Right. Welcome everybody to this planning board meeting uh Wednesday, January 21st. First item on our agenda. Why am I hearing? Yeah, there >> myself. >> All right. Uh first item on our agenda is a roll call. Tonight we have Ashley Casease. We've got Lisa Buck, myself, Phil Ruff. We've got Jud Macintosh, Michael Costello, John Beckett, and Christa Swiner on the end. Uh, next up is acceptance of the agenda. Can I get a motion? >> So move. >> Second. Uh, any additions? Uh, EJ, were you able to get that item you wanted? I saw it on here. >> You had emailed me adding something. Is it is this current? >> Got it. All right. Uh, no other comments. All those in favor? All right. Uh, next up is approval of the minutes of the September 17th, 2025 and December 17th, 2025 planning board meetings. And we kicked uh the meeting minutes from the 17th to this meeting because we didn't have uh an a quorum for the people that attended that meeting. We still don't have a quorum uh as I understand it. Uh because Bob Bear is absent. So we're going to move this again. I don't remember. Do I need a guess? We need a motion to move it, right? To table it. >> Yeah, let's uh I get a motion. >> So moved. >> Very good. Uh second. >> All right, we're all set. All those in favor of bumping it to the next meeting. That's just the September 17th minutes. All right. Next up is approval of the planning board minutes from Wednesday, December 17th, 2025. We do have a quorum for that. Can I get a motion, please? >> So moved. >> Very good. Second. All right. Uh any comments? I I just uh Yeah, I guess we'll deal with that. Uh I didn't have any. I did have some on the other ones. You can save some time by doing a find and replace Ashley Beckett versus Ashley Casease. So, take a look at the September 17th and you can correct that by the next meeting. There we go. Save you some grief next time. All right. Any edits on the December 17th? >> No. Anything? >> No edits. Wow. Nice. Good job, Maddie. Uh, okay. uh as presented. All those in favor? All right. Next up, we have a public hearing under new business. We have one public hearing. It's a public hearing in decision for a minor site plan review application of Timothy Kolacowski. Hope I got that somewhat right. uh to establish a home occupation uh home me medical office within one within one of the existing structures at 63 Bennck Road Tax Map 19-4 lot 7 in the MDR zoning district and just so you folks know uh we typically have the applicant come up uh present the project uh explain to us what they proposed to do uh we get a little feedback from town staff and then we'll open it up for public hearing But first up, uh, comments from the board, a little bit of review. So, I'm guessing you're the applicant. All right. Could you stand up? Tell us who you are and what you propose, please. >> And I don't know how much you have. >> Yep. >> Go ahead. >> Well, in the past, we've actually had some preparatory marks. Oh, I guess EJ, you're you're ready to go. Uh, are we going to stick with that that process or are we going to have applicants? I I was under the impression that we're going to revert back to our >> We're going to do a little bit of a hybrid. Um, I can queue up and go through um our responses and then allow uh Mr. Kulakoski to share his additional inputs and then we can ask questions then if that's fine. >> Okay. I just want to go back to a conversation we had last time. preference is and I I think we heard this amongst many board members is that we I guess and I'm recalling last meeting that we would prefer to hear from the applicant >> and staff fills in the the bl >> but you're teed up. Let's uh let's hear your presentation EJ and and >> Mr. Kulicowski you can fill in the gaps. >> All right. next time. I I think that's what we were comfortable with from meetings past. So, pre-IS Isabel, so I I think we we prefer that. >> Okay, sounds good. [snorts] Excellent. Um EJ Roach on the planning and economic development manager for the town of Oro. Um providing information about a minor site plan review, 63 Bennck Road, uh January 21st, 2026. Um, as you can see, the project description located, um, 63 Bennock Road. Um, applicant is for a direct primary care office, Tim Kolicowski, Sunrise Family Medicine. Uh, minor site plan review, establishment of a home business, uh, is located in the medium density residential MDR zone. Tax map 19-4, lot 7. Um, as you can see, it's a little tricky. You can see where it's located in this picture. It's kind of highlighted where the MDR uh within the MD MDR zone. I just wanted to show you where it is located to other uh parts of downtown and other zoning uh in the unlikely event that we were close to other zones and needed to to make some adjustments for use. Um this is a uh sketch of the site plan. Um, as you can see from your packet, uh, the home office will be located on the second floor of an existing, uh, two-car garage. It was an apartment above. Uh, he's going to renovate that to, uh, become the home office. Um town staff has visited the site has provided some recommendations for egress um and changes to his original plan that would have impacted setback. Uh the uh exterior staircase was going to uh come within 10 ft of an existing boundary. So we had them relocated out the back to allow for more space. Um so there's the site plan the the house uh Bennock Road is on the right and you can see the the additions of uh where the parking will be identified to scale uh additional egress. You received that in your packet and we can come back and answer questions if there are specific but we can go through. Um it is a home business considered a home occupation. Uh this is an allowed use in the MDR zone. Um the use does not involve any new exterior construction or changes to the site. Uh minimum lot size requirement in this zone is 15,000 square ft. Uh this current parcel is in excess of 20,470. Requires a minimum road frontage of 80 ft. We have approximately 100. Um so there are no changes to any dimensional aspect setback um side, front, rear, etc. Um, the home business will have one employee with the potential to add uh one additional employee. Uh, we thought it was important to include that in this proposal. So, in the um likely event if um they did add employees, they wouldn't have to come back to planning board. So, we're going to assume two at the most. And we did the um the requirements based on two employees. Um the home business is approximately 740 square feet of the overall 4500 plus finished structure. Uh meaning it's approximately 17 square ft of the overall structure which meets the requirements of being 25% or less. Um the home business is likely to generate approximately five to six trips uh trip ends per day uh consistent with the number of uh visitors uh uh patients expected to be seen on the premise. Traffic likely Monday through Friday. Um the off- streetet parking and loading uh located in this zone. This u parcel requires two off- streetet parking spots for dwelling units uh with two or more bedrooms and one off- streetet parking spot for every 250 suite of uh gross leasable square ft. Um this proposed use would require an additional three parking spots. Um and as you can see per the sketch to scale um and we have verified this with a visit to from town staff on the property um this existing parking area can accommodate up to five parking stalls which meets the standards provided or required within this section. Um the proposed change of use here will involve the additional addition of an external staircase uh to meet second means of egress. Uh it will not impact any