Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board tables several appeals, approves egress stairs and balcony; minutes approved
Summary
At the March 30 Old Orchard Beach Board of Appeals meeting members tabled multiple incomplete or unpermitted items (including a condo deck and small deck extensions), approved a nonconforming egress stair and a second‑story balcony in separate appeals, and approved 2023 minutes. Several items were continued to allow applicants to submit full plans or pull permits.
The Old Orchard Beach Board of Appeals on March 30 handled a mix of procedural and substantive matters: the board tabled several appeals so applicants could provide complete plans or obtain permits, approved a nonconforming means of egress and a balcony request, and approved meeting minutes from 2023.
After administrative housekeeping and the garage appeal (Item 1), the board addressed an unpermitted deck rebuild for John and Elizabeth Crowley. Timothy Garske, speaking for the family, said the work was done with good intentions to improve safety for elderly owners but acknowledged it was constructed without a permit; staff noted a stop‑work order. The applicant chose to withdraw and the board voted to table the appeal to allow the owner to get permits and return. "If the board agrees, without prejudice, to dismantle it, get a building permit and build it," the chair advised; the applicant agreed to work with staff.
A condo association request to replace and slightly expand a long rear deck (Ron Vincent, Item 5) was similarly tabled because the board lacked sufficient plans and a land survey; members requested clearer drawings and a survey before proceeding.
A modest deck extension (Item 6) built without a permit was also tabled with instructions to remove the unpermitted portion or pull a permit and return. Pete Vermette, who described doing the work to accommodate a grill and improve handrails, was advised he could remove the added boards and reapply.
By contrast, the board approved a nonconforming egress stair and ramp for a raised building after Civil Consultants engineer Jeff Alleva explained the stairs met building‑code minimums and FEMA elevation requirements; the board concluded the proposal minimized disturbance and allowed the appeal (Item 7).
The board also approved a limited reduction/expansion request to allow a second‑story balcony on an existing garage structure (Item 8); members found the change was consistent with the historic neighborhood pattern and not substantially different from existing nonconforming features.
Administrative business: The board voted to approve previously drafted minutes (May, March and August 2023) and deferred officer elections to a future meeting because that item was not on the published agenda.
What happens next: Multiple items were tabled to the next meeting; applicants were instructed to provide complete plans, pull required permits or remove unpermitted work before returning.
