Dr. Holly Noble, a veterinarian, addresses the Wiscasset Planning Board on Monday, Nov. 25. The board approved Noble’s plan to open a veterinary hospital in the former Coastal Veterinary Care building. (Charlotte Boynton photo)
The Wiscasset Planning Board approved an application to open a veterinary hospital at 161 Gardiner Road on Monday, Nov. 25.
Dr. Holly Noble will open the practice. The building was previously home to another veterinary hospital, Coastal Veterinary Care, which closed four years ago.
Noble presented her site plan review application to the planning board. She fielded one question, about whether she is going to treat large animals. She said she is going to start out with small animals, and perhaps offer care to larger animals in the future.
Noble told the planning board she would like to buy the property and live upstairs.
Barn House Grill
The planning board did not take action on a site plan review application from the partners behind a proposal to open a restaurant in the former Simpson’s Ocean Fresh Seafood building at 690 Bath Road.
Michael Collins, Daniel Dyer, and Dana Long plan to renovate the building and open the Barn House Grill, which will serve American and Mexican food.
Al Cohen, chairing the meeting in the absence of the board’s chair and vice chair, asked the partners to request to be on the agenda for the board’s next meeting to present a complete site plan application. The board would then schedule a site walk.
Collins said they tentatively plan to open in April 2020.
Airport solar project
Stephen Barrett, a consultant for Cenergy Power, asked the planning board about the permitting process for the company’s potential solar project at the Wiscasset Municipal Airport. Cohen said the first step would be to obtain a site plan review application.
Barrett fielded questions from the planning board and members of the public. He said Cenergy has about 50 employees and is a young company.
Before the meeting, Barrett met with the Wiscasset Town Manager John O’Connell and other interested parties to discuss the project.
Wiscasset resident Edward Polewarczyk told the planning board he is concerned about the project from a financial standpoint, and has asked that the selectmen to conduct due diligence.
Barrett said he will address concerns raised by O’Connell and Polewarczyk with Cenergy.
The Wiscasset Board of Selectmen has given Cenergy a two-year lease option to allow a feasibility study of a potential solar installation at the airport. The option will allow Cenergy to obtain the necessary permits and determine if the site is suitable.
