[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6337117,"mediaKeyId","2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69","parentId",2274626,"title","Auburn planning board asks city attorney to review January chair, vice chair elections after public and member questions","audioSeconds",891,"startMs",2787000,"endMs",3678000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69&start=2787&end=3678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69/thumbnail_2787000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6337117/Auburn/Androscoggin-County/Maine/Auburn-planning-board-asks-city-attorney-to-review-January-chair-vice-chair-elections-after-public-and-member-questions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6337117-9e306610a696a4b7ea068d625c2ca32a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776704575&Signature=TTUd~BcwqlD5CV8MAZhtGnYe1SFhcMmVoxP0U9yH1aAj1GTxzJ6eRf-qeMrQ8adRKH3eIAdWip0Ros4bi7fsoL1Xf4TSN5Gcn9MJu1nE0GsubucappVXX1VQKEhSHGL-hT-VtTgI7LJAgHeTBiF~WcEZdWlIpHXjTAhLNMGDog4WFokZks~09fA8wSV8s1pf3qVoKlH9YYgzmOeusoLraUgDQPl9-pK5rg4TRh22lYENc~iGxVSOtPN5~sBGtst14cBHUaSanbmhMRCuvwNMxz~McYcB0AIOUgh9Qu8LEolvArS10aDpbhuwAv6K~cVXlaO58dvVQDSLfb2hepp32A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-12T17:49:49.993Z","article","After a member of the public raised procedural concerns about the board's January elections for chair and vice chair, the Auburn Planning Board voted on Feb. 11 to ask staff to request a formal legal opinion from the city attorney on the matter.

Evan Cyr, a member of the public, told the board he believed a motion to rescind would be out of order because both appointees had been present at the appointment meeting and the motions in question had carried. Cyr cited Robert's Rules of Order and urged the board not to rely on an out‑of‑order motion to \"correct\" the earlier action.

Board members engaged in a lengthy procedural discussion. Several members said inconsistent application of rules had caused confusion, and some suggested training on Robert's Rules or a legal memo to clarify appropriate remedies. One board member recommended bringing the question to legal rather than revoting immediately.

The board then passed a motion directing staff to seek an opinion from the city attorney about the procedure used for the January chair and vice chair elections. The motion was seconded and recorded as carried; the transcript does not include a numeric roll call.

Why this matters: the city attorney's opinion will determine whether the January appointments stand as adopted or whether corrective action is needed, and it could inform future board procedure and any training the board requests.

Staff said they will submit the procedural question to the city attorney and report the legal opinion back to the board at a future meeting. Board members suggested the city consider targeted training and a written policy to provide consistent guidance for parliamentary procedure going forward.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Auburn, Maine, Planning Board Meeting, February 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Following public comment and board discussion about Robert's Rules of Order, the Auburn Planning Board voted Feb. 11 to ask staff to request a legal opinion on whether a motion to rescind was permissible for the January chair and vice chair elections.","taxTitle","Auburn , Androscoggin County, Maine","taxId",68143,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6337122,"Votes at a glance: Auburn Planning Board postpones multiple projects to March, approves Engine 2 site plan and asks legal to review January elections",3345,341000,3686000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69&start=341&end=3686","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69/thumbnail_341000.jpg","/articles/6337122/Auburn/Androscoggin-County/Maine/Votes-at-a-glance-Auburn-Planning-Board-postpones-multiple-projects-to-March-approves-Engine-2-site-plan-and-asks-legal-to-review-January-elections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6337122-a452d0aca8af19d0df4873c216f82113/orig.mp4?Expires=1776704575&Signature=QvOYVbMEhG7YaTAwcV6jo~weP6jYZZi~8aqwcv44J4d~33v3OP83NqXcJGKSh0Mn1Z19h8Lde6IpAK~8yskI3DuievmvWh0wV0qI~GkNiKh5El3Zaak-biLEnx2i9QHGOnpsrNmy64PDob6eTCT3r39fTo2bxrJR-6REZq1QQw8KEoPxGgR8rgLLRxd~xiyu7n2ka4uITVdm34mF60BjL7bOYTVnQKYjmvKFSdQ-MWZeYqqgmvQfe3ttWSLQT6V-i228f~wiWDYo64NqourxdxiOWkacn9zz~7-MC1It~0Xul-DquYkGNJRIA9844vz6W6VQyLZYd3E7XBRY5xHoww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Auburn Planning Board on Feb. 11 took several procedural and substantive votes: it postponed multiple development reviews to March 11, approved waivers and the site plan for a new Engine 2 fire station at 180 South Main Street, and asked staff to seek a legal opinion about the board's January chair and vice chair elections.

Why this matters: the postponements reset the schedule for several pending projects and the Engine 2 approval advances a key public‑safety capital project. The board's request for a legal review reflects member and public questions about adherence to Robert's Rules of Order during recent board appointments.

Votes at a glance
- Stetson Road multifamily project (AR Development): Postponed to the March 11, 2025 planning board meeting at the applicant's request. Staff reported the applicant reduced the proposal by 20 units to 160 units and will provide a traffic study next month; the board voted to postpone. (Motion recorded as carried; numeric tally not specified.)

- Danville Corner housing development: Reopened for discussion and then postponed to the March 11, 2025 meeting pending a written legal opinion about dimensional regulations under section 60‑307; staff and consultants will revise the site plan based on that legal review. (Motion recorded as carried; numeric tally not specified.)

- BWC Gulf Island Pond / Auburn Solar Project: Postponed to the March 11, 2025 meeting so the applicant can provide missing materials including financial security, waste disposal and site stabilization plans and a topsoil maintenance plan. Notices to abutters had been mailed; staff explained the applicant missed a deadline for submittals. (Motion recorded as carried; numeric tally not specified.)

