Moving to Maine, Augusta (Bangor, Old Town: house, wedding, subdivisions)

[creativeimages]

I am a Veteran considering Augusta, Maine as my next home, or within an hour drive of Maine Medical Center, Augusta’s Togus VA Medical Center, 1 VA Center, Augusta, ME 04330.

The next consideration is a place to live. I would like to know how zoning and other use restrictions would affect if I wanted a photography studio on the ground floor of a house or retail building and living quarters on the upper stories in Maine?

In the places I’ve lived before, the living options are mainly in subdivisions. Is that the case in Maine?

As a photographer, an ideal building would be an old southern mansion with two large rooms on either side of the foyer, a large circular stair chase going to the second floor in the foyer, all the ground floor ceilings would be 12 feet high. If one of the three walls with windows (front, and either side) on the ground floor faced north, this would be a perfect setting. Now, for the impossible, an attached two car garage.

It is not obvious to me where to turn to get this type of information. I understand that the river was a few feet over flood stage last week, and several hour north is where the flooding I saw on TV occurred.

My interests go to nature and wild life photography – in remote locations; but my bread and butter is wedding and family portraits.

There are many more questions; I am hoping to find a friendly source of Maine communities and living

Thank you.

[AustinB]

In a short answer to your questions concerning housing and a business... you should contact the code enforcement officer of the municipality in which you wish to reside. The regulations can be different from town to town.

[Maineah]

Look into the Winsdsor,Vassleboro,North Whitefield area. Housing will be far less expensive around this area. Togus is on Route 17 which is mixed use small businesses and residential. I'm not sure about the Southern mansion you mentioned though old colonial style homes are numerous in these areas. As AustinB mentioned you'll have to check zoning laws in the town you're looking at though Maine is generally very relaxed when it comes to small home based businesses like photography studios.

[Submariner]

Welcome to Maine.

At my VFW post in Old Town many of the other vets go to Togus, we are North of Bangor. They do not seem to mind the drive, it is all good road.

I mention that you are a vet, are you a retiree as well? Most retirees around here prefer to stay away Togus. I go the EMMC [Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor].

Either way I am sure you will be treated well.

[flycessna]

I think you would have no problem finding what your looking for in Augusta or surrounding vicinity...I don't think there will be any problems with Code Enforcement, but it's certainly a good thing to check into before investing money. I have heard some good things about the Togus too, which would be in contrast to what you hear nationally. But this was from onle a few retired vets that I know.

Good luck

[Mainer61]

How about Readfield? Wayne? If you get too far out into the sticks, business will be difficult for you.

[dmyankee]

Check out Hallowell. I know you could probably find what you are looking for there.