Planning board approves Wentworth food‑truck park expansion with screening and generator limits

The Belfast Planning Board on April 9 approved a site‑plan amendment and use permit for the former Wentworth event center (139 Searsport Avenue), allowing expanded food‑truck operations, addition of two small buildings and infrastructure to support a future 1–2 family residence on the lower shoreward portion of the parcel.

City planner Alexandra Sykes presented the amendment and told the board the bulk of prior 2024 conditions remain in effect but that the amendment incorporates residential use into the site plan, notes shoreland and MDEP permitting requirements for structures within 75 feet of the high‑water mark, and flags a roughly 1% (about 6,000 sq ft) increase in impervious area from the proposed driveway and site work. Sykes said the applicant identified about 80 paved parking spaces for the food‑truck park and four unpaved spaces reserved for the future residential lot.

Applicant Christine Wentworth described two proposed buildings: a maintenance/storage garage (Building E) largely screened from Route 1, and a smaller building to house bathrooms and a tiki‑bar kitchen (Building B) on an existing foundation. Wentworth said the temporary restroom will be removed once Building B is completed and that she has a DEP driveway permit and is pursuing permit‑by‑rule approvals for shoreland work.

The board discussed whether the nonresidential design standards require another planning‑board return for final design drawings. Staff and members agreed to record a design‑intent description in the findings and adopt conditions that require Buildings B and E conform to the nonresidential design standards as depicted on the approved site plan, preserve existing screening (or replace it in kind) to buffer Building E from Route 1, and require the applicant to secure applicable MDEP permit‑by‑rule approvals.

On utilities, the board adopted language limiting ‘‘regular generator use’’ at the site while allowing one‑off, self‑contained food‑truck generators. The board agreed on a transitional date: after July 15, 2025 the site will not allow regular or consistent generator use as a condition of the approval.

The board approved the draft findings, the amended conditions and the site‑plan amendment number 1 and use permit for the food‑truck park. Staff will incorporate the board's wording into final findings and conditions; the applicant may proceed with site work subject to the listed permits and conditions.

Key references and public requirements recorded at the hearing included municipal code sections governing site‑plan, shoreland and technical standards, MDEP permit‑by‑rule requirements for shoreland impacts, and building‑code accessibility and parking requirements. The transcript shows no public comments were received during the public hearing.