The Damariscotta Planning Board will hold three public hearings at its next meeting on Dec. 5. The meeting will begin half an hour earlier than usual, at 6:30 p.m. Each hearing will be held to a maximum of 30 minutes in order to get through the agenda.

At the Nov. 14 meeting, Stepping Stones Inc. presented its revised preliminary site plan for the multi-use residential development on the old Blue Haven site on Pleasant and Hodgdon streets. Stepping Stones is a housing development for people earning less than $17,000 per year. Partly in response to abutters’ concerns, the Stepping Stones board had moved from seven planned dwelling units to six, all on ground level to accommodate more elderly and disabled people. As has been the case at every planning board meeting that has been held on the proposal, neighbors turned out in force to oppose it. The planning board signaled that at least one issue had been resolved to their satisfaction, the issue of grandfathering the project. 

“As far as we are concerned, the issue of both the grandfathering of the buildings and the use issue was decided,” member Bruce Garren said. “We decided that issue as a board, with our town attorney’s and the code enforcement officer’s assistance.” The grandfathering and use issue was decided in September, before the plans were changed. The rest of the board, as well as Town Planner Anthony Dater, concurred that the new, smaller development did not change the question of whether the project could be considered grandfathered, or whether the use of the properties was substantially altered..

Also under consideration was the new building planned at the Miles Campus of LincolnHealth. The building will contain all the doctors’ offices, now spread out over several buildings. It is not yet known how the old buildings will be used, but one, the women’s clinic, will be torn down to make way for the new, larger building, according to LincolnHealth. At issue is how the new building will affect an existing assisted living complex also on the campus; whether the new building conforms with rules on medical facilities; and whether the building is consistent with rules governing building in  the shoreland zone. This project also has a Dec. 5 public hearing.

Hollis Land Consultants appeared with a preliminary sketch of an application to subdivide five lots on Heater Road into seven. This application will also have a public hearing on Dec. 5. One issue is a road covenant that would require purchasers to build and maintain Heater Road. There are other residents on the road, so it is unclear how the road would be built without other residents’ support.

Applicants for two other projects on the agenda did not appear. Dater said the developers of a residential project in the downtown commercial district, known as Griffen, indicated that they would try to be ready by the next meeting. Pemaquid Oyster Company is still undergoing mediation with its neighbor, and may not be ready for the next meeting, Dater said.

Inn Along The Way updated the board on its ongoing plans but did not require approval at this time.