setback requirements as I earlier mentioned. Um no additions or expansions to impervious surface. Uh use will take place in a single family dwelling specifically the second uh finished second floor of the garage. Entrance to the office is located in the rear of the garage. Uh traffic and pedestrian access. Um as noted above uh applicant expects to see approximately five to six clients per day on days when business is open should be minimal impact to traffic. Um and the additional five spots are uh included in the site. No new buildings proposed. Therefore these standards are not applicable. No storage materials uh on the external uh site. Um the home is located on public water and sewer. Uh we confirmed um with various uh municipal entities the actual actually the conversion of this from a one-bedroom apartment to home occupation will actually reduce wastewater usage. Uh proposed change does not require any changes to existing utilities. Uh application has the capacity no new major construction just internal uh renovation. So he has the capacity to do so. Um, we confirm the applicant has indicated they anticipate continuing to use municipal waste. There are no changes to the overall capacity. Um, no additional bins were will be permitted or needed. Um, the applicant will contact contract with a licensed medical waste disposal company to handle all medical waste. Uh, example gloves, use gauze, needles, etc. Um, that was confirmed by uh town staff. Uh all noise will be required to adhere to the provisions of this section including staying below sound limitations including uh during any renovation. Um due the due to the proposed project not involving the expansion or addition of any structures uh or impervious changes to the site. Um these criteria storm water management, erosion control, natural features, historic and archaeological resources, hazardous materials and water quality are not applicable to this proposed project. Um so those are the technical um items from the findings of fact that we reviewed um and confirmed with staff and then I can turn things over to Mr. Kolicowski and he can talk a little bit more about uh his business, what he's doing, and sort his impact on the community and answer any questions uh the board may have. >> Thank you. >> Is your green light on? Now it is. How about now? Okay. Hi, I'm I'm Tim Kulicowski. Um I'm a family doctor. I live here in Orno. I've I've been here for about 18 years. um in our current place for about 10 and I'm largely interested in making this change because as Lisa and I were were talking about this sadly healthc care has uh become incredibly frustrating and dysfunctional um on a lot of levels. Um frustrating for patients it's hard to get in. Uh it's hard to be seen when you need to be seen. It's um it's disappointing because you often are rushed through visits. You don't have time to have all your issues addressed. Um and it's not always that way, but more often than it should be. And it's not only frustrating for patients, it's disappointing for for doctors as well. Um, some more recent data showed that we're limited to about 25 to maybe a third of our day on direct patient care. The rest of it is chewed up on clerical and administrative tasks which really don't contribute to patient care or clinical outcomes. It's just a requirement in the bureaucracy of our current system. And when you've put years of your life into training to become a physician and um invested a lot of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars, when you get to the other end and you're prevented from spending your day doing the clinical care that you would like to offer patients, which they want and need, uh it's really disappointing. Um, so you know, you're you're stuck in the current system, but there is this model that's emerging. It's about 20 years old now. It's called direct primary care. And 20 years ago, there were just a handful of practices in the country. You could count them on one hand, but it's been growing rapidly. And there's several thousand now. Um, there's quite a few in Maine and they're growing. And um what it does it basically is it puts time back into the equation and it flips that ratio. So the the majority of your day is actually spent um providing clinical care to your patients and meeting their needs and the minority of your day is spent on uh administrative and clerical work. But it's work that you need to do to keep your office structured and running so that you have the framework to actually provide the clinical care. So you know the model has been recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians and and other healthc care organizations as being a solution to a lot of the pain points for for patients and doctors. Um, it's been recognized as being uh ethical and sustainable. And I've got several classmates who I graduated from medical school with here in Maine who are doing it and they're they're quite happy. They said, "Oh, you know, we we finally get to be doctors and not, you know, data entry clerks and we get to spend our time making a difference." And their patients are are also pretty happy. So that's my motivation is, you know, I'm trying to um get myself in a situation where I have a a satisfying meaningful work situation and I can make a positive impact on uh my patients lives rather than be stuck in a situation where you're uh you're kind of forced to play a losing game and you just can't quite ever do everything that needs to be done because you're hamstrung in a situation that uh really leaves you with your hands tied behind your back and it's a frustrating scenario. There's a lot of data, I don't know if you heard anything about it in the news, but they're always polling physicians. And this is largely why the physician job satisfaction's at an all-time low and uh burnout's at a record high. It's not because doctors don't work hard or have a problem with it. It's because we like our work to be valuable to to our patients and to mean something. So the the model is a is a nice fix. It's a it's a win for patients and and doctors because the satisfaction of both goes up. And when you introduce more time so that you can have a relationship with your patients and meet their needs from a a medical standpoint, but also from a u just a bedside manner personal relationship in the in the doctor patient context, uh it's it's a lot more gratifying and the clinical outcomes improve and costs are lower as well because if you're putting having the time in to catch things early to prevent problems from getting worse. People do better, they're healthier, and the costs are are lower. So, it ends up um just working. It kind of checks all the boxes. So, I think you you got in the material that I submitted, I tried to just do a brief comparison. current system family doc has about 2,000 patients sees about 20 to 25 a day. Um in direct primary care you know I anticipate uh patient panel of about 450 when I'm full and it'll probably take me about two years to get there. So instead of 20 to 25 rushed visits a day and the minority of my day being uh providing clinical care, it'll be about four to six visits a day and the majority of my day will be clinical care. And the the four to six is um people coming to the office. the rest of your day, you're actually providing care, but you're because you're not hamstrung by having to make people come to the office. You communicate with people via phone, uh, text, email, FaceTime, so you can just do what needs to be done without having to drag people in. And largely the reason that you have to go to the office now is because