Vassalboro Planning Board
Town office Building
682 Main Street
Vassalboro, Maine 04962
Minutes of 08-02-11 Meeting

Present:
Ginny Brackett, Chair
Sally Butler
George Gould
Leon Cummings
Maryanne Hubert

Doug Phillips excused on vacation

Chair opened meeting at 7:00 PM

1. Site Review

Maine Metal Recycling
Application for trailer repair facility
Bruce Osbourn ERA Webb Real Estate
Dick Belisle- MMR
Jeff Micaud –owner of property

They plan on leasing property from Michaud and keeping no more that 6 trailers on site at any one time.Belisle stated they only have 18 trailers in this area in total.
The reason this property is being utilized is its central location to where they haul.
Maine business is located in Auburn.

Mrs. Austin- as an abutter doesn’t not want the site enlarged.

Belisle represented that they will be working only a 5 day week ,no weekends and maintain hours of 7:00 am to 4:00 p.m.

Site Review

Ginny- Must have name,address on map (added)
Acceptance of application as complete
4/0

SECTION X. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS – Major
A. The Site Plan shall be approved, unless the Planning Board makes a written finding that the applicant is not able to meet one or more of these standards. In all instances, the burden of proof shall be on the applicant and such burden of proof shall include the production of evidence necessary to complete the application.
Approved with addition of Name and address 4/0

1. The provisions for vehicular loading and unloading and parking and for vehicular and pedestrian circulation on the site and onto adjacent public streets and ways will create no hazards to safety and will conform to the following:

Access to the Site:

a. Any driveway or proposed street must be designed so as to provide the minimum sight distance according to the Maine Department of Transportation standards, to the maximum extent possible.

b. Points of access and egress must be located to avoid hazardous conflicts with existing turning movements and traffic flows.

c. The grade of any proposed drive or street must be not more than +3% for a minimum of two (2) car lengths, or forty feet, from the intersection.

d. The intersection of any access/egress drive or proposed street must function at a level which will allow for safe access into and out of the project if at least one thousand (1,000) trips are generated.

e. Where a lot has frontage on two (2) or more streets, the primary access to and egress from the lot must be provided from the street where there is less potential for traffic congestion and for traffic and pedestrians hazards. Access from other streets may be allowed if is safe and does not promote shortcutting through the site.

f. Where it is necessary to safeguard against hazards to traffic and pedestrians and/or to avoid traffic congestion, the applicant shall be responsible for providing turning lanes, traffic directional islands, and traffic controls within public streets.

g. Access ways must be designed and have sufficient capacity to avoid queuing of entering vehicles on any public street.

h. The following criteria must be used to limit the number of driveways serving a proposed project:

• No use that generates less than one hundred (100) vehicle trips per day shall have more than one (1) two-way driveway onto a single roadway. Such driveway must be no greater than thirty (30) feet wide.
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• No use which generates one hundred (100) or more vehicle trips per day shall have more than two (2) points of entry from and two (2) points of egress to a single roadway. The combined width of all access ways must not exceed sixty (60) feet.

Access way Location and Spacing:
Access ways must meet the following standards:

a. Private entrance/exits must be located at least fifty (50) feet from the closest un-signalized intersection and one hundred fifty (150) feet from the closest signalized intersection, as measured from the point of tangency for the corner to the point of tangency for the access way.
This requirement may be reduced if the shape of the site does not allow conformance with this standard.

b. Private access ways in or out of a development must be separated by a minimum of seventy-five (75) feet where possible.

Internal Vehicular Circulation
a. The layout of the site must provide for the safe movement of passenger, service, and emergency vehicles through the site.

b. Nonresidential projects that will be served by delivery vehicles must provide a clear route for such vehicles with appropriate geometric design to allow turning and backing for a minimum of a vehicle with a wheelbase of 40 feet.

c. Clear routes of access must be provided and maintained for emergency vehicles to and around buildings and must be posted with appropriate signage (fire lane - no parking).

d. The layout and design of parking areas must provide for safe and convenient circulation of vehicles throughout the lot.

e. All roadways must be designed to harmonize with the topographic and natural features of the site insofar as practical by minimizing filling, grading, excavation, or other similar activities which result in unstable soil conditions and soil erosion, by fitting the development to the natural contour of the land and avoiding substantial areas of excessive
grade and tree removal, and by retaining existing vegetation during construction. The road network must provide for vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist safety, all season emergency access, snow storage, and delivery and collection services.

2. The location or height of proposed structures and the proposed uses thereof will not be detrimental to other public or private development in the neighborhood.

