Wiscasset planning board

Clark’s Point gets latest nod

Tue, 05/01/2018 - 5:15pm

Wiscasset's approval of Clark's Point Development's latest update will help sell more homes at the subdivision, co-owner Scott Lalumiere said Monday night. Minutes earlier, the planning board determined the application was complete and then accepted the project.

"We're really pleased," Lalumiere told reporters afterward. The LLC is in talks with two potential homebuyers for the seven-lot area just approved for single family homes, he said. Prior plans involved condominiums in that area near the tennis courts according to Lalumiere and consultant Karl Olson said.

Lalumiere said the board has now approved 17 lots. Four have homes on them now and the other 13 are for sale, he said. When complete, the subdivision will likely number about 60 lots, Lalumiere said.

Also Monday night, Al Cohen told fellow board members, missing pages on the town’s application form have not been the only source of his confusion in applying for a project.

Cohen reiterated concerns he aired in prior planning board and Ordinance Review Committee meetings, that Wiscasset, post-planner, is not being business-friendly. As he continues to work toward applying, he has gotten a lawyer’s help, he said in Monday’s meeting. Cohen said parts of the application don’t match the ordinance.

“It’s confusing. We don’t have a town planner so we’re not business-friendly. It’s hard to do business here right now,” Cohen continued.

Soule said a difference between the application and the ordinance didn’t surprise him and he may also have an attorney look into it. He told Cohen, “Your project is very serious, and we want to dot every i.” Asked later about the comment, Soule explained the concern was based on the fact a legal case arose from a prior project of Cohen’s. In December 2017, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rejected Thomas and Kathleen Bryant’s appeal of earlier court findings in favor of the town’s approval of Cohen’s fireworks storage building on JB’s Way.

Town Manager Marian Anderson has said if there’s a problem with the applications, that’s a concern to her and she would be looking into the matter. Attempts to reach her for an update were not immediately successful.