MECHANIC FALLS – The Planning Board indefinitely tabled an application for a preschool Monday night, but allowed the applicant to open a day care with fewer children.

The board declined to act on the application because the town’s Zoning and Land Use Ordinance lacks a definition to address preschools. “We have rules for day care and day-care centers but the preschool definition is very vague. So, there is a gap in our ordinance that the Planning Board is going to have to debate and develop a definition in our Zoning and Land Use Ordinance,” said Code Enforcement Officer John Hawley.

As a consolation to applicant Jill Reed, the board voted to allow her to operate a day-care home for up to 12 children at 63 Park St., the site where she originally sought to have a preschool. Reed’s original application for a preschool would have allowed her to accommodate 20 children.

“The biggest debate was whether 20 kids would be an accessory use or a principal use. A principal use requires double the amount of frontage and land area for that zoning area. The Reeds are arguing that they are accessory use rather than a principal use and an accessory use wouldn’t require that much road frontage or land,” Hawley said.

In another issue, the board tabled a decision on a proposed seven-lot residential subdivision off Walker Road until July because the applicant, Building Management Co. of Mechanic Falls, needs to provide additional information.

“There were quite a few neighbors with concerns that this particular subdivision is going right next to the old municipal dump. In the past, some of the wells have tested positive for high levels of arsenic,” Hawley said, adding that neighbors were concerned that there would be potable water in that subdivision.

There was also concern by neighbors of additional traffic on Walker Road.