that's the only way to get paid. So if you're putting time in, it's not reimbursed and the hospital organization you work for is is not happy about that. And and you only have so many hours in the day. So >> do you have anything from the the physical uh uh presentation that EJ gave us? Do you have anything to add to that? >> Oh, you know, I I wanted to make one clarification about employees. There initially will be none. they'll just be myself and I'll have to just see how things go. If it seems like it will be valuable to have a medical assistant, I'll have just one person uh working with me uh a medical assistant, but I'll I'll have to assess that. I'm one of the reasons that I'm uh wanting to do this as a home occupation is I'm trying to keep this small and keep my overhead low. so that um my price points are low and I have just more freedom and more time to dedicate to patient care rather than uh logistics and business. >> I heard EJ mention uh two employees, but you just clarified it's you and somebody else. >> Yeah, at the most I would have one other person. I don't know if it would be part-time or full-time >> in the application. And I noticed I guess we'll open it up for the board, but signage you said you perhaps might have a sign. You will have a sign. >> Yeah, I haven't quite worked that out. I know the the ordinances allow for a maximum I think it's four square feet. Um I don't think I would want anything that big. Um >> okay. you know, I may just put like a sign by or over the entrance door. Um, I I'm not going to be like a walk-in clinic or, you know, open to the public trying to drum up uh business with a sign in the front. The essentially once people come the first time and they know where it is, they'll know how to get there. Uh, it'll probably just be more for for clarity. So, if I if I had a sign, it would be, you know, probably a little sign in the front yard as just an indicator. Um, and something pretty low-key because it's a it's a neighborhood, so I really don't want to uh disrupt the the residential feel. >> You have seen the standards. I think there's no phone numbers if I remember. I don't think you can. >> Yeah. I mean, it's one of the one of our our stipulations is it's going to be approved by the code officer. So, >> yep. >> Yeah. And I know it's it's like there's no lights, there's no like reflectors, it's just, you know, just a small discrete sign. >> So, you mentioned in your presentations talked about no exterior changes, but you did say after that that you're adding stairs out back, but is that just a door or you're not? Yeah. >> Yeah, that that's a >> internal that you're modifying. >> Yeah, there there's two things. the the IRC, the um international residential code requires 36 inches of clear width on a stairs and the bottom two treads of the stairs are a couple inches shorter than that. And that's because the foundation is mostly below grade, but there's about 18 in above grade. So there's a little bit of a bump out. So, um there's thankfully it's not a loadbearing wall. It's a partition wall that will get moved over a couple inches. This way it'll ensure a 36 inch uh run up the the whole stairs. And that'll comply with code. And the other change is uh you can't really have a window with a ladder. you can with an apartment, but if it's a if you you have any kind of clientele there, it requires a a door with stairs. So, basically, it will just be, you know, a staircase out the back to provide a second egress. >> Anybody else? >> I don't know. >> I just I I drive by by there several times a day on my way to work. Uh, so I just noticed one of your pictures talks about the walkout basement door and it looks like it's a picture of the house. So >> yeah, that that's that is >> so I was confused. So walk out basement door. My understanding you're not doing anything in your house. It's all in the garage. Yeah, that I provided those pictures um >> in the context of showing that the basement was finished because there were there was initial question about the square footage of the house. >> Oh, in the percentages. >> Yeah, in terms of percentages. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. So, no, there will be nothing in the house. It's >> Yeah, I saw that. I was confused because I understood it to be in the garage. >> Okay. Uh, >> all right. I don't really have any other questions. Any anybody else before we open it up? >> Just Yeah. >> Now, you're not advertising to the public off the street. So, just say I'm visiting in town and my child breaks his wrist and I'm looking for a doctor real fast. I wouldn't pull into your place. >> I suppose in theory you could, but typically if you know if somebody has a broken wrist, you're going to need an X-ray and the office wouldn't really be the place. >> I don't know is broken yet. >> Well, yeah. So that and that's a good point. So I'm I'm actually not going to be trying to advertise like, "Hey, come on in." So your clients are going to be word of mouth basically one patient. It'll be word of mouth for your clients. Yeah, large largely >> largely you know I'll I'll put up a website and you know I'll I'll put out the word and then if people are interested then what I'll do is um I'll have people come for like a no charge meet and greet and I can explain the model and you know what I do and what I don't do and and how things work and if it works for people then they're welcome to to sign on or give it a Uh, I wasn't uh questioning the model. The model doesn't really pertain to us. I was just trying to think of the flow of your traffic coming in and out if we don't know what kind of a practice it is right away. You're >> Oh, yeah. Well, it's just it's going to be a family doctor's office, but it's I'm just going to be serving patients who are established with me rather than, you know, running like a walk-in clinic or anything like that. >> Okay. Just so you know, he did address ADA because you'd have to meet ADA requirements, but it didn't it sound like you had a workaround that if somebody was handicapped, your immediate solution would be you'd go to them. >> Yeah. >> And if something came to it, you might install one of those uh the chair lift. >> Yeah. if it turned out to be practically useful. But um that that's one of the nice things with this model is you can do home visits. Um you know, you're not on the hamster wheel, so you have time to to meet patients where they're at. And so if I have a potential patient who is wheelchair bound, uh obviously I can't afford a couple hundred,000 to install an elevator, but I can do a home visit. supplies, anything like that. You're not going to have delivery trucks. Are you gonna >> just yourself? >> No. >> You know, if if uh if anything comes, it's it's obviously going to be small volume. So, I I can't imagine, you know, I'm going to be having any trucks any big trucks pulling in. >> Okay. So >> again, usually when we get home occupations, you know, because we we allow because we support the business. It's part of our comp plan trying to be a bit more flexible to open up just what you're doing. People can use their houses, but at the same time, you live in a neighborhood, so you need to understand that impact. And I just asked or we ask that >> you uh understand that again oro is supporting what you're doing but you're you're going to be opening up a business in a neighborhood. So uh understand that you've got to be respectful of that. So >> Oh no I I certainly my goal is to have this um as low impact and discreet as possible. I mean, we we've had an apartment there. Um there's been an apartment there