Wells Planning Board finds existing buffers adequate, orders shed removals and 60-day continuance for Seaview West Campground

The Town of Wells Planning Board on Monday reviewed results of a June 12 site walk at Seaview West Campground and made a series of determinations about required plan revisions, buffers and equipment locations, ultimately granting a 60‑day continuance so applicants can restake boundaries and begin removing items from a required 25‑foot buffer.

The board’s planner, Mike (town planner), summarized the site walk and said, “There were multiple sheds that were still within the 25 foot wide buffer,” and noted propane tanks located very close to electrical meters and utility poles within the buffer. Mike said two main DEP buffer restoration areas were staked for tree planting and that the overall park appeared “very well maintained.”

Why it matters: the board must reconcile existing site conditions — some predating current code — with the town’s buffer and safety rules while the property owner works with the propane provider and the applicant’s engineer to correct code violations. Moving tanks, removing sheds and showing missing plan layers affect what the board can formally approve.

Key determinations and board direction

- Buffer along College Drive: The board reviewed existing trees and mature vegetation along College Drive and voted that the existing buffer is sufficient as shown on the site walk (voice vote; unanimous). The board directed a standard note be added to the plan that existing vegetation will remain unless dead, dying or hazardous and that removed trees may need replacement.

- Southerly buffer adjacent to the seasonal cottage complex: The board concluded the abutting property is a commercial seasonal cottage complex, not a residential dwelling within 200 feet, so the ordinance’s heightened visual‑screen requirement for residences did not automatically apply; however, the board required that vegetation in the buffer remain and that sheds located inside the 25‑foot buffer be removed or the owner seek an appeals board exception.

- Utility poles and meters: The planning board voted unanimously to allow existing utility poles and electrical meters to stay in their current locations within the buffer area. The board treated the meters as utilities and indicated moving overhead poles would be “very problematic.”

- Propane tanks: The planner and applicant representatives discussed dozens of small propane tanks that were installed under previous providers and that may not meet current separation rules relative to meters and windows. Suburban Propane (and prior vendor Main Gas) told applicants it would take years to relocate all tanks; the board expressed that a three‑year timeline was too long and asked applicants to obtain a realistic schedule from Suburban and report back. The board did not grant a blanket waiver; tanks that do not meet code must be moved or the owner must seek relief from the appeals board. Mike noted one documented removal cost of about $800 for trenching and moving a single tank; the unit owner typically bears that cost.

Waivers, plan items and votes

The board reviewed a list of requested waivers and made individual rulings (all votes recorded by voice as unanimous unless noted): - Plan scale: partial waiver approved — boundary map may remain at 1"=150' for the additional acreage, but detailed sheets must be printed at the town’s standard 1"=40' scale for grading and as‑builts (motion passed unanimously). - Dumpster location: waiver denied; the plan must show a central dumpster location (motion passed unanimously). - Sanitary and water capacity letters: waivers granted because there is no change in flow or use (motions passed unanimously). - Traffic data: waiver granted because there is no change in use or traffic generation (motion passed unanimously). - Erosion and sediment control plan: waiver denied; erosion controls are required for the restoration grading (motion passed unanimously). - Stormwater management: waiver denied; the engineer must provide a letter confirming no significant stormwater impacts from the additional lot coverage (motion passed unanimously). - Condominium documents: not applicable; denied as irrelevant to this application (motion passed unanimously). - Handicap parking documentation (police enforcement agreement): waiver denied; handicap parking regulation remains required (motion passed unanimously). - Outdoor lighting: waiver denied; existing lights and any new lighting must be shown on the plan and labeled as downward‑directed (motion passed unanimously). - Depiction of wetlands/streams/drainage: largely shown on restoration layers; the board asked applicants to turn on missing layers and show wetlands on the new sheets (recommendation affirmed). - Contours: required for the restoration area only; contours for unchanged portions of the site were waived (motion passed unanimously). - Speed signs and sight distances: waiver denied; these items must be shown on the plan (motion passed unanimously). - Miscellaneous submission waivers (e.g., Article 14575 criteria): board determined the blanket waiver request was not applicable and denied it (motion passed unanimously).

Next steps and continuance

Because the board found discrepancies between previously staked lines and the actual property bounds, and because multiple sheds and some tanks remain inside the 25‑foot buffer as currently measured, the board granted a 60‑day continuance for the Seaview West application. The continuance gives the applicant time to restake lot lines, remove or relocate sheds from the buffer, obtain a timeline from Suburban Propane for tank relocation or repairs, and provide updated plan sheets at the required scale. The board directed the applicant to return at the end of the extension with a progress report so the board can set a firm compliance deadline.

What the board emphasized

Board members repeatedly emphasized that many of the propane tanks and structures were installed under older rules and that bringing the site into compliance will require coordination with the propane provider, possible appeals for minor relief, and plan revisions. The board also made clear that utility poles and meters — treated as utility infrastructure — may remain in place, while tanks and sheds that conflict with current buffer requirements must be corrected or appealed.

Evidence spans from the meeting transcript are on file with the town clerk and the planning department; applicants were told to contact town staff for precise next steps and the schedule for returning to the board.