The Damariscotta Planning Board ruled a conditional use permit application from Mark Hoffman, of Maine-ly Pawn, to be incomplete Monday, Sept. 14.
This is the second time Hoffman has applied for a conditional use permit in order to store merchandise outside. Hoffman attempted to secure a permit at the Aug. 31 meeting of the planning board. The application was ruled to be incomplete as presented at the time.
Following the vote, board member Wilder Hunt suggested Hoffman resubmit his application and pay strict attention to what the site plan review ordinance requires.
For the Sept. 14 meeting, Hoffman submitted a revised application that include a sketch of his plan for the property, however, due to a lack of measurements from property lines and square footage of the buildings on the property, the board members felt it was not sufficient.
“I don’t know how we would enforce this since there are not measurements listed, including the distance from the road,” board member Bruce Garren said.
Hunt was concerned about the lack of a buffer or screen on the plot plan.
“The ordinance states if you have a business and one of the abutters is residential, there has to be a buffer or screening between the business and the residence,” Hunt said.
Hoffman said a buffer or screen was not part of his plan.
The board voted unanimously that the permit application was not complete as presented. Without the conditional use permit, Hoffman will have to stop displaying merchandise in the front lawn.
“Considering the circumstances that this is totally and completely against our ordinances, I’m going to make a recommendation to our selectmen and the code enforcement officer that you be brought into compliance as soon as possible by whatever methods they use,” Chairman Jonathan Eaton told Hoffman.
After Hoffman left the meeting, conversation continued between board members and residents in attendance regarding Maine-ly Pawn’s outdoor storage.
“There is perhaps a line, and maybe none of us are sure where it is yet, between outdoor storage and junkyard,” said Tony Dater, Damariscotta town planner. “The land use ordinance says all outdoor sales and storage will be displayed in a neat and orderly fashion, and that’s a discussion point for the board.”
Eaton said Hoffman was not on the agenda for the next planning board meeting.