or reconstructed if the damage is less than eighty (80) percent of the market value of the structure at the time of the damage. Lewiston has a number of additional requirements that multi-unit residential developments must meet before the City will approve the planned development (Article XIII Development Review and Standards). The development must provide each unit with access to open space or recreation facilities. It must also have buffering between the structures and neighboring properties. The development must also provide an area equal to five hundred square feet per dwelling unit for recreation areas.
Publication Date	2004
Organization	City of Lewiston, Maine
Web Location	http://library7.municode.com/gateway.dll/ME/maine/1?f=templates&fn=default.htm&npusername=10146&nppassword=MCC&npac_credentialspresent=true&vid=default

Notice: The contents of this record reflect the views of the author and/or promulgating municipality, and should not be construed as representing the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or U.S. HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. No attempt has been made by U.S. HUD or its contractors to verify the accuracy, currency, or validity of the record contents presented herein.