Planning board initiates review to ease home food businesses, align with state licensing

The Lewiston Planning Board voted to initiate code amendments to Article 12, Section 22, aiming to ease barriers for small home‑based food businesses. Staff told the board that current code automatically places any business that involves food handling or processing into Tier 2, which requires a Board of Appeals application in addition to state licensing. Staff proposed aligning the city’s tiering to follow state distinctions between foods that require more intensive licensing (for example, potentially hazardous foods that require refrigeration) and lower‑risk goods such as certain baked goods.

Board members raised questions about whether the change would allow sales directly from a home, what activities remain prohibited or limited (for example, limits on customers on site and off‑premise sales expectations), and how donations versus sales would be handled. Staff clarified that Home Occupation 1 currently anticipates off‑site sales or sales by appointment only (no general retail hours or signs) and that more hazardous foods would still require the higher review and state licensing. The board asked staff to draft amendment language, provide a list of uses currently in Tier 2, and research how other communities handle donated food prepared at home.

By motion the board initiated the code amendment process; staff will prepare proposed ordinance language and return for public hearing and formal action at a future meeting.