Belgrade planning board set to consider removing shoreland zoning for subdivision; lake committee mobilizes

The Belgrade Lakes & Natural Resources Committee said it will attend an upcoming planning‑board hearing after learning that a parcel in Belgrade may be removed from shoreland zoning, a change members described as controversial and potentially shifting the property from residential to commercial criteria.

Committee members confirmed the planning board meets on the second and fourth Thursdays and said the contested item is expected on the Jan. 22 agenda. Members asked Kimberly to check the planning‑board schedule and asked Sarah Langad, chair of the planning board, whether the item is on the warrant.

Why it matters: Shoreland zoning determines setbacks, vegetation buffers and other protections that affect lake water quality and shoreline character. Committee members said removing shoreland zoning for the parcel could reduce the board’s ability to require buffers and could change what types of development are permitted.

Members described two regulatory levers they are watching. First, they discussed a proposed shore‑line buffer or “no‑mow” requirement; they said the municipal attorney told the planning board the board could require a buffer across a property while still allowing a walkway to the waterfront. Second, members agreed to press for a phosphorus‑fertilizer restriction as a nearer‑term ordinance change (see separate item).

“I'm going to be at that session on Thursday,” committee member Lenny said of a Maine Lakes advocacy training he planned to attend; members said they expect to use training and coalition contacts to amplify testimony. The committee also discussed coordinating testimony with regional groups such as the Lake Protection Coalition, Seven Lakes Alliance and Maine Lakes.

The discussion also touched on a separate access dispute: members reported an active lawsuit over a deeded right of way where obstructions (rocks and a fence) have temporarily changed emergency access routes. The committee said the court process remains unresolved.

Next steps: The committee will ask planning‑board chair Sarah Langad to confirm the agenda and will decide who will testify at the Jan. 22 meeting. Members also agreed to clarify materials to bring — a short, one‑paragraph summary and one concrete example — to make their case succinctly to the planning board and to the select board if needed.