Planning board grants conditional-use permit for Loon Lake childcare center with signage conditions

The Rangeley Planning Board voted to grant a conditional‑use permit for a childcare facility at 85 Loon Lake Road (Map 008 Lot 067‑B) but imposed conditions governing permanent exterior signage to address emergency‑vehicle visibility and community concerns about cumulative sign area.

Applicant representatives described a temporary roadside sign and asked to install a permanent road sign and building sign; they also requested separate 9‑square‑foot safety signs for individual playgrounds. Speaker 3, a presenter, explained the request: “The sign on [the] building and sign off by the road, because of the significant distance between the road entranceway and the building, they wanted to have signs that would be clearly visible.” The applicant reported the roadside sign as about 15.83 square feet and described the building sign roughly as 4 feet by 7 feet.

Board members debated two issues: (1) whether the combined area of the building and roadside sign should exceed the town’s 32‑square‑foot limit, and (2) whether the playground safety signs (9 sq ft total) should be permitted. Several board members expressed concern about incremental increases in sign area and the potential for “sign creep.” Speaker 6 said the board should be cautious because "this turns into 3 square foot for this person. The next person is 3 more square feet…" and urged a clear condition.

To address emergency visibility, Speaker 3 noted that state guidance/formula requires larger roadside signage in some rural settings to ensure signs are visible in heavy rain or snow. The board adopted a condition that the two exterior signs be considered together for compliance with the town’s 32‑square‑foot threshold and recommended that the roadside sign be double‑sided for visibility in both directions if the applicant chooses. Separately, the board voted to allow the 9 square feet of playground safety signage as part of the conditional use.

The board granted the conditional‑use permit with the noted signage conditions; the chair instructed staff to draft the final written findings and conditions. The transcript does not include a numeric roll‑call tally of votes.