Sec. 17-36. Attaching advertising material to vehicles; placing materials in vehicles.
No person shall attach any advertising material of any kind, such as handbills, cards or papers, to the door handle, windshield wiper or any portion of any motor vehicle parked or standing in any street or public place, nor shall any person deposit any such material or samples of any kind within or upon any such vehicle so parked or standing. (Code 1966, §6-1-1.2)
Sec. 17-37. Affixing advertising materials to utility poles, etc.
No person shall attach, place, paint, write, stamp, paste or otherwise affix any sign, advertisement or other matter upon any electric light or public utilities pole, tree or fire hydrant, or on any bridge, pavement, sidewalk or crosswalk, public building or any property or thing belonging to the city or located in the public streets or other public places; provided, that this shall not be construed to prevent any public official from so doing for any public purpose.
NOTICE
Beginning on August 6, 2019, properties that are designated historic or contain structures built in 1940 or earlier may be subject to a delay of up to 90 days on issuance of a demolition permit or building permit for exterior work. This delay is being enacted pursuant to Ordinances #01-19/20 and #02-19/20, adopted by City Council on July 16, 2019.
For more information, contact the Planning Director, Milan Nevajda at mnevajda@southportland.org
Permit Delay Process.pdf
ORDINANCE - Historic Preservation - Chapters 2, 5, 24.pdf
ORDINANCE - Historic Preservation - Chapter 27.pdf
New Demolition Permit Fees
New fee rates for Demolition Permits came into effect as of 1/27/2014. Formerly based at the rate of $15 per $1000 assessed valuation of the structure to be demolished, Demolition Permit fees are now only $25 for accessory structures such as sheds or detached garages, and $50 for principle structures such as for homes or commercial buildings.
Heating and Woodstove Inspections
Please call (207) 767-7603 (Derrick Stephens, Building Inspector) to arrange an appointment for an inspection of a Single or Two-Family Heating Installation. A heating or HVAC installation within a Residential Multi-unit (3 units or more), Business and/or Commercial Establishment requires an inspection by the South Portland Fire Department prior to use.
Also, all woodstove installations, including those in single and two family homes, must be inspected by the Fire Department prior to use. Please call (207) 799-3311 and request to speak to the Deputy Fire Chief, to arrange an appointment for an inspection.
Tent Permits
Tent permits are required for tents or canopies to be placed on commercial, residential or public properties. The fee is $25.
Dimensional Variances
If the project you are intending to build will encroach on setbacks, you may need a variance from the Board of Appeals prior to getting the building permit. If you think you may need a variance, Please see Barb Skelton or call her at 207-347-4130 to set up an appointment, and she will help you through the application process.
Excavation Permits, Excavator Licenses & Street Openings Generally
The Department issues City excavation licenses and street excavation permits.
Excavation Permits are granted only to excavators licensed by the City of South Portland for the current calendar year. Excavator Licenses are $300 and run annually through December 31st. Applications for a City Excavator License must be accompanied by a $10,000 bond and an insurance rider protecting the City from liability.
As of July 1, 2020, street opening permits (known as Excavation Permits) are $474 each, with the exception of a $50 fee for driveways only. Contractors may now download the street excavation permit application, fill it in electronically, then mail or bring it in to the office with the check for the permit.
Public Utilities including Unitil, Portland Water District, Central Maine Power and Fairpoint will be invoiced, and their permit applications may be emailed to dkasik@southportland.org, with copies to aroy@southportland.org and to mleconte@southportland.org .
Excavators working only on driveways are charged $50 each for Driveway Excavation permits.
A separate $20 permit for location of a "curb cut" for a new driveway may be taken out by the property owner, but if any digging in the City right of way is involved with the proposed driveway, a currently City-licensed excavator must also take out an Excavation Permit for the driveway and pay the $50 fee.
New homes that involved excavation for utilities as well as a driveway will require the basic Excavation Permit for $474, which will cover the water, sewer and driveway excavations All proposed excavations must be detailed on the application.
Required City Department E-Mail Notifications:
Doug Howard (Public Works) dhoward@southportland.org
Rick Sargent (South Portland Bus Service) rsargent@southportland.org
Dave Kasik (City Inspector) dkasik@southportland.org
Kevin Gerrish (Police Department) kgerrish@southportland.org
Mike Williams (Fire Dept/ Fire Alarm) mwilliams@southportland.org