for decades, even before we moved in. So, you know, there it's in some sense being used for commerce, right? There's a resident who a tenant who lives there who goes in and out. So, you know, the hours are are basically going to be office hours during the weekday. So it's, you know, one/ird of the day versus, you know, 3/ird of the day and during the weekday. So, um, you know, should it should be pretty pretty low volume, but I'm I'm not anticipating any, you know, big trucks or deliveries or anything like that. >> Okay. >> All right. You good? >> All right. I'm going to open up the public hearing. invite you to step up to the mic and tell us if you know proponents, opponents, what your concerns are. >> Uh, hi, I'm Travis Baker. I live at 67 Bennock Road. So, uh, next door neighbor. Um, I'd be a little bit further down the road. Um, first I want to say I admire Tim's Ames and I admire what he's trying to do. >> Um, I don't think this is the place to do it. >> I think there's other >> Speak up a little bit. Yeah, >> sure. I'll do the theater voice. All right. >> Uh, I just say I I admire Tim as I like I admire what he does. Um, my son, my older son once had a bike accident and Tim fixed him up. So, I do appreciate that. Uh, I don't think this is the place to do this. Um, I feel like there's options in town. There may be offices available. Um, what am I talking about? I understand the zoning permits it. Actually, I understand that today. Um, but it is a residential neighborhood. Um, there are no businesses between the chiropractic office, the post office, and the Orno Commons. There's people who host various things. You know, they work from home, but there's no established businesses in this area. I'm concerned that one business, as laudable as it is, might lead to other businesses which would create more traffic, more noise. You know, if I want to open a chainsaw sculpture school, is that allowed? If my neighbor Corey wants to do an auto repair in his backyard, is that allowed? So, I'm concerned that once we start this, more happens. Um, I'm also concerned about expansion. We need physicians. Patients are going to come. There was just an article in the Bangar Daily News today about how many uh patients are waiting months uh, you know, for doctors. So, the business is going to be there. What happens if he feels like he needs to expand it? How much? And there's, you know, there's a chicken coupe there that's going to go away. You know, there's room to expand. So, allowing this to start, is it going to grow and grow and grow? Um, and I also want to address the fact that we're losing housing. In the Bangar Daily News article last week, the Orno plan was for more housing, more single occupancy residents, and this is taking away one of those. It's also taken away from one of our most valuable citizens, Chz Cherry, who's lived there for 21 years, and he's being forced to move back to England. We're losing that. And is that going to happen to more residences? Um, and he's moving because he can't find affordable housing here in Orno. This is one of the stated goals of, you know, or no future and we're losing residents. We're gaining a business in a place. Maybe there's other options. Um, also I'd like to know what those X's are >> on the on the site >> on the site sketch. >> Yeah. Are you talking about the vegetation? >> Is that what it is? >> Oh, yeah. >> So, that would be the border of my house. >> That's either trees, landscaping, vegetation. >> There's a hedro there. There's >> I think that's what that is. >> Yep. >> Is that Is that staying or going or is that >> Yeah. >> Or is there a fence going to go there? >> Yes. Says row of cedars. >> Yep. Caniferous trees. Row cedars. Yep. that stay >> the surveyor picked that up. >> Right. So, I'm just wondering what you know what the from my property what it's going to look like. Are those staying there? Is there going to be fencing? Is there going to be >> which? >> Okay. I just hadn't seen that. I was like I had no idea what the >> Yeah, we need everything on the record. So, we we'll get to responses in a minute. So, >> um All right. That's all I have. I appreciate what he's doing. I just I feel like it could be done over there. >> Thank you for your time. Thank you. >> All right. So, we we'll talk about a couple things. You mentioned the and I I brought it up before that the town is encouraging. You know, we've been trying to come up with ways to be more flexible to encourage businesses to come to town. And one of the ways uh that we've done that is to promote or allow more home occupations, home businesses. And we have different classifications of those uh doctor's offices. We we've approved two, three, four of these over over the past uh many years now. Uh >> that neighborhood. >> Yeah. >> Noise drive through there. Yeah. >> Yeah. So there are some fairly close by, but it it's an initiative that the town has undertaken as part of our comprehensive plan to be a little bit more flexible. You are correct on on the the housing aspect. Uh I'm I'm I'm not sure what to to say about that. My understanding uh just listening to them that there aren't going to be any impacts the buffers, any screening. So, in listening to you and looking at the site plan, no changes to the facility. I don't listening to him, I don't think you're going to see any physical changes to that that uh structure, your your stairways out back. So, that would be screened, I think, from your residence right next right next door. So, that that's my understanding. any improvements. If he develops enough business to potentially expand, that uh goes against what we approved and he'd be back before the town and and at that point, who knows, maybe you're going to want to move somewhere else. But uh we're we're just looking at the the proposal before us with no building improvements, no impacts on screening, buffers, anything like that. So, any anything to add? >> I mean, I think it's always good [clears throat] to say that we we don't get to pick and choose what we want or don't want. >> Yeah, >> we follow the ordinance and it's pretty much a black and white. Either you satisfy the ordinance and the rules or you don't. >> And a lot of what you spoke to is not liking the rules, which I can understand, but we don't decide the rules. We just say whether it meets the rules or not, if that makes sense. >> We supposed to be unpopated. All right. Uh, other questions. >> Joanna, my my real name is Joanna Krauss. Um, on the other side of Tim. Um, and I, uh, have a few of the similar reservations as Travis. Um particularly just um I guess my I'm curious about if there's a way like I am confident that Tim's going to make it nice and try to make it as quiet and residentially feeling as possible. Um but I'm concerned about the future too. um not only what this opens up for our block and our neighborhood, but also like what if you move away, something happens and you decide to leave and someone else comes in and um I'm not sure you you talk about how he'll have to come back if he wants to expand, but I don't know how much easier it is to um do that once something's in play and um how I I don't I guess all everything is um within in code. I know that you're not allowed to have a medical office in this in this MDR, but um this is a home office, so it's different. Um, but I'm curious like in terms of what how much bigger it could be. Like he's only asking for a certain amount, but so what does this mean in terms of like we we you okay this and then what happens if >> if you had to expand the structure, we have to come back and do a site plan