New Digital Version of the Land Use Ordinance
The Town is in the process of converting the Land Use Ordinance to a digitized format for publishing on the Town website. Once the conversion is complete, citizens will be able to search the Ordinance and look for cross-references related to issues they are dealing with. The digitized Ordinance will also create a permanent record of all changes that are made and will simplify the update process.
Cleaning Up Typographical & Grammatical Errors & doing a Legal Analysis
General Code Corporation, the national consultant that manages the ordinances of more than 30 Maine communities, has done an editorial and legal analysis to identify typographical and grammatical errors in the current Land Use Ordinance as well as areas where Durham’s regulations are not in compliance with State law. Those corrections will be included in the digitized Ordinance that will be placed as a warrant article at the June 13, 2026 Town Meeting.
Simplifying & Streamlining Current Policies
The Planning Board will also be proposing some minor policy and administrative changes to the Land Use Ordinance as a separate warrant article at the next Town Meeting. These topics are issues that have been identified in the process of applying the regulations to projects and address areas where there is confusion in the process or the requirements. The intent is not to change current Town land use policies, but to clarify areas where the regulations are unclear or fail to adequately address the issues in question.
Proposed Minor Policy & Administrative Changes
To help citizens process the proposed changes, they are divided into two groups: Minor Policy Changes that do alter the way some issues are handled and purely Administrative Changes that do not alter current policy. Each topic includes links for an explanation of the proposed changes and the draft amendments that will be considered by voters.
Minor Policy Changes
Back Lots & Private Ways
Expansions of Nonconforming Structures
Subdivision Road Buffers
Fire Protection Water Systems
Marijuana Growing Facilities Loophole
- Summary of Proposed Changes for Marijuana Growing Facilities
- Draft Amendments for Marijuana Facilities (Pending)
Manufactured Housing & Accessory Apartments
Administrative Changes
Editorial Changes per Codification Work (Separate Warrant Article)
Subdivision Road Standards Update
Driveway Standards Update
Zoning District Boundary Interpretations
Subdivision Solid Waste Plans
Campgrounds Review Scope
Planning Board Submission Deadlines & Paper Copies
Ordinance Corrections Provision
Proof of Payment of Taxes Documentation
Conditional Use Submission Requirements