- Soaper Mill Brook / Penley Corner solar project: Postponed to the March 11, 2025 meeting for similar outstanding materials as the Auburn Solar Project; applicant expects to meet the March deadline. (Motion recorded as carried; numeric tally not specified.)

- Engine 2 waivers and site plan (180 South Main Street): The board approved five waivers from sections of the form‑based code (building placement, window/door coverage, parking width, two curb cuts and driveway widths) and approved the final site plan for a new 9,400‑square‑foot fire station. Approval was conditioned on meeting Auburn engineering requirements and obtaining any required blasting permits. (Motions recorded as carried; numeric tallies not specified.)

- Legal review of January chair and vice chair election: The board voted to ask staff to submit the matter to the city attorney for review after a public commenter and several board members raised concerns about procedure and Robert's Rules of Order. (Motion carried; numeric tally not specified.)

Where vote counts were not stated, the minutes record that motions carried after the chair asked \"all those in favor?\" and the board responded; no numeric roll call was read into the meeting transcript.

Next steps for the postponed items: applicants were instructed to return with the outstanding technical materials and any required legal or engineering submittals for the March 11 meeting.","On Feb. 11 the board approved postponements for four development applications to the March 11 meeting, granted five waivers and final approval for the Engine 2 fire station, and voted to send a legal review request about the January chair and vice chair elections to the city attorney.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6337127,"Auburn planning board approves Engine 2 site plan, grants five waivers for new South Main Street fire station",1556,1226000,2782000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69&start=1226&end=2782","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2274626-b3f15bcdcb7cd3d308fb9c8ef7728b69/thumbnail_1226000.jpg","/articles/6337127/Auburn/Androscoggin-County/Maine/Auburn-planning-board-approves-Engine-2-site-plan-grants-five-waivers-for-new-South-Main-Street-fire-station","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6337127-20b37fef6b5639accccdecee24235d36/orig.mp4?Expires=1776704575&Signature=eXNYwDq0pXOPOrwUz3tZhNczVTmHEtaWMKJQcE9X9WcRXHFz-prHMQf8UqwxI8OXc6emW~rAGEukU7P8s7tUeKGH8y4blp4ZhlXAtMTCvWZiSxeUzAySHqLFPiQooiM144sH~RWgjkYWlBqGkzoDzr7ls5fQCzOckqqAwftL4qAJlnm~0vuAFWO0nu6aX6Zj5n7sJeEW0WabavNgDcYptRE0RBehU6d0-~5CEWgM0WI~0Mhj5JM9019Aj-coUMmTvWNPyGgLmlHETa-1XPqDhazVV0HhViXVGihMH93e~gNuJ~mG3JIIcwnnK00FSyE3i5xlVvAQsx8q21~UtHVEzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Auburn Planning Board on Feb. 11 approved a site plan by Woodard and Curran for a new Engine 2 fire station at 180 South Main Street and granted five waivers to allow departures from local form‑based code requirements.

The project calls for a new 9,400‑square‑foot, single‑story building with a mezzanine, a drive‑through double apparatus bay, dormitories, a fitness room, kitchen and day room, office and conference space, decontamination and equipment-storage areas, and related site work. The board voted to approve waivers for building placement, window and door coverage, parking width, number of curb cuts and driveway widths so the new station can be constructed behind the existing building while that facility remains in service.

The vote matters because the design preserves emergency response operations during construction and brings living and apparatus areas up to modern standards. “The new building is a, 9,400 square foot building. It's 1 story with a mezzanine,” said Caitlin Sewer, project manager with Woodard and Curran, summarizing the program and the rationale for the phasing. Project presenters and staff said keeping the existing station active was a primary driver for the requested setbacks and driveway geometry.

Board members heard site constraints including wetlands behind the lot that limited footprint options and added permitting and mitigation costs. Julia Tate of Simon's Architects described the exterior design as a mix of residential‑scale elements for dormitories and public spaces, with more robust materials, such as ACMU block and metal panel, for the apparatus bay. Tate said the team reduced the building footprint during design iterations to minimize wetland impacts and associated fees.

The board approved five waivers by separate motions, each citing the applicable subsection of the code and the operational need for larger turning radii and separation of public and emergency access. Tim DeRoche, a planning board member, said, “I personally don't take any issue with any of these waivers, considering the integral role this building plays in the preservation of life and property.”

As part of the approval the motion required the project to meet city engineering requirements; staff noted the applicant must obtain any required blasting permits and other construction permits from the Auburn engineering and permitting departments before relevant work begins. The project will use phased construction so the existing station remains operational until the new facility is completed and placed in service.

Construction details, permit timing and a final construction schedule were not provided at the meeting. Staff and the applicant said they will return with any outstanding technical submittals required by engineering and site permit review.

The board's approval clears the project to move forward with required engineering and permitting steps. Applicants and staff said they will coordinate further inland‑wetland mitigation, utility connections and any blasting permits with the city.","On Feb. 11 the Auburn Planning Board approved a 9,400-square-foot replacement for Engine 2 at 180 South Main Street, granting five waivers to allow an enlarged setback, reduced window coverage, wider parking and driveway dimensions, and two curb cuts to accommodate fire apparatus and keep the existing station operational during construction.","actionData","errors"]

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Auburn planning board asks city attorney to review January chair, vice chair elections after public and member questions

Votes at a glance: Auburn Planning Board postpones multiple projects to March, approves Engine 2 site plan and asks legal to review January elections

Auburn planning board approves Engine 2 site plan, grants five waivers for new South Main Street fire station