The Nobleboro Planning Board considered a request, Sept. 4, from two men seeking to establish a used car dealership in North Nobleboro.
Long-time friends Greg Collins, 19, and Nathan Chapnick, 28, plan to open the business on two adjacent properties owned by their parents.
The properties are at 735 and 541 East Pond Road, lots 29B and 27B on the municipal tax maps. Chapnick said the dealership will sell affordable vehicles, mostly trucks.
“That seems to be the most popular need around here,” he said. “We noticed a need for used cars here in Nobleboro.”
He said the new business would provide automotive service as well. Both Chapnick and Collins are certified Maine vehicle inspectors. Collins is a graduate of the Mid-Coast School of Technology (Region 8).
According to Chapnick, vehicles would be parked and displayed on his parents’ lawn and the pair will use a garage already in place at the Collins property. A lease agreement between the business partners and the property owners has already been signed, he said.
“Nobleboro is a rural area and there aren’t any public transportation options,” Chapnick said. He said lower overhead costs resulting from the pair’s arrangement with their parents will be passed onto customers.
“There aren’t many jobs around here for young people,” Chapnick said. “Sometimes you have to start your own.”
The board told the pair the steps necessary to gain approval for the project, including the creation of a detailed site map that would show the locations of any natural and man-made features already on site, as well as the location of any buildings, signs or other structures they intend to add.
While some abutters have already been notified, all those who own property adjacent to the proposed car dealership must be given a chance to respond to the application. Chapnick’s parents, Larry Newbert and Holly Howieson, said they approved of the plan.
A sign that was placed in the same location as that of a previous business may have to be moved, since it appears to be within 25 feet of a road.
The Planning Board will make a site visit to the property on Sat., Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. A public hearing on the application will be held Mon., Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m., with a Planning Board meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
In other business, resident Skip Atwood asked the board to approve the sale of a 2.8-acre portion of a 6.5-acre lot on Burma Road that he bought at the end of last year. The property is adjacent to the Pemaquid Lake View Estates subdivision.
Atwood said the deed carried a restriction requiring him to gain Planning Board approval if he divided the property within a year of purchase.
After discussing the location, shoreland setbacks and other relevant issues, the board unanimously approved Atwood’s request.