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Public Hearing Minutes
1. Call to order: The Public Hearing was called to order at 6:33 PM.
2. Attendance: Members present were Chairman Rick Micklon, Vice Chair Stan Brett, Dan Peaco, Win Webster, Alternate Mike McAllister, & Recording Secretary – Alternate Shirley Hamilton. (Maureen Howard – absent) Mike McAllister moved up as a voting member.
Quorum: Board had a quorum.
3. Opening statement and introductions: Rick Micklon, Planning Board Chairman
4. APPLICANT: Dan Simoneau – Camp Manasseh - R7 Lot 16: Appearing for Site Plan Review for youth camp on Saturday Pond.
Application status: Voted complete & pending final vote of acceptance or denial
Dan Simoneau: Representing Camp Manasseh, 501 C non-profit, moved to Otisfield to make a better facility, 156 acres, proposing a year round facility. Three (3) buildings and a ball field. All outside of Shoreland Zone. Maximum capacity 250 people, Christian based facility. Some adult retreats, Visiting times primarily Monday through Friday.
5. PUBLIC:
Henry Anderson, Great Oaks Lane- do you provide staff? DS, minimum staff and we line up a nurse. If the church sends 10 kids, they send 2 volunteers. 90% Volunteer. Any other functions? DS we do adult retreats, and we rely on volunteers for that. Mercedes – Ridgewood Terrace. Is there any reason this hearing could not have been during the summer? RM we have a process that we have to follow regarding application completion and review. What are the activities in the evening? DS, functions in the meeting hall. ATV use? DS, no. Ouelette-abutter, the ballfield is moved, he does not like new location. DS, it’s aprox. 250’ from property and it’s the best site for the field. DS, no lights, no speaker system. SW, Ballfield location will not interfere w/ storm-water runoff. Collectively
everyone involved feels it is better to place it where it is.
PUBLIC CONTINUED:
Pat Ouelette, I don’t want to look at a baseball field. DS, reiterates it is aprox 250’ away. Mark Cyr, are there any conditions related to noise? RM there will have to be conditions, at this point, they are not set. Mark, In 5 years if you sell, do you foresee problems with conditions? What is your commitment to control the noise? DS, I am there and I oversee everything. If it gets to loud, he will stop it. Marianne Morin, what is the average amount of people per session? DS, the average will be about 100. DS, 8 people per room. Adults have to stay in the rooms with the kids. Laundry facilities? DS, no facilities, they bring their laundry home with them. Do they come by bus? DS, yes. Bruce Leblanc, Pond View Estates. Directed towards PB, if you put restrictions on his camp, do you have the
responsibility to put them on the other camps in town? RM, No, because they are not in front of the board. We take one application at a time. Gordon Chamberlain, Peaco Hill Road. Question about the noise part, he does not believe there is a decibel limit? RM, that is correct. Maureen Purdy, Great Oaks Lane, safety concerns. 2nd access we should consider that a requirement. Garry Dyer, Fire Chief.- egress, leaving the camp, Fire Marshall’s office said if the road was built to town specs. it is acceptable. 2nd means of egress is up to fire chief. It can be a walking path in either direction. The water can be considered a means of egress. Garry Dyer, Do you have a way to get everyone out in the winter safely? Do you have a plow? DS, we have the equipment. Ruth Wilson, Great Oaks Lane, what is your lights out policy? DS 10:00pm. Will you allow camping? DS, No. Renting facilities to outside parties? DS, non-profit entities only. We can do a wedding. Jim
Bishop – town ordinance on roads? What steps do you plan to comply with this? George Sawyer, believes they are in compliance with the road ordinance. The construction will be in accordance and in good standard practice. GS, PB requested Oxford County Soil & Water Conservation District to be third party. Ross Cudlitz is the contact who will be overseeing construction for the town. Ruth for Scott Williams, there is a ton of plants where they anticipate putting the docks? SW, a permit is required from DEP if they plan to remove plants. Public, Will the camp always be a camp if they decide to sell? RM, yes until new owner comes to PB for a change of use. Public, Snowmobile trail? ATV trail? DS, they will have to discuss an alternate trail? Would you be giving permission? DS, not based on what he has seen. SW, There are native plants in water, they are sparse, but they are there. Ferge, if moved for recreational use, no permit required. Mark Cyr, wants to clarify one thing. A
home owner does not go under site plan review. Question for the board, occupancy permit is given out by the CEO? PB, yes. Otis Brown on Evergreen, Moose Pond Shores, Run off may affect two ponds now instead of one. GS, that’s correct, now it affects Saturday Pond and Moose Pond. Access to Evergreen Drive and power? Easement with power? DS called CMP again, they are four months behind. CMP representative told Dan, CMP would be PUBLIC CONTINUED:
the one to get permission if needed, not him. GS, Easement access, there is a narrow strip between Evergreen Drive and DS property, common property. Public, Ahonen Road, who pays for the heavy traffic maint? RM, this has been discussed, this would have to be taken up on a case by case scenario. Town of Otisfield, he believes would pay. Mark Cyr, please consider asking your board to donate to the town of Otisfield for road use, etc. DS, he will and has in the town of Bridgton. Ross from Silvaqua Road, Do you anticipate drug rehab people or prisoner people? DS, no, just providing a good camp to average income families. We are not social workers. Michael from Evergreen Drive, should town make sure that it can handle traffic? RM, yes. Jim Bishop, Road ordinance issue, what he reads, s/b administered by
PB/CEO. RM, yes. Mark Cyr, Underground utilities? RM, CMP will handle this. Garry Dyer would like PB to consider a complete set of plans to go to the fire Marshall’s office, with the buildings in place, everything completed. DS, we have a preliminary list of what they want. Bruce Leblanc, I would be interested in a positive statement from this group. Gordon Chamberlain thinks that it should exist. Quality experience for children. Frank Blauvelt, involved with camps most of his life, the trend for camps is closing, he thinks it’s great that this camp is beginning. Sympathizes with neighbors, but thinks it’s a tremendous opportunity. SW, there will be a negative effect on Ponds, it’s just a matter of controlling that standard of water quality. GS, one point, watershed extends 3, 4 or 10 miles. This whole area is in watershed. With respect to DEP, they have guidelines and they reviewed the whole project. Conservation measures were laid out to comply with
DEP’s standards. Monitoring/ Inspection will be at least twice a year for 3 years.
Adjournment of Public Hearing: Meeting Adjourned At 8:03PM
NOTE: Regular Planning Board meeting to follow, after a 15 minute recess.
Respectfully submitted,
Tanya Taft, Recording Sec.
Approved by: ____________________________________
Rick Micklon, Chair
Otisfield Planning Board
Approved on: ________________________________
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