Rangeley planning board denies conditional‑use permit for 6‑bed hostel at 143 Berkshire Road

The Rangeley Planning Board voted to deny a conditional‑use permit for a six‑bed hostel known as Camp 43 at 143 Berkshire Road, concluding the proposal did not meet requirements in Chapter 38 of the Rangeley Town Code and could have adverse effects on neighboring residential properties.

The applicant, identified in the hearing as Ken (property owner and operator of Camp 43), told the board Camp 43 serves Appalachian Trail hikers and operates seasonally. “We charge $80 a night,” Ken said, adding the operation runs from about May 15 through September and offers shuttle service to town. He said the hostel previously served roughly 35 percent of the roughly 1,000 through‑hikers who reached the area in a season—about 350 guests—and that many guests spend money in Rangeley businesses. “We’re in it for the community,” Ken said.

The board heard multiple public comments both supporting and opposing the application. Neighbor Rick Baker, of 150 Berkshire Road, said he had observed respectful guests and offered direct support: “I can tell you that the guests … they’ve been very respectful of the people around them.” Stacy Barney, who owns property in Sandy River Plantation and described hosting hikers herself, said hikers value “a hot meal, a warm bed” and that the hostel provides a homelike option different from hotels. Several other residents spoke in favor of the hostel’s potential to bring outdoor‑tourism business to town.

Abutters Lisa and Peter Colbert, who live on Hartland Road adjacent to the Camp 43 property, said they bought into a residential area and worry that a business would change their neighborhood and reduce property values. “We purchased a lot and built a cabin in the … residential area, and that’s what we bought into,” Lisa Colbert said. The Colberts also raised concerns about increased traffic on Hartland Road tied to shuttle runs.

Town staff and planning board members reviewed the application against Chapter 38 standards. Code Enforcement Officer Kyle Coles noted that conditional uses must meet the town’s use tables and other Chapter 38 criteria. The board read and applied several specific Chapter 38 provisions during its deliberations, including tests for practical alternatives, impacts on surrounding properties, and municipal facility capacity.

In its findings the board concluded the proposed hostel “does have significant adverse effect upon the value and quiet possession of surrounding properties greater than the usual in the zoning district.” The board also reviewed service capacity questions (wastewater, water supply, road access and fire department capacity) during the hearing; one motion on facilities concluded the proposal “does not create any hazards based on inadequate facilities,” but the overall finding on use‑impact and code compliance led to the denial.

The board’s formal motion read: “Determination based upon the preceding findings and conclusions, the conditional use permit application for this project is hereby denied.” The motion carried after a second; the transcript record does not list individual roll‑call votes.

Board members encouraged the applicant to pursue other approval avenues. The chair noted options such as applying for a variance or pursuing a different permit category and advised the applicant to “start with code enforcement.” The board said any revised application would likely require another public hearing.

The hearing also included technical clarifications from staff: the hostel operation uses a barn bunk room plus bedrooms in the house; the property’s septic was described in the record as designed for four bedrooms; and state fire‑safety rules discussed by staff may require sprinklers in some lodging configurations if occupancy exceeds state thresholds. The board did not adopt specific mitigation conditions before denying the permit.

The planning board closed the hearing at 6:20 p.m. and moved on to other agenda items. The board scheduled its next meeting for Nov. 12, 2025 at 6 p.m.