SUN JOURNAL • February 10, 2024
Municipalities and environmental groups lined up behind a bill last week that would give towns more powers to handle landowners who flout state shoreland laws. The bill, L.D. 2101 sponsored by state Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Cumberland, would allow municipalities the authority to restrict, suspend or revoke any municipally issued permit to the owner of real estate who violates the state mandated Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. It would also allow municipalities and the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) to place a lien against the real estate for all costs related to the ordinance violation incurred by the municipality. LUPC does the job of municipalities too small or remote to have employees or code enforcement.