Planning Board continues review of electric bus charger plan after safety, visual and utility capacity questions

The Saco Planning Board on July 1 continued its public hearing for a site-plan amendment to install two on-route battery-electric bus chargers at 138 Main Street until July 15, asking the applicant for additional details on landscaping, fencing, emergency shutdown locations and electrical easements.

Board members said the site walk earlier the same day clarified some installation details but left open concerns about visual compatibility with the nearby transportation center, capacity of the electrical service and public safety during charging events.

City Planner Emily Cole Plescott told the board staff and consultants walked the site with the applicant and the deputy fire chief and would provide notes and follow-up. "We will have notes coming up about that sidewalk available for you at the next meeting," she said.

Several board members pressed the applicant on how the equipment would be screened so it does not block views of the historic transportation center on Main Street. Planning member Jeff Brochu said he worried that the charger enclosure and screening could obscure the train-station architecture that acts as a gateway to the city. "We're essentially blocking that out when you're driving by on Main Street," Brochu said.

Board members also sought clarity on utility capacity. Brochu asked the applicant for confirmation of the transformer and service sizes and how much of the capacity would remain available for future local growth. Project representatives told the board the installation will use a 1,500 kVA transformer and a 1,200–2,000 amp service (transcript discussion moved between figures), and that Central Maine Power easements would be used to bring power from the nearby mill site; the applicant said an additional easement from the city would be required because part of the line crosses city property.

Fire-safety questions centered on how to respond to thermal events during charging and whether an incident would affect railroad operations or create runoff risks. Brochu asked for the deputy fire chief's written comments; board members said they wanted the chief's report to be part of the continued hearing record.

The applicant said the transit agency has already received multiple grants and investments for the transportation center and that the charging work is part of a multi‑grant, multi‑year program. "We're on our third grant. We've won three of them. We've got over $10,000,000 invested of your money, taxpayer money," a transit representative told the board.

The board voted 4–0 to continue the public hearing to July 15 and asked the applicant to submit updated landscaping renderings that show the fence, equipment, screening and any vehicle-protection elements; a written response from the deputy fire chief; updated electrical-easement documentation; and a coordination plan showing implications for snow storage and public-works access.