By Winslow Durgin,Special to the Sun Journal

MINOT – The Planning Board Tuesday night voted to recommend that no more building permits be issued for lots in the Center Minot Heights subdivision.

Chairman John Geismar directed board member Candace Benwitz to prepare a letter to Turner developers Dan Carroll and Kurt Youland of KRY Inc. detailing some of the discrepancies the board found between what the plans show for stormwater drainage and how the road and drainage system for the 12-lot subdivision was actually constructed.

“No more permits will be issued until they get this right,” said Geismar.

One of the problems noted was that the plans show drainage for Lots 2, 3 and 4 flowing along the north side of Highland Drive into the fire pond located between Lots 1 and 2. As built, a culvert takes runoff water under Highland Drive away from the fire pond.

Board member Larry Slattery noted that the fire pond has a minimal amount of water in it now and he was concerned it would be difficult to fill it the way the drainage is now arranged.

Benwitz pointed out that the plans show the fire pond’s overflow going directly into a culvert and under Highland Drive, then spreading out as it goes through the woods toward Center Minot Hill Road. The way it has been built, the overflow goes down along Highland Drive and crosses it at Center Minot Hill Road. That culvert, Benwitz noted, is already plugging up with sand that washed off the construction area during the heavy spring rain.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection should be notified, Benwitz said, because it was the DEP that issued the project a stormwater permit in March 2004.

“The DEP needs to be made aware of this. They should be sent a letter, a heads-up, that this doesn’t even look good,” said Benwitz.

Geismar noted that this incident points out a flaw in the town’s road acceptance procedures. Highland Drive was accepted as a town road at the March 2005 town meeting, based on an engineer’s report that found it to be meeting the requirements of the town’s road ordinance. However, Geismar pointed out, the engineer was not requested – or required – to make sure the stormwater plan had been followed.

A letter to the developers, advising them of the Planning Board’s recommendation, will also be copied for the selectmen, code enforcement officer, the road manager and the DEP.

In other business, the Planning Board conditionally accepted Peter Therriault’s site plan review application to construct a building for his cabinet-making business on four acres near the top of Jackson Hill Road. A public hearing on Therriault’s project was scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 6 in the town office.

Copy the Story Link