review and engage a lot of the things that we said were not applicable, right? Yep. >> Storm water management planning, engaging an engineering firm. Yeah. It would make this which which is a pretty straightforward simplistic thing into a booklet that thick >> and multiple sessions of review. It would be a much bigger deal. >> Yeah. >> If he was going to expand the structure. That's my understanding. >> Yeah. >> And he's at the he can only be 25% of his his existing square footage and he's at 17%. >> Make his house bigger, too. So he'd definitely make his house bigger, which he may be with um lot coverage and other items, he may not be able to expand. So he's >> pretty close to where he can be now. >> Okay. >> As far as this approval stays with him, we're approving his business. >> Yeah. >> So that if somebody else bought that house that >> uh >> Yeah. What does happen? >> So with the Yeah. The approval would go with the the lot or the I'm thinking about that. Huh. It would have to be a doctor, I guess. >> Yeah. I mean, >> be the same kind of >> Yeah. exact same kind of business, but you're not >> something very similar. But the the point and our ordinances would be pretty clear on that that you're not going to turn into a a you know, a chainsaw store or something like that, you know, anything like that drastic change that somebody would have to come back before us. you know, again, trying to be more flexible, but at the same time, as I said, you know, recognizing that this is in a in a neighborhood and uh you know, we try to try to do the best job we can of making things fit within within a, as Jud said, our our rules. So, >> if issues issues arise, you go to the code enforcement officer. >> Yep. >> Right. >> Noise. Yeah. Right. You know, >> Yeah, that makes sense. And I know, you know, there has been I know you can't help it. There's been a lot of noise with the the whole earth work that you did and the you know trucks coming in and out. But I'm assuming that's not going [laughter] to continue as much now that this is >> I mean it's not just you it's across the bridge too but >> an end point for that. >> Right. >> Yeah. >> Can I ask you Tim to step up and if you want to add anything to our respon are you finished? Okay. Yeah. I could you please address any of these comments or you want to add to that on the record? No, I I I appreciate, you know, hearing your your thoughts and I think um you know, if I were a neighbor, I would probably have those same questions and and concerns. Um, when I brought this issue up, um, the first person I had to get on board was my wife who and you know once because she was like, "Oh my goodness, you know that like that's crazy." And then when I explained how different the practice is and how different the model is and it's really um the opposite of the current system where it's essentially a patient mill, you know, this is slow and deliberate and you've got a handful of people coming per day and it's spaced out over the course of eight hours. So, you know, there's generally going to be like one person there at a time. They'll pull in, park, go in the building, be there for 30 minutes or an hour, and then pull away. So, it's it's it's going to be low-key, which is the goal. And if something if it unfolded in such a way that it was busier than I anticipated, it obviously wouldn't work in our place anymore. and you know, I would want to move it somewhere else um because I'd like to stay married. So, so that's fairly typical in the the ones we've approved before, one patient at a time. So, it's one car in, one car out. Uh that was the most recent one in the Noise uh drive neighborhood over there. So, that Yes, correct. Yep. Yes, you do. >> Yeah. So, so yeah. And you know, I can imagine a scenario where if you know there there may be temporarily for five minutes two cars there, you know, if somebody stayed late, somebody came early, but you know, they're just they're just leaving and and no one will really be outside. So, it's, you know, it's going to be pretty quiet. Um, so, uh, yeah, I mean, I've, you know, done my due diligence and looked at the numbers and talked to people who have done this and, you know, these these numbers are fairly typical, but, you know, if I were, you know, ended up seeing, you know, 15 people a day, which I can't imagine because that's really not a thing, you know, I think it'd be hard to imagine how that would be viable in in my space. Um, but if I got going and reached capacity, at least I would have proof of concept and it would be a lot easier to go lease space somewhere. Um, part of the the thinking is that um, you know, the model is is new and it's different. So rather than go invest a bunch of money in building out a space, and it's been hard because I looked for quite a few months trying to find a space. there aren't very many suitable spaces available um that don't require a buildout and it's hard to dump a bunch of money in a building that isn't yours that you're leasing because I've had friends who have businesses and they put in a bunch of money and then the owner sells it or doesn't want to renew the lease and then then they're out all that that money. So, um, I guess in a scenario where it outgrew the space, at least then I would say, okay, I have a a viable practice. I can take it somewhere else. But I I really wouldn't want it there if it were if it were busy and noisy and the volume was high. >> Okay. Uh, any additional questions? Now's your chance. Yeah. Hello. Um, Justin Krauss. I'm at 61 Bennock. Um, what >> really a Sorry. >> Could you speak up, please? >> Sorry. >> Right into that microphone. >> All right. Justin Krauss. I'm at 61 Bennock Road. >> Thank you. >> Um, really a clarification and I apologize for missing this, but it's just regarding parking. Was all the parking mentioned off streetet or on street? >> Off streetet. There's >> there's three parking spaces. Two scale on the the site plan. One's to the side of the garage. >> Okay. I just missed >> and two behind the house. >> Okay. That was the only thing I missed that they were all off street cuz I for some reason I started thinking that they were on and that's why I'm asking this question because that wouldn't really work from the penic road. >> No. So my apologies. That was the only question. I appreciate what you're trying to do and thanks Travis for your time and Jody for making some comments. I appreciate you guys. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thanks. >> Anybody online? Nobody online. Uh last call for public comment and close the public hearing. Limit uh further questions from the the board. I I have one and I think I know the answer. I take it you're not going to offer any laboratory services. >> No, I will. >> Sorry. >> Thank you. >> Uh yeah, I will be. >> I will be. >> So, you're going to be drawing blood on the premises? >> Yeah, I will. >> Okay. I >> I'll be doing it myself. Yeah. >> Have fun. Yeah, >> other questions. All right. So, we do have proposed findings of fact, but there are several in the packet. There are several items mentioned not applicable. I don't remember doing waiver requests for a home occupation, but >> no, >> it was it was called out in the the materials that I I believe I saw a waiver request in there somewhere. So, uh I don't know procedurally whether we we have to act on that first. I just want to make sure we had addressed it, but I >> we can call out number 11. Yep. >> I think that's where you they're enumerated is what you're suggesting these are wavered. >> Yeah. I mean there was several when I read through the items and I don't