Tinmouth board defers sand-and-salt shed decision as stormwater-permit questions linger

The Tinmouth Select Board on May 21 agreed to postpone final decisions on a proposed sand-and-salt shed after an inspector reported the town’s stormwater permit — issued five years ago — expires in June and may require an amendment for the new building.

"The stormwater permit that we got 5 years ago runs out in June, and we do have to have an engineer do the work to update it," said the committee member who briefed the board. He said the inspector advised that because the proposed building and existing impervious surfaces could exceed thresholds (5,000 square feet was cited), an amendment may be required.

Board members warned that state and local processing could add months: "It's due June 29," the committee member said, noting the state typically has 45 days to process applications but experience shows approvals often take longer. That timeline, the board concluded, could delay construction into October or next year.

A resident raised concern about project cost and long-term maintenance, saying the price now under discussion made her "very uneasy" as a taxpayer. The board responded that funds have been set aside for the project and that used buildings meeting requirements are rare; one vendor, Greg Baloussier, reportedly offered a new option at $108,000 and an upgraded fabric that could extend warranty life beyond the standard 15 years.

The board placed the sand-and-salt-shed item on the June agenda for further review and asked staff to return with cost estimates, permit amendments needed, and any references to comparable installed sheds.