A digital map entitled "Town of Wales" is hereby adopted as part of this chapter and shall be referred to as the "Official Zoning Map." The Official Zoning Map shall be identified by the signature of the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and attested by the signature of the Town Clerk. The Official Zoning Map shall be located in the office of the Town Clerk, and it shall be the final authority as to the current status of the zoning of the land and water areas, buildings, and other structures and uses in the Town.
The Town shall be divided into three primary districts as shown on the Official Zoning Map. (Shoreland areas are described in Chapter 166, Shoreland Zoning.) The three primary districts shall be known as the:
Growth District |
General Use District |
Limited Rural District |
A.
Uncertainty of boundaries. Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of the various districts as shown on the Official Zoning Map, the following rules shall apply:
(1)
Boundaries indicated as approximately following the center lines of streets, highways, or rights-of-way shall be construed to follow such center lines;
(2)
Boundaries indicated as approximately following well-established lot lines shall be construed as following such lot lines;
(3)
Boundaries indicated as approximately following municipal limits shall be construed as following municipal limits;
(4)
Boundaries indicated as following shorelines shall be construed to follow the normal high-water line and, in the event of natural change in the shoreline, shall be construed as moving with the actual shoreline;
(5)
Boundaries indicated as being parallel to or extensions of features indicated in Subsection A(1) through (4) above shall be so construed. Distances not specifically indicated on the Official Zoning Map shall be determined by the scale of the Map. Any conflict between the Official Zoning Map and a description by metes and bounds in a deed shall be resolved in favor of the description by metes and bounds;
B.
Division of lots by district boundaries. Where a zoning district boundary line divides a lot or parcel of land in the same ownership of record at the time such line is established by adoption or amendment of this chapter, the regulations applicable to the less-restricted portion of the lot may be extended into the more-restricted portion of the lot by not more than 20 feet, provided that the more-restricted portion is not a resource protection district, and provided further that minimum side setbacks and rear setbacks and yard requirements for a nonresidential use abutting a residential use shall be observed.
C.
District boundaries are defined as follows: All references to Tax Map and lot number shall be to the Town of Wales Tax Maps dated April 1, 2024.
(1)
Sabattus Mountain Limited Rural District shall include that area bounded and described as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Map R02, Lot 028-005-A and proceeding in a generally easterly direction along the northerly line of Map R02, Lot 030 approximately 1,160 feet to the northeast corner of Lot 030, thence in a generally southerly direction along the easterly line of Lot 030 and Lot 031 a distance of approximately 3,000 feet to Lot 046, thence in a generally southerly direction along the easterly line of Lot 046 approximately 550 feet to a point, thence southerly along the easterly line of lot 046 approximately 650 feet to a point, thence southwesterly along the line of Lot 047 approximately 1,750 feet to the Wales/Sabattus town line, thence westerly along said town line approximately 150 feet to Map R02, Lot 047, thence in a generally northerly direction approximately 2,750 feet to the southeast corner of Map R02, Lot 035, thence in a northwesterly direction along the easterly line of Lot 035 approximately 1,350 feet to the northeast corner of Lot 035, then in a northeasterly direction approximately 1,800 feet to the point of beginning.
(2)
Oak Hill Limited Rural District. The Oak Hill Limited Rural District shall include the following lots: Map R01, Lots 031, 032, 033, 034, 035, 045, 047-B, 047-C, and 048; and Map R04, Lots 035 and 036.
(3)
Pond Road/Centre Road Growth District. The Pond Road/Centre Road Growth District shall include the following lots: Map R03, Lots 042, 045, 045-A, 045-B, 045-001, 045-002, 045-003, 045-004, 045-005, 045-006, 045-007, 046, 054, 059, 060-A, 061, and 062.
(4)
Gardiner Road Growth District. The Gardiner Road Growth District shall include the following lots: Map R01, Lots 016, 016-001, 016-002, 016-003, 016-004, 016-005, 016-006, 016-007, 016-008, 016-009, 016-010, 016-011, 016-012, 016-013, 016-014, and 017; and Map R04, Lots 044 and 044-A.
(5)
General Use District. The General Use District includes all land areas in the Town of Wales not included in the Growth Districts or the Limited Rural Districts described above.
[Amended 6-13-2026]
Use | District | ||
|---|---|---|---|
General Use | Growth | Limited Rural | |
Agriculture | Y | Y | Y |
Auto graveyard, junkyard | Y | ||
Bed-and-breakfast | Y | Y | Y |
Campground | Y | Y | |
Cemeteries | Y | Y | Y |
Clubs, lodges, community buildings | Y | Y | |
Day-care center | Y | Y | |
Day-care home | Y | Y | Y |
Elderly housing | Y | Y | Y |
Essential services1 | Y | Y | Y |
Forestry | Y | Y | Y2 |
Gas station, repair garage | Y | ||
Home occupation | Y | Y | Y |
Highway and mall stores/services | Y | ||
Institutional and cultural facilities | Y | ||
Manufacturing, light industrial | Y | ||
Mobile home park | Y | ||
Mobile homes | Y | Y | Y |
Motel, hotel, inn | Y | ||
Multifamily | Y | ||
Neighborhood stores and services | Y | Y | |
Nursing or convalescent home | Y | Y | |
Open space uses | Y | Y | Y |
Personal financial services | Y | ||
Parks | Y | Y | |
Professional offices | Y | ||
Public buildings, churches, etc. | Y | Y | |
Recreation (walking trails) | Y | ||
Single-family residential | Y | Y | Y |
Two-family residential | Y | Y | Y |
Uses similar to allowed uses are allowed | |
Other uses allowed by statute are allowed | |
Wireless telecommunications facilities/towers: see Ch. 196, Wireless Telecommunications Facilities | |
1 | |
2 | For the purposes of this chapter, forestry for the Limited Rural District is limited to selective cutting. |