CRANBERRY ISLES ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS

Following are condensed selections from Town Ordinances which are not online on the town website. Copies of the complete ordinance(s) are available from the Town Clerk. Please be sure that renters or other users of your property are aware of these rules.

DOCKING ORDINANCE

Pursuant to Title 30, Section 2151, as amended, the Town of Cranberry Isles, Hancock County, Maine, hereby enacts this Docking Ordinance promoting the public convenience and welfare and providing for public safety in the use of harbors, waterways, mooring areas and public docks of the Town.

1. No person shall tie up and leave a boat at any town float or dock for more than two (2) hours except to beach the same for repairs.
2. The head of all town floats and companionways of docks shall be kept clear at all times except to load and unload cargo or passengers.
3. No person in any motor craft shall exceed five (5) miles per hour through the mooring areas of the town's harbors.
4. All moorings shall be rigged and placed so they do not create an excess hazard to marine traffic.
   1. Anything shall not be left upon a float more than one hour unattended by the person responsible therefor.
   2. Docks are public ways. Passage of the traveling public, including motor vehicles at Great and Little Cranberry Islands, shall not be unreasonably obstructed. Traps, materials, packages and other objects may be left thereon, in such a manner that passage along the dock is not obstructed, for no longer than 72 hours. A similar ordinance enacted in 1969 is repealed.
   3. Buildings on the docks are public buildings intended for the temporary shelter of persons and perishable objects and materials. Anything placed within such buildings shall be removed within 72 hours.
5. Failure to comply with these regulations shall result in a warning or a fine of not more than $50.00 nor less than $20.00.
6. Harbor Masters and Constables of the Town of Cranberry Isles, Maine shall have the authority to enforce this ordinance.

Enacted March 4, 1974
Amended March 8, 1976
Amended March 12, 1990

SHELLFISH CONSERVATION ORDINANCE

The purpose of this ordinance is to establish a shellfish conservation program for the Town of Cranberry Isles which will insure the protection and optimum utilization of shellfish resources within its limits. These goals will be achieved by means which may include:

a. Licensing
b. Limiting the number of shellfish harvesters
c. Restricting the time and area where digging is permitted
d. Limiting the minimum size of clams taken
e. Limiting the amount of clams taken daily by a harvester.

The following is a synopsis of the ordinance and those desiring to dig clams or other shellfish within the Town of Cranberry Isles should obtain (1) a license and (2) information on the do's and don'ts from one of the Town Shellfish Wardens. Anyone who is judged to have violated this ordinance shall be punished in accordance with State statutes, including 12 M.R.S.A, Sections 6681 and 6671(10).

Definitions:
a. Resident: The term "resident" refers to a person who pays real estate taxes to the Town of Cranberry Isles.

b. Non-resident: The term "non-resident" means anyone not qualified as a resident under this ordinance.

c. Shellfish, clams, and intertidal shellfish resources: When used in the context of this ordinance the words "shellfish", "clams", and "intertidal shellfish resources" mean soft shell clams (Mya arenaria), quahog, hen clams and oysters.

Licensing: Municipal shellfish digging license is required.  It is unlawful for any person to dig or take shellfish from the shores and flats of this municipality without having a current license issued by this municipality as provided by this ordinance. Licenses are issued in two varieties: Residential Recreational and Nonresidential Recreational. The residential costs $16.00 while the nonresidential costs $31.00 on an annual basis and is issued proportional to the number of residential licenses (6 residential to 1 nonresidential). There are no commercial licenses authorized. The fee is waived for all persons 60 years or older or 12 years or younger.

