Planning board approves Great Northern Builders' office and storage use at 139 Wentworth Road

The South Berwick Planning Board approved a conditional use on June 4 for Great Northern Builders to use 139 Wentworth Road as a central office and for on‑site material storage.

Applicant Maya described Great Northern Builders as a design‑build residential remodeling firm that will locate central offices and store materials on site. Board members asked about the maintenance/store use, fire‑safety checks and timeline before occupancy.

The board approved a condition requiring the applicant to coordinate a site walk with code enforcement and the fire chief and to implement any resulting recommendations within a set timeframe. After discussion the board set the walkthrough deadline at within 45 days of approval to accommodate the applicant’s scheduled closing and move.

"Now we were closing on the 26th and we were planning to move in on the 27th so that we're functional by Monday," Maya said, describing the applicant’s intended timeline. Board members agreed to schedule the post‑closing walkthrough so occupancy would not be unduly delayed.

Board members also noted the fire chief may recommend minor safety items such as smoke detectors or exit signage for the barn area used for storage; those items were framed as standard pre‑occupancy compliance. The findings of fact, the conditions and the conditional‑use approval were all passed by voice vote following motions and seconds.

The board encouraged the applicant to coordinate with code enforcement to schedule the walkthrough; staff and the applicant agreed to set a date within the 45‑day window.