Planning board approves seasonal dock on Little Echo Lake after debate over width and 'float' definition

The Mount Desert Planning Board on July 8 approved a conditional-use application (11/2026) allowing a seasonal, removable dock at 5 Red Spruce Way on Little Echo Lake. The board found the proposed structure met town shoreland and dimensional standards after discussing measurements, habitat concerns and whether an attached end piece should be classified as a float or as part of the dock.

Chairman William Manley opened the hearing and noted the owners as Ken Winaker and Catherine Ramey. Winaker told the board the dock is seasonal, removed each fall and reinstalled in spring, and "it's just for kind of recreation and enjoyment of the water." Meredith Randolph was designated a temporary voting member for the meeting after a procedural vote.

Planning staff confirmed the application had been advertised in the Mount Desert Islander and abutters notified. Staff member Kim said she issued a notice of violation because the dock was installed before approval but that she worked with the owner on the application and that the town can administratively permit docks up to 10 feet; larger or atypical configurations must be reviewed by the board.

Board members inspected the site and reviewed the application against the Mount Desert Land Use Ordinance standards, including general performance criteria (Section 6a) and shoreland-specific standards (Section 6c). The applicants described the structure as 41 feet 10 inches in total length, with a primary walkway approximately 4 feet wide and an attached side element measuring about 8 feet 5 inches by 6.25 feet. The board calculated the attached element at roughly 50.67535 square feet and noted the town allows up to 400 square feet for floats and a maximum 6-foot width for walkways.

A central legal and technical question was whether the wider attached platform should count as part of the walkway width (which would exceed the 6-foot walkway limit) or be classified as a temporary float. Members and staff agreed that for seasonal, nonpermanent elements, a connected float—so long as pilings are not permanent—could be treated differently than a continuous walkway; staff noted options to reconfigure the element to sit at the end of the walkway rather than along the side.

Board member Gail Marshall summarized the site visit, describing a wooded lot with a small residential structure and a heavily vegetated shoreline; members raised concerns about erosion and the importance of preserving vegetation such as lilies near the shore. Staff recommended erosion-control measures and noted that temporary elevated decking or temporary floats can reduce damage to vegetation compared with fixed legs that sit on the bottom.

After going through required findings and concluding the applicable ordinance sections were met, the board moved, seconded and approved the application by voice vote. Staff told the owner to obtain the appropriate building permit and follow the usual seasonal removal/reinstallation requirements.

The decision includes standard permit conditions requiring the applicant to secure any building permits and to follow the town's shoreland protections; the owner will coordinate with staff about the permit paperwork and any final adjustments; the board recorded no additional conditions beyond the standard permitting steps.