Waldoboro sets 60‑day deadline for after‑the‑fact Raymond Road work, warns of fines

Waldoboro’s code enforcement officer told the select board that an ongoing Raymond Road case involves work completed without fully valid plumbing and building permits and without a required second means of egress from a bedroom area. Because applications submitted so far lack necessary detail — including an absence of plumbing contractor information on the plumbing form — the officer described the case as an "after‑the‑fact" permitting matter and recommended the board give the property owners a 60‑day window to submit complete, code‑compliant plans and permits.

“They have not demonstrated how they're going to meet that other than they put an X…there's no second means of egress out of that bedroom area,” the code enforcement officer said, summarizing the main deficiency.

The officer told the board a stop‑work order is already in place and that, if owners do not comply after the grace period, fines could be imposed under the town ordinance (the officer identified a $100 per‑day minimum fine). The officer recommended returning the case to the board on Aug. 25 for reassessment; the board voted to set that review date and to allow staff to notify the owner of the deadline and potential fines.

Board members discussed whether a 30‑day deadline would be sufficient; one member urged a shorter deadline but the majority supported 60 days as a more generous timeframe to allow owners to develop a plan or remove work to avoid permitting requirements. The officer also noted possible inspection needs that could require opening walls to verify plumbing work.

The action preserves two paths for the property owner: (1) remove the work and avoid the permitting process, or (2) submit a complete application and obtain the required inspections and approvals. If the owner does not meet the board's deadline, the board can impose fines or take other enforcement actions at the follow‑up meeting.