3. The provision for on-site landscaping provides adequate protection to neighboring properties from detrimental features of the development.
The development must provide for the buffering of adjacent uses where14 there is a transition from one type of use to another use and for screening of mechanical equipment and service and storage areas. Buffering must be designed to provide a year-round visual screen in order to minimize adverse impacts. It may consist of fencing, evergreens,
berms, rocks, boulders, mounds, or a combination thereof.

A development must provide sufficient buffering when topographical or other barriers do not provide reasonable screening and where there is a need to:

• Shield neighboring properties from any adverse external effects of the development, or
• Shield the development from the negative impacts of adjacent uses. The width of the buffer may vary depending on the treatment of the area. Within densely built-up areas, a buffer with dense plantings, fencing, or changes in grade may be as little as five (5) feet in width. A buffer with moderate levels of planting should be ten (10) feet to fifteen (15) feet in width. In suburban and rural settings, the width of the vegetated buffer should be increased to a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet. Areas adjacent to service loading or storage areas should be screened by dense planting, berms, fencing, or a combination thereof with a width of a minimum of five (5) feet.
  

4. The proposed use will not impose undue burdens so as to exceed the capacity of the sewers, sanitary and storm drains, water, solid waste, fire protection, or other public facilities.
Approved 4/0

Storage of Materials -

Exposed nonresidential storage areas, exposed machinery, and areas used for the storage or collection of discarded automobiles, auto parts, metals or other articles of salvage or refuse must have sufficient setbacks and screening (such as a stockade fence or a dense evergreen hedge) to provide a visual buffer sufficient to minimize their impact on abutting residential uses and users of public streets. All dumpsters or similar large collection receptacles for trash or other wastes must be located on level surfaces, which are paved or graveled. Where the dumpster or receptacle is located in a yard which abuts a residential or institutional use or a public street, it must be screened by fencing or landscaping.

Where a potential safety hazard to children is likely to arise, physical screening sufficient to deter small children from entering the premises must be provided and maintained in good condition.

5. The Site Plan provides sufficient information to show that storm water will be adequately drained from the site with no adverse impact on other property or publicly owned drainage systems.
Approved 4/0

6. Soil erosion and all other adverse impacts on the soil, ground water, and surface water shall be prevented. Ground water shall not be adversely impacted in quality or quantity. Adequate provisions must be made for the collection and disposal of all storm water that runs off from proposed streets, parking areas, roofs and other surfaces, through a storm water drainage system and maintenance plan, which must not have adverse impacts on abutting or downstream properties
Approved 4/0.

7. The provisions for exterior lighting do not create hazards to motorists traveling on adjacent public streets and are adequate for the safety of occupants or users of the site and such provisions will not damage the value and diminish the usability of adjacent properties.
Approved 4/0

Exterior Lighting - The proposed development must have adequate exterior lighting to provide for its safe use during nighttime hours, if such use is contemplated.

Lighting may be used which serves security, safety and operational needs but which does not directly or indirectly produce deleterious effects on abutting properties or which would impair the vision of a vehicle operator on adjacent roadways. Lighting fixtures must be shielded or hooded so that the lighting elements are not exposed to normal view by motorists, pedestrians, or from adjacent dwellings and so that they do not unnecessarily light the night sky. Direct or indirect illumination must not exceed 0.5 foot-candles at the lot line or upon abutting residential properties.

All exterior lighting, except security lighting, must be turned off between 11 P.M. and 6 A.M. unless located on the site of a commercial or industrial use that is open for business during that period. Wiring to light poles and standards must be underground.

8. An applicant for Site Plan approval has provided evidence of his financial capability to complete the development as planned. This could include a letter of support from an accredited financial institution or some other means of documenting financial solvency.
Approved 4/0

9. The proposed development will not create safety hazards and will provide adequate access for emergency vehicles to the site, and to all buildings on the site.
Approved 4/0

10.The proposed development will not adversely affect the use and enjoyment of abutting property as a result of noise, vibrations, fumes, odor, dust, glare, or other cause.
Approved 4/0

Conditions Placed upon Apllicant and Owner

1. No Floor Drains Allowed in any area of structure.
2. No More than 6 Trailers on site at one time.
No use of Driveway or ROW for parking of trailers. Copy of signed lease with all conditions assigned.

Motion to Approve George Gould/2nd LeonCummings All in favor 4/0

2. Mainemaid-

Tabled
No one present from Mainemaid
Incomplete Application
Contact them to complete app and attend next meeting.

3. Other

Ginny wants everyone to bring the copy of subdivision revisions that Paul had initiated to the next meeting to start our review.

Adjourn @ 9:15p.m.

Next meeting will be September 06,2011