Boothbay Harbor’s planning board unanimously approved an amendment Oct. 9 to Katama Acquisitions’ application approved in May. Katama owns the former Sprucewold Lodge at 4 and 5 Nahanada Road and has planned extensive renovations to the buildings and property, including extensive storm water mitigation. The change simplifies the plans.

SJR Engineering civil engineer Steve Roberge, representing Katama, said the Department of Environmental Protection was nearly done reviewing the storm water management plan when abutters raised concerns about how construction and design could affect their well, water and vegetation.

Roberge, DEP and the abutters agreed to a site meeting; DEP decided that since the overflow parking pre-dates when such uses came before DEP, the use could be grandfathered. The original plans included clearing trees and blasting bedrock to create storm water ponds.

“So we didn’t have to take that impervious area into account when we were doing our storm water analysis,” the ponds can be eliminated from the design and tree buffers can remain, Roberge said.

“It was kind of a win-win-win situation. We provided a design to our clients that didn’t need an added expense … the abutter was able to keep the trees that separate our property and their property, and there’s obviously less construction damage … because we won’t have to do any blasting for that, now.”

The amendment passed, pending two corrections: The watershed control point tables need adjusting and two pages are missing from the application.

First National Bank

Code Enforcement Officer Geoff Smith said while out on a drive earlier in the day he spotted a single-wide trailer outside the First National Bank building. Unaware of any work being done on the building, Smith said he inquired about the trailer which lacked wheels and a hitch, and he learned it will be there for about five months. A stationary structure like that without wheels must have a building permit, said Smith. “That may seem silly, but that’s the code … I’m not placing blame, there. It may not have occurred to them that they have to contact me.”

The First immediately sent Smith a completed building permit application, but he wanted to know if board members felt it should come before the board considering the ordinance does not outline anything for temporary structures.

The board voted the issue is a “de minimis change” and the permit need only be ruled on at the code enforcement level. The board suggested Smith require the bank to have the trailer gone in six months.

The board will have a workshop on land use definitions and subdivision processes at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29.

The date of the workshop has been changed from this article’s original posting.