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West Bath planning board approves three-lot sketch plan, flags road and wetland issues
Summary
The West Bath Planning Board approved a sketch plan to divide about 12.8 acres into three lots, allowing the applicant to present remotely. The board conditioned approval on further review of whether a proposed shared driveway must meet subdivision-road standards and requested a wetlands report and topographic details.
The West Bath Planning Board on March 11 approved a sketch plan to divide roughly 12.8 acres into three lots, voting to allow the applicant’s remote presentation and to advance the proposal to preliminary review with conditions.
Chair Gabe Whitney opened the meeting and announced the first applicant; after consulting staff, the board voted to permit the applicant to present by conference call because the applicant reported being ill. The board later approved the sketch plan but attached a caveat that it would examine whether the proposed shared driveway/easement for Lots 2 and 3 must be built to subdivision-road standards.
Why it matters: Board members said the choice between a constructed subdivision road and a shared driveway has trade-offs. A road built to subdivision standards could require filling wetlands or altering steep slopes to provide direct frontage from Mountain Road, while a shared driveway easement could pose long-term emergency-access and addressing complications that might require naming a private road for 911 purposes.
What was proposed: The presenter, Kevin, said the parcel is about 12.8 acres with roughly 1.7 acres of wetlands and some steep slopes. He described a plan to create three lots that meet the three-acre minimum and meet minimum frontages (about 200 feet on the road and 150 feet on the shore, as shown in the submission). Two of the lots would be accessed by a proposed driveway easement rather than individual direct access from Mountain Road.
Board questions and follow-up items: Members asked whether the driveway easement should be treated and built as a subdivision road and raised practical concerns about emergency vehicles, utility access and future maintenance. One member noted that 911 addressing rules typically require a named road if multiple residences use the same access, which could change how addresses are assigned. Kevin said the driveways were proposed to avoid wetland fills and preserve the site’s topography and views; he agreed to submit a wetland report and more detailed topographic (contour) information with the preliminary application.
Votes and motions: Earlier in the meeting the board voted unanimously to allow the applicant to present by phone for this sketch plan. At the end of the discussion a motion to approve the sketch plan with the caveat that the board further review whether the proposed driveway/easement must meet subdivision-road standards passed with an "all in favor" vote.
What happens next: The board requested the wetland report and field-checked topography tied to the proposed contours for the preliminary application. The board will also review the road-standard interpretation and how 911 addressing would be handled before preliminary approval.
