Limerick planning board workshop focuses on comprehensive-plan update and data-center water concerns

The Limerick Planning Board met on July 15 to complete a short business session and hold a workshop on updating the town's comprehensive plan; members agreed to correct vote tallies in a recent notice of decision and to include the meeting minutes in the record. Residents urged tighter enforcement on stormwater and raised alarm about potential water use and thermal discharge from data centers.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan will guide land-use decisions, zoning and ordinance changes for the next 5— to 15 years; policies placed in that plan can affect whether large users such as data centers are allowed to locate near sensitive groundwater resources that feed town water supplies and nearby ponds.

Board business and recordkeeping

At the start of the meeting, members reviewed final "notice of decision" documents and identified mismatches between the recorded vote tallies and several members' recollections. The chair said, "I just want to make sure that the record is clear," and several members requested that the meeting minutes be added to the findings of fact so future appeals and enforcement actions have a fuller administrative record. The board agreed to verify tallies (with an audio check) and to correct the notice if necessary.

Public concerns about noncompliance and stormwater

Resident Merrill Theron criticized the board's previous decision and alleged continuing site noncompliance, including new fill placed near the road, relocation of a stormwater basin closer to the highway, and concrete dumped into a ravine that she said would change drainage toward a vernal pool on the Carroll property. "I can't tell you how disappointed I am with what the board did last time," Theron said, urging the board to strengthen findings of fact to document prior warnings and enforcement attempts.

Enforcement and short-term conditions

Stan, the town's code enforcement officer, told the board that minutes must be added to the record and that a stormwater ("still water") report must be provided within 60 days; "The planning board and the roading commissioner have to review it and approve it," he said, and he noted that state police had been asked to attend the on-site review.

Workshop: aquifer risks and data-center policy

Board members and residents discussed the town's aquifer, which Stan described as a high-recharge resource that feeds the public water supply and Petco Pond. Gil Harris, a resident, warned that large water withdrawals and heated discharges associated with some data-center cooling systems "could devastate the water table" and suggested the town consider restrictions or a ban on data centers as the comprehensive plan is updated. Harris pointed to a 2018 local water-extraction ordinance that limits withdrawals to 5,000 gallons per day as a potential regulatory tool.

Consultant proposal and funding

Dave McClain, a member of the town's comprehensive planning committee, presented the committee's work and a proposal from Southern Maine Regional Planning to update the plan. McClain said the consultant estimate was roughly 50 hours of work and "the total cost was about $7,700, and the time frame would be about 6 months." Stan told the board there are grant windows that together offer up to $15,000; one earlier funding opportunity favored communities already in compliance, and the committee's likely next application opportunity is in July 2027.

Topics for ordinance updates and next steps

Members highlighted specific ordinance items the plan should address, including subdivision standards, open-space requirements for large developments, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings near commercial sites, and design standards for signage and building form. Board members proposed a section-by-section approach with monthly workshops to review priority topics, funnel suggestions through Stan so the committee can tally them, and coordinate with the select board about costs and timing. The planning board also noted that Brian Austin of Jay's Auto is scheduled to appear before the board on Aug. 5 to pursue a conditional-use revision.

A vote to close the business session and move into the workshop passed after a motion and second; no substantive land-use decisions were finalized at the July 15 meeting. The planning board members directed staff and the comprehensive planning committee to proceed with the consultant engagement and to prepare a grant application and ordinance recommendations for future meetings.