Bangor Planning Board unanimously approves preliminary permit for 30-unit tiny home park on Pushaw Road

The City of Bangor Planning Board voted unanimously Dec. 16 to grant a preliminary land development permit and major subdivision approval for a proposed tiny-home park on Pushaw Road, clearing a key procedural step for a 30-unit project.

Chair Rhys Perkins opened the meeting and asked Artifex representative Shelly Lazotte to present the application on behalf of the property owner identified in the packet as John Karant. Lazotte said the project would use roughly 19 acres at the end of Pushaw Road, with 30 tiny-home lots arranged on an interior loop road, a small utility building and paired shared parking spaces. "We have 30 tiny home lots," Lazotte said during the presentation.

The board first voted to deem the application complete, then moved through a required checklist of land development code items in parts 1–6, taking individual motions and roll-call votes to confirm compliance with erosion and sediment control, lot standards, setbacks, driveway and road rules, stormwater management, clearing limits, parking requirements, utility and lighting standards, fire protection, and subdivision requirements. Each item passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.

During the staff and board question period, Lazotte said the team plans to connect to an existing sewer on an adjacent property via a private lateral and will cross a stream to do so; she also said the site lacks public water and the project team intends to pursue private wells after early talks with Bangor Water District made a water-main extension appear costly and lengthy. The applicant described snow storage and a turnaround easement for plows at the dead-end road and said the fire chief had reviewed and was satisfied with the presented design.

Board members raised service and design questions. Member Hune relayed a conversation with a state representative about laundry facilities in tiny-home parks and whether on-site washing is important to affordability; Hune noted the planning board lacks authority to mandate laundry facilities. Lazotte said small in-unit washers might be possible in some units but that space and wastewater-flow limits constrain options.

Chair Perkins and staff clarified that documents were labeled "preliminary" because this hearing provided preliminary subdivision approval; the applicant confirmed each tiny-home lot is intended to be a minimum of about 1,000 square feet, noting a typo in the introductory letter.

After finding the project met the tiny-home-park–specific code (article 20) and other district standards, Member Hulme moved that the board grant the land development permit for the major site development and preliminary subdivision "contingent on the project receiving final subdivision approval." The motion, seconded by Member Brush, passed on a unanimous roll-call vote. Perkins noted the code requires a final-plat submission with at least 20 days' lead time ahead of the hearing for final subdivision approval.

The decision grants preliminary approval but does not substitute for final subdivision review; staff and the applicant indicated the project must return with final plat materials for the board to complete its approval process.

The board conducted brief other-business items — including recognizing outgoing members and discussing meeting audio and Zoom access — then closed the meeting at about 7:49 p.m. Plans were signed before adjournment.