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Planning board gives preliminary approval to ACAP Bowles Road subdivision, schedules public hearing
Summary
The Caribou Planning Board voted to approve a preliminary plan to subdivide the ACAP building on Bowles Road into multiple lots and scheduled a public hearing at its next meeting; board members flagged missing septic paperwork and discussed a tight state grant deadline.
The Caribou Planning Board voted to approve a preliminary plan for a subdivision of the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) property on Bowles Road and set a public hearing for the project at the board’s next meeting. The preliminary approval and the hearing scheduling were made to help ACAP score points on a state housing grant application.
ACAP, represented by Jason Parent, and Tim Royce of BR Smith Associates presented plans that would divide the existing building and remainder land at 17/8 Bowles Road into 18 lots: 15 apartment units (lots 1–15), two corridor lots (lots 16–17) and one remainder parcel (lot 18) containing parking, lawn and wooded area. Royce said the conceptual floor plan shows 15 units, a required pump house and cistern to support a sprinkler system, and a proposed pump house to increase on-site fire water storage because the property uses a private well.
The board’s preliminary approval was conditioned by discussion of the subsurface wastewater disposal plan. Board members and staff said they could not locate a current septic design in the city’s online files and urged ACAP to supply engineered documentation before final approval. Penny (city staff) and Royce said a final septic design and engineering submission will be required before the board issues final subdivision approval.
ACAP representatives also asked the board to consider shortening the planning board appeals window so the project could claim a closed appeals period on its state housing application (referred to in the meeting as “Misha”) to improve scoring. Board members said the city ordinance typically provides a 30-day appeals period and that shortening that timeline may not be possible; the board instead agreed to move forward with preliminary approval and public hearing scheduling so ACAP could show progress to funders.
Board members discussed timing: ACAP said its state housing application window closes on the 23rd of the month and hoped to submit by about the 20th. Staff and ACAP said they would include a note in the application that preliminary approval had been granted and indicate the date of the next planning-board meeting when final approval would be requested.
Motion and votes: The board made a motion to provide ACAP with a communication indicating preliminary plan approval for the Bowles Road subdivision; a second was recorded and the motion passed. The board then moved and seconded to schedule a public hearing and final review at the next meeting; that motion also passed (vote recorded as affirmative by Eric Estott, Steve, and other board members present).
Why it matters: The subdivision converts an existing community services building into rental housing lots and is tied to a competitive state housing grant. Preliminary approval and a scheduled hearing give ACAP evidence of progress for grant reviewers while the planning board awaits final engineering for wastewater disposal.
The board asked ACAP to deliver the missing septic documentation, the public notice/abutter mailings for the hearing, and any updated information about community outreach prior to the hearing. ACAP said it will try to submit updated application materials in time for the grant deadline and return to the board for final sign-off.
