SACO, Maine — The Saco Planning Board on Tuesday approved a conditional‑use application that allows a Reiki practitioner to operate a home‑occupation studio at 5 Birch Street, subject to conditions limiting hours and requiring documentation of adequate off‑street parking.

Applicant testimony and a Public Works measurement confirmed the driveway can accommodate four parking spaces needed for the business. The practitioner told the board services would be by appointment only and that weekday evening appointments would be limited to a single appointment ending no later than 9 p.m.; weekend hours were set at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. under the conditions the board adopted.

The Planning Board opened and closed a public hearing with no members of the public speaking. Board members reviewed draft findings that addressed landscaping, possible adverse impacts and noise, and agreed the proposed activity — primarily indoor and appointment‑based — would not be likely to cause significant adverse effects on neighbors. The board adopted edited findings of fact and conditions of approval and voted 5‑0 with one abstention to grant conditional‑use approval.

One condition requires the applicant to maintain four off‑street parking spaces and to notify the city if parking configurations change. The conditions also limit hours, require adherence to local noise and nuisance standards, and require the applicant to comply with any additional requirements from Public Works or safety officials.

Planning board member Jim Moyer, who moved the findings and later the approval, said the staff site visit and the applicant’s representations gave the board confidence the business would operate without disturbance to surrounding properties.