Nouria Energy’s car wash in Wiscasset will grow 520 square feet, and Planning Board Chair Karl Olson said he is looking forward to a cup of coffee at Steamed Beans Coffee Emporium downtown. Monday night, the board unanimously nodded the coffee shop, and Nouria’s project that will make the 1,560 square foot car wash at 695 Bath Road one-third bigger, according to documents South Portland firm Gorrill Palmer submitted for Nouria.

Gorrill Palmer’s Doug Reynolds told the board over Zoom, the project will upgrade the tunnel and change the vacuum islands’ style. The project will also rebuild the access road, replace curbing and may get another 10 cars an hour through the car wash, according to the proposal. Nouria leases the property from Old Dog, LLC, the documents state.

Also Monday, the board asked and answered questions on a possible array of non-moving solar panels off Gardiner Road’s east side, near Wiscasset School Department’s bus garage.

A March 30 letter from Topsham’s Stantec Consulting Services sought the pre-application talk on behalf of Norwich Solar Technologies in Brunswick. The letter states the land is mostly forest; Patricia and Thomas Thibeault of Cundy’s Harbor own it.  The concept is for “linear arrays of ... panels ... mounted on metal racking supported by vertical posts driven or screwed into the ground,” the letter reads. It states the approximately 1.75-megawatt facility would have fencing, an access road, and inverters and electrical collector lines.

Responding to a question from Olson, Stantec and Norwich representatives said the array will look like one at nearby Morris Farm. They said the trees will help screen a neighbor’s home from the array. And Norwich’s Martha Staskus asked how confident they can be Wiscasset will adopt the solar ordinance that has been drafted.

Olson said the draft will provide “our guideline” but, until a town-wide vote, cannot be enforced. “I don’t think there’s anything terribly different in there that our land use ordinance would not require anyway, or that you’re not doing,” he said.

Staskus praised the draft ordinance. “From a development standpoint, it’s a very nice document. It’s very complete and thorough and clean and understandable. So we appreciate having that as a guide.”

Norwich plans to apply this spring or summer for a site plan review, according to the letter.

As for the coffee shop, John and Christy Brandt said they plan to lease 1,000 square feet of leased space at 51B Water Street, formerly Water Street Antiques. The board approved the change of use.

The board also approved – pending submission of dimensions – a request from Sea Coast Coffee and Birches Coffee Bar at 564 Bath Road to add about six tables behind the building, a garden hut in a clearing in the woods, and a seasonal restroom in a shed on a cement slab.

The board set a 7 p.m. April 26 public hearing on the newly revised solar ordinance draft.