Planning Board grants waiver, prelim approval for 83 Jenkins subdivision after debate over dead‑end street length

Matt Provencal, chair of the Saco Planning Board, presided over a lengthy discussion on the application for an eight‑lot preliminary subdivision and site plan at 83 Jenkins Road. Tim Mitchell of Teradigm Consultants, representing Blueberry Realty LLC, told the board the team had resolved most outstanding peer‑review comments, obtained wetlands and stream‑crossing permits and completed a geotechnical investigation required for the proposed bridge. Mitchell said the project has an “ability to serve” letter from the city’s resource‑recovery department and that stormwater revisions are nearly complete.

During public comment, abutter Norma Grenier asked how the bridge would look from her property and whether plantings could screen the structure; Mitchell said the bridge is low‑profile with a 5‑foot rise and that the landscape plan adds buffering to soften views.

The central dispute focused on the developer’s request for a waiver to exceed the ordinance’s 1,000‑foot limit for a dead‑end city street. Mitchell said crossing Goose Fairbrook requires about 250 linear feet of crossing and that his requested extension exceeds the 1,000‑foot standard by roughly 176 feet. Commissioner Jeff Bruscia argued that granting a longer dead‑end street encourages piecemeal development, increases long‑term maintenance costs for the city and risks repeating a pattern of disconnected streets. “At some point we need to say, no,” Bruscia said, urging tighter limits on dead ends.

Other members weighed potential connectivity benefits and the additional tax base the extension could yield. Chris Gagnon and other members noted the developer has included conceptual plans showing longer‑term connectivity. After discussion, the board voted 4–1 to grant the waiver; Bruscia cast the lone dissenting vote.

The board then adopted findings of fact, amended conditions of approval to record the waiver vote, and approved preliminary subdivision and site‑plan approval for 83 Jenkins Road with conditions that require final engineering, stormwater permitting and outstanding peer‑review items to be resolved before final approval.

Next steps: the applicant must finalize and submit the final subdivision/site‑plan package, secure remaining permits and then return for final review and signature; the bridge and many wetland‑related permits remain preconditions to construction.