Damariscotta voters face a moratorium vote on new development Nov. 7. On Monday night, the Planning Board held the first of four planned public hearings on the moratorium as well as the development in the works at 435 Main Street (Route 1B).

Part of the hearing involved a discussion about whether or not board member Shari Sage had a bias that would require her to recuse herself from any vote on the development. That matter was tabled. Then the discussion turned to the revised sketch of the development.

Dan Catlin of Commercial Properties Inc. went back to the drawing board after a meeting with residents in mid-September, and developed buildings that meet not only the site plan ordinance, but also the section of the code that relates to the New England appearance of the building.

Most attendees approved of the changes. While the nuts and bolts behind the development remain the same – three commercial buildings – a 22,000-square-foot structure for two retail stores, a 5,525-square-foot building that could house another retail store, a medical/dental office, or a restaurant, and a 2,700-square-foot building slated to house a bank with a drive through – the appearance of the buildings is markedly different. In the early version of the plan, the buildings looked like the buildings at the Topsham Fair Mall. Now the buildings have cedar shake shingles, dormer-like structures shielding a flat roof from view, and muted gray and white colors.

Still a concern is whether or not the plan will permit parking in front of the buildings, which Catlin said was needed from an Americans with Disabilities Act perspective as well as customer convenience. He is seeking a single waiver to create landscaping around the entire development in order to have at least some parking in front of each building. “I’m hoping the plan we have to screen the parking area from view will solve the dilemma,” he said.

Catlin said he was hopeful there was a change in how his development was being viewed by the majority in Damariscotta after the meeting.

Even if the moratorium passes, he said, he will continue to work on the details. He planned to be at the next planning board meeting Nov. 13.