Standish Planning Board Meeting Minutes
Standish Planning Board
Meeting Minutes
January 08, 2018
The meeting of the Standish Planning Board was called to order by Chairman Adam Higgins at 7:00pm. Present were Charlie Brown, Jolene Whittemore, Roland Cloutier, Gerald Lonnstrom, Bud Benson-Town Planner and Jackie Dyer, Secretary to the Planning Board. Absent was Mike Willette.
Approval of Meeting Minutes from November 06, 2017
The first item on the agenda was the approval of the November 06, 2017 meeting minutes. Mr. Lonnstrom made a motion seconded by Mr. Cloutier to approve the minutes as written. All in favor.
Approval of Finding of Fact:
Standish Veterinary Hospital, 22 Rose Lane, Map 10, Lot 064-001- Site Plan Amendment to add 11 Spaces to their existing parking lot.
Mr. Lonnstrom said that he wanted to know what the approval of the Finding of Fact means. Mr. Benson said they have a site plan amendment approval to add 11 more parking spaces. He said they have done nothing different and the Finding of Fact is just the written approval of what was approved in the previous meeting. He told Mr. Lonnstrom that this is just a document that we do after the application is approved and this is a standard procedure. He said this is a summary of the application and the approval.
Mr. Lonnstrom said he now understands much better why we do this and he made a motion to approve the Finding of Fact, seconded by Mrs. Whittemore. All in favor.
New Business:
Raymond and Jolene Whittemore, 45 Wards Cove Road, Map 50, Lot 15-Shoreland Zoning Application (addition to 45 Wards Cove and removal of cottage at 47 Wards Cove)
Mrs. Whittemore recused herself, as this is her application. Mr. Higgins said this is just a procedure that is a given and it’s clear that Mrs. Whittemore needed to recuse herself. Bud Angst from Caleb Johnson Studio was present to represent the Whittemore’s and present their application. He gave a brief overview of what the Whittemore’s would like to do. He said they would be removing the cottage from 47 Wards Cove and doing an expansion on the already existing home at 45 Wards Cove. The new addition would have a smaller footprint and less vegetative surface as well as creating a one story addition as they are removing a two story cottage to do this.
He said the view of the water from behind would be increased by the removal of the two story cottage. Mr. Higgins asked about the memo and had Mr. Angst had a chance to read it? He said he had and Mr. Higgins went over (reading from the memo) what is missing from the plan. Mr. Angst said he had read all of those and he said there is a rock out cropping that is on the plan already. Mr. Higgins asked how long he (Mr. Angst) would need to get these 8 items on the plan. Mr. Angst said they had submitted some of the information on this application from the old application, so they could meet the deadline. He said they have received the updated survey and he would be able to use information from that on this application. He said a majority of the items needed are on the new survey.
Mr. Angst said that certain things that needed to be identified were not put on the plan (walks, driveways, etc.) as he said they are not adding any new ones onto the plan. He said he also has an updated site plan. Mr. Higgins said that all of the 8 items Mr. Benson has requested need to be put onto the plan and also a site walk would need to be done as this is a Shoreland Zoning application and the Board always does one. He asked the Board when they thought a site walk would be feasible. He asked Mr. Angst about the property being pinned and when that could possibly be done.
Mr. Angst and Mrs. Whittemore said the property had not been staked out with the new footprint but felt they could get this done for a site walk, maybe just some stakes with flags attached. Mr. Benson said that there are also some pins missing and they would need to determine where those are. He said the real issue is that if he doesn’t have enough information, then the Code Enforcement Officer wouldn’t have the information he needs either. He said it’s unclear where the normal high water line is on the plan. Mrs. Whittemore said that they went through this last time and do they need to go through this again?
Mr. Benson said it’s unclear with the newer property they have purchased where the normal high water line is and also the vegetative surface is unclear as well. He said this plan just needs to be defined. Mr. Angst said they built this plan from the old plan and said they can define what needs to be done. He said the new site plan is based off the survey and he trusts that. He gave each Board member a copy of the new survey.
He said the high water mark is on the plan, the water’s edge, etc. He said setbacks are more established and the water is more curving. Mr. Brown said he is confused. He said the elevation of the lake is confusing and Mr. Benson said the 266.5**(corrected from 265.6) mark on the plan is what the water district and DEP have agreed on for elevations of water. Mr. Benson said this needs to be clearly defined on the plan and where the normal high water line falls. Mr. Brown said it looks like there is a separation between the tank and the structure. He asked if the CEO had looked at that and Mr. Benson said he thought he had. Mrs. Whittemore said that all of the leach fields and septic’s are tied on and they have a treatment system attached to them also. Mr. Brown asked about the tank being in the road or right of way. Mrs. Whittemore said when they put this in they had all of the permits they needed to put in this $56,000.00 system.
Mr. Higgins said they need a site walk and is it possible to have this marked out or do they need to table this until March or later? Mr. Angst said he can get the plan updated and they could have the property staked out. Mr. Benson said the new property pins could be put into a condition of approval that these would need to be done prior to putting in any new foundation. Mrs. Whittemore said the cottage would be removed, not demolished and the foundation would be removed with a new foundation being put in. Mrs. Whittemore asked about the removal of concrete from an existing dock on the memo and what that meant? Mr. Benson said he remembered from the previous plan about some concrete steps and Mrs. Whittemore said the steps are no longer there. She said in 2017 they had the retaining walls and steps that are there repaired with all the proper permits they needed. Mr. Benson said that the steps that are there look to be on the Roy property. Mrs. Whittemore asked about the Olson property and this wasn’t part of the survey as that had already been done. Mr. Benson said the normal high water line for all of the property’s should be shown and any walks, any impervious area should be shown as well.
A site walk was scheduled for Monday, January 29, 2018 at 3:30pm.
Mr. Benson mentioned that we are looking for a new Planning Board member as Betty Thompson resigned. He said there are a couple of members that will need to take out papers for their seats. The nomination papers will be available on March 01, 2018.
A motion was made by Mr. Cloutier and seconded by Mr. Lonnstrom to adjourn. All in favor. Meeting was adjourned at 7:40pm.
*** Correction made on 02-06-2018 ….JWD