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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-06 Planning Board Minutes PLANNING BOARD TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026, 7:00 P.M. ST COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1 FLOOR OF CITY HALL 73 HARLOW STREET MEETING MINUTES Board Members Present: Jonathan Boucher Ted Brush Justin Cartier Trish Hayes Greg Hobson Ken Huhn Janet Jonas Ross Whitford City Staff Present: Matt Altiero, Planning Analyst Anja Collette, Planning Officer Jefferson Davis, City Engineer Grace Innis, Assistant Solicitor Rich May, Stormwater Manager Planning Officer Anja Collette called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. 1. Election of Officers Planning Officer Anja Collette presented the agenda item and gave an overview of the nomination & election process. Member Jonas nominated Member Boucher for the office of Chair. Seconded by Member Huhn. Roll call Chair Boucher made his introduction and opened the nominations for the office of Vice Chair. favor, none opposed. Member Jonas elected to the office of Vice Chair. OLD BUSINESS 2. Meeting Minutes 73 HARLOW STREET, BANGOR, ME 04401 TELEPHONE: (207) 992-4280 FAX: (207) 945-4447 WWW.BANGORMAINE.GOV City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes Î Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Member Huhn moved to approve the minutes of December 16, 2025, seconded by Vice Chair Jonas. All voting members in favor, none opposed. Motion passed. 3. Adoption of Findings opposed. Motion passed. NEW BUSINESS PUBLIC HEARING - LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS 4. To amend the Land Development Code by removing Ohio Street and State Street from the Minor Arterial Street definition and adding Ohio Street to the Major Arterial definition. Chair Boucher introduced the agenda item. Planning Officer Collette reviewed a presentation on the proposed amendments. Key points that were made are as follows: This change does not mean that Ohio Street would be physically changing. There are no plans to widen Ohio Street or otherwise physically make it into a higher capacity road. The current zoning, current water and sewer infrastructure, and the growth boundary and future land use plan in the Comprehensive Plan are the controlling factors on what types of development might be allowed and where infrastructure would be extended. o Water and sewer infrastructure are also controlling factors on the intensity of development that can go on a site o Outer Ohio Street is outside the growth boundary and designated as rural residential in the future land use plan; the Comprehensive Plan states that water and sewer infrastructure will be limited to within the growth boundary o Only a few uses would be allowed by this change in the Rural Residential and Agricultural zone, such as direct farm sales and places of worship Many of the uses affected by this change are conditional uses, where the Planning Board has discretion to decide whether the traffic impacts of a project are too great and whether the intensity and scale of a proposed use fits in with the neighborhood Where there are existing uses along Ohio Street that are currently prohibited by the Code because expansion is limited and these types of uses could not be newly constructed on a site. Chair Boucher opened the public comments. Member of the public Joe Pratt presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Planning Officer Collette responded and provided some clarification. Page 2 | 6 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes Î Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Member of the public Emily Samarian presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Member of the public Cindy Levesque presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Member of the public Rick Bronson presented to the podium and expressed some concern as to why the amendment is being proposed. Member of the public Hannah Weisberger presented to the podium and expressed neutrality on the proposed amendment but did express some concern regarding traffic and road infrastructure. Member of the public John Schnek presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Member of the public Jeff Fournier presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Member of the public Anna Maria Viason presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Member of the public Jack McKay presented to the podium and expressed some opposition to the proposed amendment but did ask for some clarification regarding existing non-conforming uses along Ohio Street and benefits from potential density increases. Member of the public Patrick Allen presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment and asked for some clarification regarding the inclusion of the outer portion of Ohio Street in the regarding the motivation for proposing the amendment. Member of the public Martha Voorhees presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment, but did ask if a four-way stop could be added to the end of the Davis Road. Voorhees also echoed concerns regarding the motivation for proposing the amendment. Member of the public Tammy Smith Boyle presented to the podium and asked about vacant land at the corner of the Davis Road and Ohio