Another marathon Damariscotta Planning Board session cleared a good deal of the board’s recurring docket Monday night, with approvals for the Dollar General/Sherman Williams project on the old Poole property at Route 1B and Biscay Road, the Joe Lane lobster roll restaurant in the former Skidompha used bookstore, and an illegal subdivision on Abbie Lane in rural Damariscotta; and notices of affirmative decisions for the Stepping Stones project on Hodgdon Street and the Inn Along the Way project for innovative housing on Route 1B.

The Dollar General project was approved pending decisions by the Maine Departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection, as well as letters of support from the fire and police departments and a site plan with the location of the agreed-upon sidewalk on Biscay Road and Route 1B. At the last selectmen’s meeting, the town and the developer had agreed in principle to have the developer donate the land to the town and that the state would construct a sidewalk at the busy intersection, and also agreed that the developer would fund the costs of the sidewalk. However, the developer is still waiting to hear from MDOT about the curb cut on Route 1B, which the town believes is too close to the intersection and will interfere with summer traffic. The town would prefer to have the driveway as far to the north as possible on the property, and if possible, have it exit only to the north. The town and MDOT, along with the developer, will make a field visit to the site and determine the best place for the driveway.

Without anyone from Stepping Stones or any protesters in attendance, the Planning Board issued a notice of decision for the Stepping Stones transitional housing project on Hodgdon. Shari Sage attempted to have the notice read “With a majority of the board” voting in favor, but the other board members rejected that. Sage voted against the project. “All approvals are voted on with the majority of the board,” Bruce Garren said. “It’s unnecessary.” The controversial project has been threatened with appeals and legal action. Administrative appeals, if any, must be filed within 30 days.

The Joe Lane lobster restaurant was granted approval to operate on Elm Street. Joe Lane had owned a mobile lobster roll unit, but when the used bookstore moved to larger quarters, Lane obtained the site and all necessary permits to open an in-store restaurant. The board voted the application complete and approved the use. There were some questions from neighbors about noise, odor, and what would be done with the trash, especially in the summer, and trash control was made a condition of approval.

Inn Along the Way was granted approval at the last meeting, but in this meeting, several waivers were considered, and most approved, regarding the unavailability of town water and sewer on the site. The project now includes an engineered wastewater treatment site.

The Abbie Lane subdivision came to light at the last planning board meeting, when Tara Waite of Whitefield was unable to close on the purchase of a parcel because the site was deemed an illegal subdivision. The lawyer for the bank that owned the property Waite was buying did a survey map and took other steps to make the subdivision possibly legal. The subdivision was approved, and the survey map will be registered in the county deeds office.

In addition, a preliminary site review for the Central Lincoln County YMCA expansion came before the board. The board looked at the maps and agreed to have Planner Tony Dater go through the documentation before the May meeting, when the application may be ruled complete and may be approved. The CLC YMCA has tabled plans for the swimming pool for now; that will be part of a phase two upgrade.

Another possible development came before the board. It would be on Route 1B between Damariscotta Hardware and the Gun Club, and would consist of a bank, a possible restaurant/retail space, and a larger retail space. The developer, Hoyle, Tanner and Associates of Brunswick, was interested in having frontage access roads connecting the hardware store and his property, with the potential that the frontage road would go all the way to Hannaford at the corner of Biscay Road and 1B.