Minimum legal size: It is unlawful for any person to possess soft shell clams within the municipality which are less than two (2) inches in the longest diameter. However, any person may possess clams that are less than two inches if not less than one peck or more than four pecks taken at random from various parts of the lot or by a count of the entire lot if it contains less than one peck, i.e. no more than 25% may be less than 2 inches long.
Enacted March 12, 2001 and must be reviewed at Town Meeting March 2004

full text of Shellfish Ordinance

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS FOR PERMITS

While the Town of Cranberry Isles Clerk is the proper official to file all applications within the municipality of Cranberry Isles, neither the Town Clerk nor any other town official has the authority to answer questions or provide information which an applicant may rely upon. Only the board or officer which will grant or deny the application can do so. Applicants are hereby notified that any reliance on information other than that from the proper authority is done so at their own risk and shall not be binding on the municipality.

BUILDING REGULATIONS

All permit applications and notifications should be filed with and directed to the Code Enforcement Officer. Application forms may be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer or from the Town Clerk.

Kimberly A. Keene, Code Enforcement Officer
P.O. Box 88
Hulls Cove, Maine 04644
Tel: [207] 288-4024

SITE PLAN REVIEW

If you are building, altering, or enlarging a business, or converting a private use to business use in any location within the municipality, you need a Site Plan Review by the Planning Board. Attached multi-family housing also requires a Site Plan Review. A Site Plan Review Checklist is available to help you make sure you have all the paperwork requirements.

Divisions of land into three or more lots within a five-year period may also require a Subdivision Permit.

full text of Site Plan Review Ordinance

FLOOD PLAN MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE

The Town of Cranberry Isles has elected to comply with the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-488), as amended. Accordingly, before any construction or other development (as defined in Article XIII. of the Act), including the placement of manufactured homes, begins within any areas of special flood hazard established in Article I of the Act, a Flood Hazard Development Permit shall be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer. This permit shall be in additional to any other building permits which may be required pursuant to the codes and ordinances of the Town of Cranberry Isles. Complete text of this ordinance is available from the Town Clerk.
Enacted March 10, 1991

(replaced by new ordinance adopted 8/15/2006, but not yet online)

NOTICE TO OWNERS OF MOTOR VEHICLES OR BOATS

If you own a motor vehicle or boat, and are not entitled to an exemption under Maine law, it is your responsibility to pay an annual excise tax to the Town of Cranberry Isles (M.R.S.A. Title 36, para 1482C and 1501). The Town retains all excise tax money. The voters of the Town appropriate all excise tax money to the General Fund. Motor vehicles used on the roads of the Cranberry Isles must be registered annually (M.R.S.A. Title 36 para 102 and 242). Evidence of insurance must be shown before a motor vehicle is registered or re-registered. 75% of registration fees are returned to the Town and expended on town roads. If you have any questions as to the status of your motor vehicle or boat excise tax, please call the Tax Collector at [207] 244-5943. The Tax Collector will also answer any questions as to the status of your motor vehicle or boat documentation.

ABANDONED VEHICLES
TITLE 29-A, SUBCHAPTER III

While all vehicles are required to be registered, even when used on an island, inspection of the same is not a requirement provided the vehicle remains only for island use. This convenience in the law for island property owners has also contributed to a collection of vehicles which are no longer usable and often abandoned. During the past year a section of state law has been used successfully by the Board of Selectmen to remove abandoned vehicles from Town property. Accordingly, Section 1860 of that law is quoted below for your edification:

"A person may not abandon a motor vehicle on any property on an island without consent of the owner of the property. The State, municipality or other political subdivision having jurisdiction over the island may order the owner of a vehicle illegally abandoned on an island to remove it at the vehicle owner’s expense. If the owner of the vehicle refuses to remove the motor vehicle, or if the owner is unknown, the State or political subdivision may cause the vehicle to be removed from the island and may require reimbursement from the owner for the removal and the administrative and legal costs. Neither the State nor any political subdivision of the State is liable for any damage to the motor vehicle that may be caused by the removal.  Failure to remove an illegally abandoned vehicle on an island within 30 days after written warning, or within 30 days of ice-out if ice prevents the island from being reasonably accessible, is a Class E crime."

[Note: It is the Town Selectmen who determine if a vehicle has been abandoned.]

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