Street, and rumored potential uses of this land. Planning Officer Collette responded and confirmed that no proposed uses of this land are currently known to City staff or Board members. Member of the public John Dionne presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Member of the public Mary Tedesco Schnek presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Page 3 | 6 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes Î Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Member of the public Kyle Mallar McDonald presented to the podium and expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. Chair Boucher closed the public comments. Planning Officer Collette provided response to the public comments and the questions raised, reiterating the points made during the presentation. Chair Boucher asked the Board for any questions or comments. Vice Chair Jonas asked about a previous zone change fo Collette responded that that property owner had to go to the Neighborhood Service District in order to sell from their farm. Jonas clarified for the public that the proposed amendment seeks to change the definition of major Alternate Member Cartier asked if staff has an argument in support of the proposed amendment, and asked if this was being proposed as a way for the City to allow more chemical dependency treatment facilities along Ohio Street. Collette stated that it was not and that that use would only be allowed in the G&ISD (Government & Institutional Service District) zone, which is only present in a few pockets along Ohio Street. Collette further stated that if someone wanted to put that use in a place along Ohio Street that is not currently zoned G&ISD, they would have to come to the City for a zone change. Collette also provided some additional clarification regarding potential benefits of the proposed amendment. Member Huhn commented that he has never seen a hidden agenda from the City regarding Planning Board business in his eight years serving on the Board. Chair Boucher commented that he sees the proposed amendment as a largely clerical change that would Officer Collette responded and clarified. Boucher also followed up on a question raised by a member of the would be allowed to continue existing, but would not be able to expand and may have other issues with redevelopment. Alternate Member Cartier expressed opposition to the proposed amendment regarding Ohio Street due to the difference in feel between State Street and Ohio Street, but did express support for removing State Street from the definition of minor arterials. Boucher clarified the difference between how the streets are defined and their urban or rural feel, stating that some major arterials also transition into rural, undeveloped areas. Chair Boucher commented on possible confusion regarding the definition of a major arterial. Member Huhn moved that the Board recommend to City Council that the proposal to amend the Land Development Code by removing Ohio Street and State Street from the Minor Arterial Street definition and adding Ohio Street to the Major Arterial definition ought to pass. Seconded by Vice Chair Jonas. Roll call Page 4 | 6 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes Î Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Brush, Huhn, and Whitford and Vice Chair Jonas, all due to feeling that Ohio Street does not meet the current definition of a major arterial). Motion failed. Recommendation to City Council will be that the proposal ought not to pass. OTHER BUSINESS 5. Assistant Solicitor Grace Innis presented to the podium and provided the Board with their annual legal training. Vice Chair Jonas asked for clarification regarding the protocol for Board members who are found to have a Member Hayes asked if there are circumstances duri Assistant Solicitor Innis responded and discussed. Hayes mentioned some concern over implications from members of the public that City staff and/or Board members have a hidden agenda. Alternate Member Cartier noted that he posed his questions directly to City staff in the interest of transparency and having it noted on the record that there is no hidden agenda. Chair Boucher asked for some further discussion and training regarding handling tense public comment while not infringing upon First Amendment rights. Discussed with Board members and Assistant Solicitor Innis. Innis agreed to follow up with him. Stormwater Manager Rich May presented to the podium and provided the Board with their annual stormwater training. Planning Officer Anja Collette presented to the podium and provided the Board with their annual planning training. Chair Boucher asked whether the Board could request a contract zone while reviewing a standard zone responded that this is done by Planning staff. Chair Boucher asked about decommissioning bonds and other types of improvement bonds, and what triggers 6. Follow-Up/Thoughts on Land Use Plan Updates No discussion. Chair Boucher welcomed Members Hobson and Whitford to the Board, and expressed gratitude for being Page 5 | 6 City of Bangor Planning Division Planning Board Meeting Minutes Î Tuesday, January 6, 2026 elected to the office of Chair. Meeting adjourned at 9:17 pm. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Maquillan, Development Assistant Planning Division Page 6 | 6