remember exactly where it was but if we need to vote on waiver request that proceeds. >> Do you want me to make a motion to >> Let's do it. Just cover our >> uh I move that we um vote on a waiver request for the following item. Storm water management section 18-177H. Erosion control section 18-177 I natural feature section 18-177M Roundwater Protection Water Quality Section 18-177 N O Hazardous Materials section 18-17P historic and archaeological resources section 18-17T and flood flood plane management section 18-17U for the minor site plan review application for home op uh home occupation at 63 Benck Road, tax map 19-4, lot 7. >> Good. Thank you. >> Any further discussion? >> All right. All those in favor? All right. Next up, we do have a proposed findings of fact that were prepared uh for this uh application. Uh I think we're ready for a motion on that as well. You looking at me? >> I'm gonna grab it. >> I move to approve the minor site plan review application of Timothy Kulicowski received November 13, 2025 to establish a home occupation home medical office within one of the existing structures at 63 Bennock Road, tax map 19-4, lot 7, per the findings of fact dated January 21st, 2026, subject to the following conditions. I don't have to read those, do I? >> No, as long as they're in the proposed findings effect. So, just note down, I guess. Yep. >> Noted in the proposed finding effect. >> No, that works. Any uh further discussion? Uh Christa, you had a a question on proposed findings effect. >> Having a little bit of trouble hearing everything, so >> yeah, >> I hope I'm not pouncing in on something that somebody's already said. Yeah. >> But um I guess I'm still a little confused about where the externally is built on the outside of the house. Then I don't think we should be saying in the first item requirements of the district that they this does not include any new exterior construction. I I brought that up earlier, too. And I it it sounded like the stairs out back to create that second egress. It sounded relatively minor, but that was I I caught that exact same point. So, what's the answer? >> Uh we understood that it would not be like a covered or enclosed stairwell. So, just an exterior staircase that >> Okay. just accessible from the outside, >> but no exterior building, no addition. >> Does that Did you hear that? >> Stair. Okay. So, the staircase is going to be built, but nothing else. >> There's I apparently a second egress is going to be created in the back of the building. And I was looking at that point. So, there's a there's a little sidewalk that goes around the the back on his property side that goes around so they could access the rear of the building and it's not going to be exterior construction. I think it's just a doorway and they can go up. If you want to elaborate on that. >> Yeah, the >> up there please. at the >> so it's it's really not going to be used with any regularity. It's just the code requires you to have two egresses. >> Okay. >> So the there'll be a door put in the wall uh that will open up and then you'll go to a a little landing down a few steps to a little landing and then back to the building. So it's exterior stairs. So, they're open stairs, uh, uncovered, and um, it it's that simple. You open a door and then you go down the stairs. Is that that? Okay. We're not talking about major additions. He's just going to modify the entrance a little bit so they have a second egress and then knock out that wall so that it meets the >> I have no problems with that happening. It's just it strikes me that since we refer to constructing these steps on the outside, >> yeah, >> that we should not be saying in the um findings of fact that there will be uh does not involve any exterior construction. >> Okay. Can we modify >> say major any major exterior construction or something to let the >> no structural construction? Um, >> no, that's right. Let's let's modify that motion. Uh, so that that's clarified. So, no significant I that's pretty vague. Uh, >> where is the >> Well, it's not in the motion, >> right? I'm just trying to find where it is even in here. >> Okay. Oh, I hear it. The applicant has indicated there be no change the appearance of the structure >> except for a sign. >> So, Yeah, it's just the top of page. >> Yeah, just minimal modifications to allow us a second egress in the rear of the building. >> But how about how about that? >> Good. >> All right. Can somebody because I'm not modifying the motion. Can somebody >> I made the motion so I can't modify it >> be before we do that. In the motion, it says within one of the existing structures, do we have to specify which structure? Cuz that does that give them the option to >> uh No, because we we've been zeroed in on on the one bill. >> Okay. >> All right. >> We have a motion and now I'm modifying the motion. I don't know. >> Well, we somehow we just we got to clarify that. Crystal brought it up. Let's just add it and keep moving. >> And which which item where where does it say new to construction? So, I see no new major construction under item eight. I don't see no new construction. >> I'm I'm I'm looking right here. The applicant has indicated there will be no changes to the appearance of the structure except for >> so page 204 uh >> very top after C >> applicant has indicated there'll be no changes except for a sign. So, I think that's what Chris is referring to, that there's no >> no changes to the appearance, not that there's no new construction. >> That there's no changes to the appearance. Is that is >> Yeah. Number eight says no new major construction. >> Exactly. Which is correct. >> Right. >> But I'm trying to find out, Krista, you're calling out. Is it this? There's no changes to the appearance. >> Where did you see no new construction? >> What page? >> It's in item one. uh requirements of the district and town ordinances in >> middle of the paragraph. >> No, >> no. I see any new exterior construction will involve not will not involve any new exterior construction. Okay. Um I move that we amend the move >> motion uh to include um a modification to the finding of fact item one to change the language not involve any new exterior construction. to not involve any new significant construction. >> Okay, >> good. >> That takes care of it. >> Thank you. >> Any additional comments? All right, let's hear it. >> Okay, in all the attention um a on the second page, one, two, three, four lines up. Uh we're talking about um trip ends per day here and um it says is not likely to generate a is likely to generate approximately 5 to six trip ends per day. Actually it should be 10 to 12 because when they arrive that's one trip end and when they leave that's another trip end. Could we just remove end ends so it's just five to six trips? >> That's fine. I'm going to make another motion to the original motion which is to modify the finding effect. >> Can can I just The trip ends are when somebody shows up. We don't count it twice. So you're suggesting that when somebody comes and somebody leaves, it's two trips. Trip ends are defined by it coming there. So the definition is you're alive. >> You arrived. Okay. >> It's a trip end, >> right? So we're good with that one. >> That that one. So you don't get to count it doesn't count twice. So just to clarify that. >> Okay. >> I looked it up to be sure. >> Okay. So you do you disagree with Mitch's? >> That's that's how it's always that's how we have been. >> It's another trip. And so any coming and going Yeah, >> I mean just look it up. >> Yeah, I I understood actually just just when I took my one transportation