CANTON — The Planning Board on Thursday evening approved an application to build a deck on a home on Jewett Hill Road and denied an application to construct a two-story building on the old fire station lot.
They also discussed doing research to create a beach ordinance to try to prevent people from letting their dogs run loose on the Lake Anasagunticook beach and not scoop up their poop and to prevent littering, bonfires and disorderly gatherings.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Donny Hutchins was the only member of the public attending the meeting.
Planning Board members are Tricia Blanchard, Becky McDonald, Mary Wainwright, Doleen Boyce, Tom Adley, Mike Timberlake and Chairman Sue DeGroot. Some members asked Hutchins for advice and clarifications on town laws.
The board accepted an application from resident Bill Gray, who has proposed to build a 29- by 27-foot two-story building on the old fire department lot fronting Route 108. The problem, DeGroot said, was the back side of the building overlaps Whitney Brook, which violates the setback rule.
The board voted 7-0 to deny the application.
Member Tricia Blanchard told board secretary Doleen Boyce to write a letter to Gray advising him of the project denial so he can take that before the new Board of Appeals. The board has yet to organize.
The board took up an application by Joey Kilbreth, who lives on Jewett Hill Road. He wants to build a 12- by 32-foot deck. Members motioned to accept it as complete and unanimously approved it.
The board also scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. Thursday, June 18, in the Town Office for Gray to present his proposed project and for businessman and Selectman Malcolm Ray to present his proposed $350,000 downtown revitalization project. That project, which the board also recently denied for setback violations, is before the Board of Appeals.
Ray wants to construct three buildings on nonconforming lots between Whitney Brook and Main Street/Route 140 in a general development area that has a 25-foot setback from the brook. Ray has proposed improving and building atop old foundations already in place.
A third building would be erected where Administrator Scotty Kilbreth’s father’s building was located. Ray wants to use it for an ice cream shop. The other buildings would have small businesses in them.
The Planning Board denied approving a building permit for the project earlier this spring, because it didn’t meet setback requirements. They liked the project but had to follow town law in denying the permit.
Ray appealed to selectmen, because at that time, they were handling appeals of Planning Board project denials. On April 14, selectmen granted Ray’s project variances for the setback violations.
Afterward, however, Scotty Kilbreth spoke with the Maine Municipal Association attorney and was told that the Board of Selectmen cannot act as the Board of Appeals.
Kilbreth advertised for volunteers and on May 28 selectmen created what they believe is the town’s first Board of Appeals and appointed five people to it, one of whom resigned that night.
DeGroot said the public hearing for Ray’s project was supposed to be held Thursday evening, but the public wasn’t notified of it in a timely manner.
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