Izzy Nelson and Joe Lane discuss their plans to reopen Joe Lane Lobsterman at 115 Elm St., the former home of the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop, during the Damariscotta Planning Board meeting Monday, April 3. (Maia Zewert photo)
With the Damariscotta Planning Board’s unanimous approval, Joe Lane cleared one of the remaining hurdles to reopen his popular Damariscotta eatery in the former home of the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop.
Lane and his partner, Izzy Nelson, appeared before the planning board Monday, April 3 to request a change of use for the building.
Lane and Nelson plan to convert the building at 115 Elm St. into a “family friendly” restaurant specializing in lobster rolls. Lane will catch the lobsters on his boat, Spirit of ’76.
The restaurant will have 32 seats, Nelson said, and customers will still have the option to place an order for pickup. The business will continue to offer whole lobsters, live or cooked.
The restaurant meets the requirements under the site plan review ordinance for parking, which requires five on-site parking spaces as well as five off-site spaces.
Vonnie Nilson, one of the abutters to the site, asked several questions of the applicants, including the business’s hours of operation and whether it will serve alcohol.
The current plan is to have the eatery open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, 10 months a year, Nelson said.
A decision on whether the restaurant will serve beer and wine has not yet been made, Lane said.
The planning board unanimously approved the application with the condition that the business properly disposes of food scraps and lobster shells.