class engineering school, >> but I I recall more on what >> Christa is saying, but trip ends. But >> I think that's how we have defined it. Yeah. >> In the past is >> let's just say >> you said five was five to six. >> How about arrivals? Five to six arrivals. >> Five to six patients per day. >> Yeah. Yeah. Why don't Why don't we just focus on >> Yeah. >> Right. No, I think that takes care of it. >> Yeah. We're just talking language here. >> Yeah. It's just uh the minutiae of >> just making sure that our ordinance is covered. So, uh do we need to modify that or >> Yes. I think we just change uh I'm move that we change the motion amend the motion again to change the finding of fact item one a uh the line this home business is likely to generate approximately five to six trip ends per day to this home business is likely to generate approximately five to six arrivals per day. >> There we go. Okay. >> Anything else? >> That's it. >> All right. Further comment? All those in favor? All right. Uh, moving on. Town planners report. Uh, EJ, we have a status review of the comprehensive plan. And I do want to add an item based on, you know, our discussion today. I know I'm doing this on the fly, but I want to talk about procedure and and materials prepared for the board. So, I'll let you go first and then I want to talk about process. >> Thank you. Um, just wanted to give this group an update on the comprehensive plan. It was uh approved by the town council at the January 12th, 2026 uh meeting. Uh, it's been submitted to the state for review. Um, I just wanted to sort of talk a little bit about the sort of 30,000 foot view about the comprehensive plan. And I know there's been um discussion um about making sure that this plan um the amount of work, the time and effort that went into creating it, the community engagement, uh all the work from the volunteers and and staff to put it together. We want to make sure we're utilizing that document um and making sure it doesn't sit on a shelf somewhere and kind of sit there and look pretty. Um and then in another 10 years, we'll do the same process. we um our office wants to make sure that we're taking that plan and using it as a guiding document uh for the community. Uh and particularly I don't know if um we've been taking a look at the um implementation matrix uh that Isabelle and the team put together um very specific initiatives and things that do impact the work of this this board. Um I quickly took a look and 35% of the actions in here involve working with the planning board. Um so we want to just kind of sort of elevate that to um the idea that um as some of the recommendations in the comp plan encourage us to adjust um or take a look obviously at our land use ordinances um and some other ordinances that uh will help us align um with the comprehensive plan. Uh it will take some significant work. Uh Maddie and I did some sort of uh working backwards a little bit and to make any changes to ordinances does require a significant amount of time. Um starting here, going to the council, public hearings, um 30 days between um announcing things. So it does take quite a bit of time. So, we want to make sure we have an organized approach uh so that we understand deadlines about putting out public notices, making sure we get the proper um community input um when we're looking to change some of those those ordinances. Um, so I just kind of give you that that highlight that highle version that we're going to put to that get together almost a schedule of kind of where we if once we start or as we uh look to make some changes uh some key deadlines and making sure we're in uh coordination with the council meetings and those types of um items. So, just wanted to put that out there and we'll >> we'll make sure to inform you and um despite we anticipate some some projects coming before the board. Uh but it might be uh a good idea just to kind of think uh once we get into that process of adjusting some of those ordinances or making changes, we'll um probably be calling the board regardless of any other pro. My hope is we'll have projects as well coming before you. Um, but we'll have to meet to to move along some of those those changes in the public hearing. So, >> great. Thank you, EJ. Uh, along that topic, do we have anything for February? >> We have had no submitted applications for February. >> Okay. At this point, >> with our timing, we will not be having a meeting. >> Probably not. Most likely not. >> Thank you. Any questions for EJ? All right. So, I would like to talk about process. So, we talked about this the last time and what the board decided is that and this is how we've historically done things is that the burden should be on the applicant to present their project to us. So whether it's the University of Maine uh with Toby Misho, uh put the burden on them. They present the project, town staff can fill in the gaps. And not that you don't have to have a presentation if you so choose, but I'd like to hear from the applicant what they're proposing. I don't I don't and I've never seen this. I've I've been on both sides of this bench with projects, but typically it's not the town staff doing all the work. I I want to hear from the applicant to tell us what they're supposed to do >> and then based on your thorough review, you fill in the gaps. So, what I would like to do is request that the applicant present to us what they're going to do and then I would turn to you and then you highlight uh just issues that they might have glossed over or just chosen not to present something like that. But I want to make sure that we hear from them with their words >> and then you're going to again highlight significant issues. Isabelle did it, you know, the reverse way and was very detailed. >> Uh but I think we had a consensus last time that that we'd like to hear more from the applicant >> and less work for you. Y >> the other thing, probably the most significant change, and I think you'd agree with this, Jud, and Lisa as well, the people that have been on this board the longest, the the most important thing for this board for projects that we've seen is that review packet. So, it's usually about a two or three page project summary going through all of the items, which includes This is different than the findings of fact. Yep. >> But all you have to do is go back go back uh two meetings or several meetings and see that document that's prepared. So even if you didn't have a chance to read anything in the application, you read those two or three pages, >> you're going to know what we're talking about. So that includes uh you know standard conditions, you know, additional items that you might have found. But basically, you go through all of the the items in in a packet and we get about a three-page summary. That's how we've what >> planners. