Town of Windham
Town Offices
8 School Road
Windham, Maine
Meeting Minutes - Final
Planning Board
Monday, February 9, 2015
7:00 PM
Council Chambers
1 Call To Order
2 Roll Call and Declaration of Quorum
The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chair, David Douglass. Other Board members
present were: Margaret Pinchbeck, Keith Elder, and Jim Hanscom. Planner Amanda
Lessard was also present.
3 Approval of Minutes
Margaret Pinchbeck made a motioin to approve the minutes of the November 24, 2014
meeting.
Seconded by Jim Hanscom.
Vote: All in favor.
New Business
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PB 15-001
15-01 Maine Department of Corrections Women’s Re-entry Facility. Major site plan
sketch plan and conditional use review. State of Maine to request review of a
proposed 24,000 square foot correctional facility building. The property in question is
located at 17 Mallison Falls Road and identified on Tax Map: 3, Lot: 5, Zones:
Industrial (I), Stream Protection (SP), and General Development District (GD).
Tony Panciocco, of SMRT, was present representing the applicant. He explained the
project:
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The site was approximately 108 acres, bounded by River Road, Mallison Falls
Road, and Colley Wright Brook. It was an open field with streams and drainage
ways.
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Correctional facility was a conditional use in the industrial zone.
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The proposal was for a 24,000 square foot re-entry facility.
o A dorm area would contain 40 double occupancy rooms.
o The facility would also contain an educational area and administrative
offices for 12 staff, who would work Monday through Friday from 8 am to
4 pm.
o There would be 2 correctional staff on each 12 hour shift.
o The facility would not be secure. Residents could come and go,
although residents would not be allowed to have cars.
o There be would be cars in the morning to pick up residents and to take
them to work.
o Visiting hours would be 8 to 4 on weekends.
o There would be a 40 space parking area.
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DEP had been to site and made stream and wetland determinations.
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A drainage way and some wetland would be filled.
Town of Windham
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Planning Board
Meeting Minutes - Final
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February 9, 2015
The project was currently under the 43, 000 square foot threshold for Tier 1
permitting.
A watermain would be extended down River Road to a hydrant.
Septic would go to a pump station behind the maintenance facility, then up
Mallison Falls Road and across the river to the Portland Water District's pump
station.
The third party engineer had requested confirmation of the pump station capacity.
They were requesting a waiver of the requirement for underground power because
overhead would be more cost effective.
There was not a boundary survey of the entire site. They were confident they
would meet setbacks with only a survey or the road right of way and were
requesting a waiver of the requirement for a boundary survey.
Deputy Chief Wescott had requested an access loop around the building.
Streams had been located with GPS and would be shown on the plans.
Consensus of the Board was that power should be underground.
There was some question regarding the reason for the location of the proposed building.
Jim Hanscom made a motion to grant the waiver request from the requirement for a
boundary survey.
Seconded by Margaret Pinchbeck.
Vote: All in favor.
Margaret Pinchbeck made a motion that the Board didn’t need a sitewalk.
Seconded by Jim Hanscom.
Vote: All in favor.
Public hearings were required for conditional uses so a public hearing would be
scheduled when a final plan application was submitted.
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PB 15-002
15-02 Abby Commons Retirement Community. Major residential subdivision and
major residential site plan sketch plan review. Ralph Vance to request review of an
11 building residential development containing 21 units. The property in question is
located on Sandbar Road and identified on Tax Map: 18, Lot 31 C, Zone:
Commercial 1 (C-1) and Retirement Community and Care Facility Overlay District
(RCCFO).
Dustin Roma, of Milone and Macbroom, was present representing the applicant. The
proposal was for senior housing. The plan included:
· Two neighborhoods connected with pedestrian walkways.
· Single story duplexes with attached garages and an additional parking space per
unit.
· A 22 foot wide paved roadway.
· 5 foot sidewalks adjacent to the road would be connected to the nearby New
Marblehead development.
· Pedestrian scale streetlights would be located internally and along sidewalks on
the property. They would be metered and maintained by the association.
· Trash removal would be via a bag system. An area was proposed at the
entrance of the roadway for location of individual trash cans.
· Group mailboxes would be located at the entrance.
Town of Windham
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Meeting Minutes - Final
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February 9, 2015
They anticipated two separate non-engineered disposal fields and septic tanks.
A nitrate plume analysis would be done.
A stormwater plan would be done. The site currently had zero run off. It was a
flat site with deep gravels. The intent was to catch run off in infiltration areas and
allow it to seep back into the ground. A permit form DEP would be required.
The project would create 10 peak hour trips. There were two exits from the
property: Abby Road and Sandbar Road.
There was a telecommunications hut with a small paved driveway on the
property. It would remain.
