Cumberland Planning Board approves Wildman Woods amendment with conditions on quiet hours and composting waste

The Cumberland Planning Board on March 17 approved an amendment to the Wildman Woods site plan that will add three tent platforms, a shed/sauna and related driveway and field-parking improvements at 48 Blanchard Road.

The board voted unanimously to approve the amendment, subject to the usual expiration and standard conditions of approval and two additional conditions the board adopted: quiet hours from 9:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., and a requirement that any waste generated by the composting toilet be stored and disposed of in accordance with state and local laws and permits.

Applicant Mark Wildman Reed told the board the project is intended to support small-scale agro-tourism on his 64-acre property, most of which is under a conservation easement held in partnership with the Cumberland Land Trust. Reed said the plan adds three tent platforms (each limited by the town’s agro-tourism definition to two people per tent), a shed/sauna for use by guests and family, and field parking intended to accommodate events and up to 33 parking spaces across three areas. He said existing site infrastructure includes a drilled well, two electrical meters, an existing permitted subsurface wastewater disposal system and a composting outhouse that the town plumbing inspector previously permitted and inspected. "I love this land and I'm honored to be its steward," Reed said, adding he will manage rentals himself or hire a manager.

Neighbors pressed the board and applicant for specifics during a lengthy public-comment period. Richard Wolf (43 Blanchard Road) submitted written requests including screening along Blanchard Road, limiting all 30 proposed field parking spaces to the rear parking area, a cap on events, no amplified music, and a "leave no trace" camping pledge. Other abutters raised similar concerns about noise, the frequency and scale of events, the visibility of headlamps and vehicle movement at night, and whether commercial parking would use the land-trust parking lot.

A major focus of public questioning was the composting outhouse and the handling of human waste. Several speakers, including Lorraine Ren and Tom Plant, cited state guidance and a 2022 law (cited in public remarks) restricting the land application of certain biosolids and pushed the applicant to clarify whether composted material would be applied to the property. Reed and staff said the composting toilet is a self-contained system with impervious collection containers and that the plumbing inspector issued the permit and performed an inspection. Board members asked staff to clarify permitting and agreed to add the state-compliance condition to the approval to address neighbors' concerns.

Traffic and safety were also discussed. Reed said the driveway sight distance meets the town’s 250-foot minimum; he provided a 271-foot measurement from an engineering attestation. Fire Chief Dan Small had inspected the site and confirmed adequate emergency vehicle turnaround. The board discussed but did not require a "no left turn" sign after applicant testimony and engineer reports indicated sightlines met town standards.

At the end of deliberations the board amended the findings of fact to note the permitted composting toilet and contained storage of composting material, and moved to adopt the findings and approve the amendment. The motion to approve carried unanimously.

The approval includes standard conditions, the two board-added conditions (quiet hours; state-compliant handling of any composting-toilet waste), and the requirement that any future farm-stand or other uses not included in this amendment would require separate review. The board noted that larger 'farm-based special events' or mass gatherings above thresholds in town code would trigger additional permitting through the town council and, if applicable, mass-gathering rules.