A Bremen woman is in negotiations to purchase a River Road property in hopes of expanding her aquaculture business. The Edgecomb Planning Board heard about Tonie Simmons’ plan to expand her current oyster harvesting operation into town. Simmons expects the expansion to create 3-5 jobs. 

Simmons and her lawyer, Peter Drum of Damariscotta, addressed the planning board on August 7 about her proposal. Simmons needs planning board approval to construct a second pier on the property. Drum indicated that Simmons’ interest in purchasing the property was contingent on building the second pier.

“It is crucial to the entire operation,” Drum said. “Without it, she could not and would not purchase the property.”

Drum presented the planning board a brief overview of her proposal. Simmons is negotiating to purchase the property on 661 River Road from Margaret Schuler.

After the purchase, Simmons plans on constructing a pier and an oyster house. Simmons also plans on using a barn already built on the 11-acre parcel as part of her operation.

Simmons believes the expansion will make her entire operation more “efficient and professional.” Simmons currently harvests oysters in the Damariscotta River for Muscongus Bay Aquaculture in Bremen and Dodge Cove Marine Farms in Damariscotta.

“The thrust is to improve the entire operation, so that it improves the local business,” Simmons said. “We’re already quite successful, but a location like this would make it more so.”

Drum plans on presenting a formal plan during the next planning board meeting in two weeks. Simmons hopes to close on the land purchase within the next 45 days. The planning board indicated that Simmons would need to submit shoreland and site plan applications.

In other action, the board heard a proposal to tear down a Parsons Point Road residence and re-build it. Architect Tor Glendinning spoke on property owner Christopher Perry’s behalf. Perry wants to rebuild the family cottage built in the 1920s and replace it with a  modern structure. Glendinning said the plan was to rebuild a larger structure in the same footprint.

The residence is a non-conforming structure. Perry wants to increase the building’s volume by 29.5 percent in the non-conforming portion. The ordinance allows non-conforming rebuilt structures to increase its volume up to 30 percent.

However, the board wasn’t sure if a portion of the original structure must remain intact during the rebuild. Planning Board chairman Jack French believed the ordinance required at least 50 percent of the non-conforming structure to stay intact.

The board decided to seek a legal opinion about the ordinance requirements.

“Let us study it and get back to you,” French told Glendinning. “We’ll have an attorney look at it which is good for you. We’re here to try and help people. The board will do whatever it can to make this possible.”

French expected to notify Glendinning about the attorney’s interpretation in a couple of days.

The board also ruled in favor of The View Development, LLC’s request to amend its subdivision plan. The developer requested last month to shift the location of a building on the previously approved plan. The planning board deemed it a “minor change” which didn’t require further review.

The planning board will meet next  at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21 in the municipal room.