On Nov. 8, voters in Waldoboro will decide whether to refinance a water department bond, and whether to approve three changes to the town’s land use ordinance.
The polls will be open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., at the Waldoboro Town Office on Rt. 1.
The bond refinancing – Article 2 on the ballot – will authorize the town to refinance a 2003 bond taken out to purchase the water company.
Although the article approves borrowing up to $1,147,771.63, more than the town is expected to owe on the bond, town officials have said they will not borrow more than what is owed.
The details of the refinancing – the interest rate and payment schedule – won’t be known until next year when the bond bank announces their interest rates, but the bond will only be refinanced if it will save the town money, town officials said. Based on the bank’s current rates, refinancing is expected to save the town more than $100,000 over the life of the bond.
The article also authorizes the selectmen to accept future grants and enter into contracts related to the bond when they deem that it would be in the best interest of the town.
Articles 3 through 5 are changes to the land use ordinance.
Article 3 would create an ordinance governing medical marijuana dispensaries. Article 4 would create an ordinance governing methadone clinics. No applications have been filed with the town to create either type of facility. Town officials said the ordinances are a measure to ensure the town is prepared in the event that such an application is filed in the future.
The ordinances as written allow state regulations to govern most details of methadone clinic and medical marijuana dispensary operation, placing specific restrictions on only a handful of aspects.
Under the proposed ordinances, the following restrictions will be placed on methadone clinics and other opiate treatment facilities, and medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities:
For any of these types of facilities, approval by the planning board will be contingent on appropriate state certification.
All three types of facilities will be restricted to the Rt. 1 Commercial A District. This district consists of a band following Rt. 1 from the Nobleboro line to just before the intersection with Rt. 32, then from about Moody’s Diner to the Warren line.
Ample parking must be provided at the facilities, and methadone clinics are required to have sufficient inside seating. “Waiting or queuing of patients outside of the clinic building will not be tolerated.”
No such restrictions on waiting areas are provided in the medical marijuana facility ordinance.
For medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities, all related activities, including, but not limited to, “cultivating, growing, processing, displaying, selling and storage shall be conducted indoors and shall not be visible from outside.”
The ordinance requires “evidence of on-site security” at all three types of facilities. “At a minimum … facilities shall have door and window intrusion alarms with audible and police notification components.”
Medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities are also required to have video surveillance. Cultivation facilities are required to have 24-hour video surveillance; dispensaries are required to have video surveillance at a minimum “at all times that the facility is not open to patients.”
No video surveillance is specifically required at methadone clinics.
The draft ordinance also states that only one of each type of facility will be allowed in Waldoboro.
Article 5 amends aspects of the town’s site plan review process to streamline it and remove redundancies, town officials said. This article has been described by several town officials as “housekeeping,” and does not add or remove any requirements of site plan review.