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Planners. Yeah. >> Yeah. We that that's a must that, you know, I've I've been on this board a long time and it used to be kind of like this and that that puts a lot of burden on the on the the planning board members. >> Well, we didn't even have fun. In fact, here's all the junk, >> right? And it it was just >> have fun. >> Yeah. It that that document is is the biggest help for for this this board. >> Gotcha. >> Yeah. So I just that's that's just got to be a requirement from town staff. Uh you know all the that packet you know so is the summary but then all the letters all the all the approvals from well there's treatment plant you know water district whatever you know all of that information is going to be in our packet. that I less I I need less of your presentation or even Isabelle's presentation. If if the the materials that you give us and we we have a chance to review them, that's usually pretty sufficient. I don't I found uh Isabelle's it it was very thorough, but at times if it you know if it went on for like 20 minutes >> it was redundant. >> Yeah. So I just >> Yeah. >> And very thorough. >> Right. But we read the material. Yeah. >> Now we're just hearing it. Um, yeah, I I agree. >> Yeah. >> So, that's on process. Are we okay with that? >> Fine by me. >> I totally agree. Uh, today if we didn't have Ed's slight uh, presentation for us, we wouldn't have got enough out of Tim. >> No, he sold us his practice, you know, to get >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> to get us to be his customer. But, but I didn't get anything from Tim as to what he was going to do for the office and all that. >> Right. So, that that's fine. But if if he was prepared because I think he didn't expect to do much. But I think in a normal setting, you know, we want to hear from the applicant. Hey, tell us what what's going on. And then and then >> we did tell him we did tell him to >> what >> pitch it >> to this after we decided I got to thinking about it next day or so and suddenly I realized that this presentation doesn't do much for us. We've read all the material. >> Yeah. >> And you know we don't really need it. But if it's at all controversial and we have a lot of people sitting out there, it's very helpful to them. >> Yeah, that's unfortunate, Kristen. It's a good point. But there's a limit there for some of the projects. I think there's a limit to that presentation. I'm not. We've we've gotten by for Christ, you and I have been on this board and Jud and Lisa, some of us have been on here a long time and you know I every single eye dotted in that in that uh presentation. I don't think it needs to be that thorough. I think you can focus on key issues, but >> I I I've seen other planning boards. I've presented to them and I I just still think the burden should be on the applicant. >> The burden should be on the applicant. The challenge is is if the applicant does a horrible presentation, >> but they've dotted all the eyes and crossed all the te's. >> Yeah. >> We're obligated >> to approve them, yet they convince nobody. >> Yeah. >> That we should approve them. So, that is that is a a conundrum. I don't have a great answer for it because I agree with you. It's not for the staff to take the time and effort to create a presentation. I I think I think the staff I think you guys can do a lot of the that work ahead of time to figure out what that that line is. So if we've got a project that we know is going to generate a lot of interest, maybe you're you're you have something teed up for us. But I don't think for a home occupation that you need any presentation. I just I just don't >> The the one thing I would add, I agree and I think it's fantastic for staff to do less. I'm just gonna throw that out there from a standpoint of it takes a lot of time and I did it once and I know what we went through. Okay. >> Yeah, we talked after. Um, but I I think one of the challenges with something like a home occupation is you've got somebody that has no engineering degree, no is coming with a business that we're trying to squeeze out of them the information that they need to be able to to do this. That's the concern I think is they get up here and they tell you all they're going to tell you passionately about their practice but you guys are like that's great but all this but I think if with the combination of the the planning report you guys have that information and filling in the blanks if there are questions I think that can work right but I think when you get you know a big you know we project with WBRC up here they do this all the time they know exactly what to say know exactly what the pinch points are and and and all that stuff. I think where the challenge sometimes comes is these smaller projects because you know he knows what he wants to do for business but he has no idea how to explain all the nuances of that you know. >> Yeah. He's not a member of the planning board. He doesn't know what what we're expecting. >> Right. So I think that's the that's that's the only caveat that I think that's where your your planner is going to have to rely on if there are questions that come up. Oh yep. This is addressed here. They didn't you know filling in the blanks, right? But in general, I think this is a good idea. Um, I'm just saying when you get people like a home occupation where they're not, you know, it's written on it's handdrawn and to scale and things like that, you're it's hard to for them to communicate what you guys and even maybe people here want to hear. You know, >> I'm just wondering if if there's a happy medium. I think EJ and Maddie having slides ready because you got to want to see the site plan, you know, and I I think some key issues where it's oriented, those kinds of things because we could have flashed that up on the screen so that he's wondering what those stars were and he could he could see the site. Maybe just a happy medium as you know somewhere in between what Isabelle was doing and and nothing. I I don't know whether whether other thoughts, but >> yeah, I mean I think part of partly is you guys know what we need to approve, right? And so you can perhaps outline that a little bit for the applicant. >> Um and the other thing is I I was really glad Jud that you mentioned about what our job is because I think people are continually confused about that. >> They think we have we're >> That's right. That's right. So >> I used to say that a lot but Jud always is good when I don't say it. Yeah. Jump in. >> Yeah. And I don't know whether that should be somewhere in writing so that the public when they >> Yeah. >> No one. No one read it. >> Oh. >> All right. Well, anyway, is it Yeah. Okay. See >> I can promise you no one read it. Yeah. And they this the >> Well, yeah. >> So, we have talked a lot when people will call about public comment and understanding those things. This is what the board does. This is how and if you have a public comment these are the ones you have to do that could change something because you don't like something is not a unfortunately is not a um you know something that the board can go oh you don't like it we're going to overturn that or you can't do it. So >> so what we can do I mean Isabelle it was a whole new approach and I by all means I'm I'm >> I'm open to almost anything. I just I have my preferences after doing this for a while. So why don't we just uh just we can evolve over time. Let's just try some things and you know you guys are new to this. Isabelle is not here anymore. So let's just proceed and tweak as we need to if that makes sense. But less on on the upfront depends on the project. If you think we need to fill in a lot of the gaps maybe you have several slides teed up but >> we can just kind of make our way through this. See if anyone runs into a wall. >> Yeah, there we go. >> Okay. >> Okay, we all set on processing. >> Worst case scenar uh we would have just sent Tim back for another meeting and said we don't have enough information. Yeah. >> If all he gave us was what he was talking about. >> Yeah. Right. >> Hopefully we didn't give him a marketing plan. We show him that yes, his business is going to take off. >> Yeah. Oh well. All right. Good. Thank you. Uh next up, adjournment. I have a motion. >> So moved. >> All right. Second. Anybody >> second. >> All right. Second. Uh comments and all those in favor.