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Developer seeks large Route 25 storage complex in Limington; neighbors warn of wetlands, drainage and traffic concerns
Summary
Applicant Mark Floor presented a plan for a long storage-unit complex on a Route 25 parcel; neighbors raised concerns about stream setbacks, shoreland zoning on the survey, impervious area and stormwater permits. The board set a sitewalk for April 16 and said preliminary materials are required before approval.
Applicant Mark Floor presented a proposal at the Limington Planning Board’s April 6 public hearing to build a long row of storage units on a Route 25 parcel. “Land is getting harder and harder to find,” Mark said, and described the storage proposal as a commercial use that would avoid new wells and septic systems on the adjoining land.
Neighbors questioned the project’s environmental and traffic impacts. Bonnie Laughlin, who identified herself from Cape Road, asked for clearer display copies of the survey and pointed to labeled wetlands and a shoreland zone on the map. Residents pressed the applicant and the board to identify where a 75-foot stream-protection setback would fall and whether the proposed driveway encroached on that setback.
Board members and commenters discussed permitting and drainage. The board said state permitting would be required for any encroachment in the stream setback and that the applicant would need a stormwater permit if impervious area exceeded state thresholds. Commenters and one board member noted that even gravel may be treated as impervious in some permitting contexts and emphasized the need for topographic and stormwater plans before any preliminary approval.
Traffic and scale were also central concerns. Tim Bickford, a resident of Evergreen Circle, noted Limington already has several storage facilities and questioned local demand. The applicant estimated the layout could accommodate phased construction—initial rows followed by later expansion if needed—and said roads were drawn as 20-foot gravel drives; one attendee later calculated building and road areas in the survey and asked about the total impervious square footage.
The board did not take an approval vote. Instead, members scheduled an on-site visit to examine stream locations, slopes and proposed access; the sitewalk was set for Thursday, April 16 at 2:30 p.m. The applicant was advised to return with a preliminary plan (including topography and stormwater details) after the sitewalk so the board and public can review more complete information.
What happens next: the board will hold a sitewalk on April 16, and the applicant must file a preliminary plan with supporting surveys and permit applications before any formal approvals are considered.
