Despite residents’ ongoing land use violation concerns, Glidden Point Oyster Farm can now crack the shell on expanded operations in Edgecomb.
The Edgecomb Planning Board approved the farm’s processing facility application during its Thursday, Dec. 4 meeting following a public hearing peppered with questions and concerns from abutters.
Once the processing facility is constructed, oysters will be transported from the Damariscotta River to the 5,640-square-foot building at 634 River Road, which will be across the street from Glidden’s farm store and docks at 637 River Road.
Glidden Point owner Ryan McPherson and Andrew Johnston, who is helping with the project through Atlantic Resource Consultants, shared the proposed plans for expansion.
“It is going to be constructed to help with packaging the oysters … so they can be distributed to market,” Johnston said.
David Tonry, one of three neighboring residents present, spoke against the application during the public hearing.
Tonry, who lives near both Glidden Point properties, has repeatedly raised concerns about the farm’s 637 River Road property in recent months. His lawyer asserted in an Aug. 8 letter the business houses multiple land use violations, including operating as a restaurant without town approval.
During the public hearing, Tonry questioned the processing facility application’s completeness, pointing out missing markings on the facility plans and an unmet setback requirement.
Tonry also said the board was violating the town’s land use ordinance, which requires a public hearing within 30 days of accepting an application as complete. As the board had not decided McPherson’s application was complete prior to the public hearing, “we’ve got our cart before the horse here,” Tonry said.
He requested the planning board provide approval conditional on the property being “developed and used only as described in the application.”
The board discussed several of Tonry’s concerns before voting on the application. Board member Paula Swetland said she believed the board was following the land use ordinance as well as Maine Municipal Association procedure and that community members had the opportunity to review the project before approval.
After allowing Johnston to pencil in some missing components in the plans and voting to waive the setback requirement at the property’s rear, the board ultimately decided the application was complete and approved it without any conditions on the project. Board member Joanna Breen abstained, saying she did not feel as though she understood the application well enough to weigh in.
“I just didn’t do my due diligence tonight,” she said.
Looking ahead, McPherson said he hopes to start building the processing facility this winter.
The next Edgecomb Planning Board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18 in the town office basement. For more information, go to edgecomb.org or call 882-7018.