Assuming there was adequate separation, building sprinklers would not be
required.
Public water was available from Sandbar Road.
The Board discussed three requested waivers. Consensus of the Board was that waivers
were appropriate.
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The high intensity soil survey because public water was available and multiple
test pits had been done which showed a uniformity of soils.
The traffic impact analysis.
The stormwater phosphorous plan because HHE 200s would be submitted.
Amanda Lessard said the Deputy Fire Chief had found the proposed turning radius at the
entrance roads to be adequate.
Margaret Pinchbeck made a motion to schedule a public hearing at final site plan review.
Seconded by Jim Hanscom.
Vote: All in favor.
Keith Elder stated the site was flat and graveled with no wetlands. It had been surveyed
and pinned and the borders were established. He made a motion that the Board not do a
sitewalk.
Seconded by Jim Hanscom.
Vote: Three in favor. Margaret Pinchbeck opposed.
In lieu of a sitewalk Mr. Roma would submit an aerial map with the buildings located on it.
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PB 15-003
15-03 A-Plus Autobody. Major commercial subdivision fifth (5th) amendment and
major commercial site plan fourth (4th) amendment of Firestorm Business
Condominium sketch plan, and conditional use review. Andrew Lane to request
review of a proposed 3,000 square foot autobody shop. The property in question is
located on Storm Drive and identified on Tax Map: 21, Lot: 19 A06, Zone:
Commercial 1 (C-1).
Amanda Lessard explained:
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Town of Windham
The application represented amendments to both a subdivision and a previously
approved site plan. The previous amendments had expired and were not
completed.
There was no set procedure for the Board to review amendments. Typically the
applicant was told to submit what was needed so the Board could review
impacts of the proposal.
This was a commercial subdivision so some impacts were affected by the entire
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February 9, 2015
subdivision. What was proposed needed to comply with the ordinance as it was
in currently in effect?
The application was for a conditional use. Auto repair facility had its own
standards for review.
Richard Meek, of Sebago Technics, was present with Andrew Lane and Andrew
Coppersmith, the co-owners of the business. He reviewed the proposal.
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They were proposing to develop a vacant parcel in the Firestorm Business Park.
They would build a 3,500 square foot building.
There would be paved access for emergency vehicles.
They would have 12 parking spaces and display area for restored vehicles. They
also had rights to an area near Route 302 where they wanted to display vehicles
for sale.
Water, natural gas and electric utilities would be accessed through the back of
the building.
Septic would be private with the disposal field under the pavement.
The existing DEP stormwater permit had to be updated.
Stormwater would sheet flow off impervious surfaces to collection areas and then
probably to an underdrain detention basin.
A previous condition for off-site traffic improvements had been rescinded and they
were not proposing any.
There would be a fenced area for vehicles awaiting repair or pick-up.
Amanda Lessard reviewed some outstanding issues:
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What rights did the applicants have to the common elements of the subdivision?
Existing landscaping, and proposed landscaping to the potential display area by
Route 302 had to be detailed.
The previous approval had included a sidewalk that was either to be constructed
by the applicant or paid for by the applicant via an escrow account. That
sidewalk had not been constructed. The new sidewalk impact fee ordinance
would require payment of an impact fee based on the square footage of the
proposed building.
Mr. Coppersmith explained:
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They did auto body repair, not salvage, total loss vehicles, or antique
restorations.
Vehicle waiting to be repaired would be brought into the fenced area.
The display area was for body work and sales of diesel trucks. Usually there
were five to ten on hand.
Inside the building grease traps would collect fluids.
They were a small volume shop with one employee.
They did not buy junk or heavily damaged trucks and only sold diesel trucks,
mainly on-line.
They would install a UL approved spray booth. Ventilation would meet all
required standards.
If a vehicle was washed it would be inside the building, or they would take it to a
nearby car wash.
They had met with the condo association whose only concern was that the
display area along Route 302 would be on their deeded land, not the limited
common areas.
Amanda Lessard explained:
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Town of Windham
There were licensing requirements and additional standards for
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Meeting Minutes - Final
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February 9, 2015
dealerships which would be part of the review. Both uses, sales and
repair, had standards and would need to comply.
A minimum amount of display area was required. The applicant had
shown that.
More documentation regarding auto washing and collection and
treatment of wastewater was needed.
The site was located in a C-1 zone so design standards were applicable.
An update to DEP permitting was needed.
More information was requested on the common area requirements.
Consensus of the Board was that a sitewalk was not needed.
Margaret Pinchbeck made a motion to schedule a public hearing at the discretion of staff.
Seconded by Keith Elder.
Vote: All in favor.
Other Business
7 Adjournment
Jim Hanscom made a motion to adjourn.
Seconded by Margaret Pinchbeck.
Vote: All in favor.
Town of Windham
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