Planning Board approves five-year special permit for Storey Brothers gravel pit

The Cumberland Planning Board on Monday approved a five-year special permit allowing Storey Brothers Excavating to continue operations at a gravel pit on Goose Pond Road.

The board elected to waive the reading of findings of fact for the five-year renewal after Bridgette, the town planner, told members there had been no complaints to the code enforcement officer in the last year and that the packet included the historic site-plan documents. "This one is fairly straightforward," Bridgette said, noting the town now allows a five-year permit in lieu of annual renewals.

Applicant Robert Storey told the board his firm purchased the permit in October 2019 and has obtained annual renewals since, saying, "We've had no issues or complaints that I'm aware of, and we want to apply for the five-year special permit." Board members asked whether extracted material counts as on-site storage and whether a DEP permit applied for parcels larger than five acres; Storey confirmed a "permit by rule" was submitted to DEP in 2020.

After a motion to adopt the findings of fact and to approve the site-plan review for issuance of a five-year special permit (subject to standard conditions), the board voted unanimously to grant the permit. Chair Peter Bingham congratulated the applicant and encouraged continued compliance with conditions.

The approval is subject to the standard conditions listed in the town packet; the board did not list special conditions at the hearing. Any future complaints or significant site-plan changes would prompt a staff review or bring the permit back before the board.