The Boothbay Harbor planning board voted unanimously Feb. 19 to send three ordinance amendment recommendations to selectmen. The amendments include setting regulations for mobile food vending, establishing a blasting ordinance and updating language on subdivisions.

The proposed blasting ordinance gained the most attention from the board as members were concerned about a lack of language protecting neighboring properties and the state of, or access to, aquifers. Board Alternate Lee Corbin suggested the board wait on recommending the blasting ordinance.

“My feeling is that this is great for notification, but it falls far short of protecting the neighbors' aquifers and the liability issue … that says there's no and's, if's or but's – the blaster is responsible.” He suggested looking at Edgecomb’s ordinance.

Chair Chris Swanson said waiting could mean the blasting ordinance would miss the May town meeting. The board understands introducing a new ordinance will likely mean changes in the future, member Bill Hamblen said. The board voted unanimously to recommend creating Chapter 77-1 in town codes, to name it “Blasting notification” and to clarify requirements for a blasting company's contact information.

The proposed mobile food vending regulations would make a change to §170-53 in the town codes and establish a new category in the schedule of uses (§170-27) allowing mobile food vending in the Downtown Business and General Business districts per planning board approval. And the subdivisions language change involving §170-106A(3)f clarifies that dimensions for land reserved along the waterfront in subdivisions be measured perpendicular to the water body.

Selectmen can review the recommendations and, after a public hearing, can reject them, send them back for further evaluation, make changes, or send them on to a town vote.