Tucker Chevrolet seeks to put a dealership and service center of about 22,100 square feet at 771 Bath Road, Wiscasset, opposite Norm’s Used Cars and Wiscasset Trading Post. Priority Real Estate Group’s (PRE) Oct. 16 letter on the business’s behalf to Planning Board Chair Karl Olson states the business would go on a 12-acre parcel where a vacant, circa 1970 home would be demolished, and the curb cut and driveway moved.

In Monday night’s pre-application meeting, the board, PRE, and Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission’s Emily Rabbe discussed how near to Route One vehicles can be displayed. Rabbe’s Oct. 18 memo and other documents Rabbe sent the board refer to parking the board in 2019 let Dollar General, 277-279 Bath Road, have within the town’s required 75-foot setback. 

In that memo, Rabbe told the board she and Interim Code Enforcement Officer Bruce Engert agreed a display of vehicles “is not the same as a parking lot ...”

Rabbe wrote, “Inasmuch as the Planning Board previously allowed another business on Route 1 to have parking within the 75-foot road setback with the building meeting the 75-foot requirement, the Board may consider allowing Tucker Chevrolet to display vehicles within the required setback.”

In the meeting at the town office and over Zoom, a project representative said, as so far proposed, that display would be about 70 feet from the edge of pavement on the road, or about 85-90 feet from the road’s center line. 

Participants went on to discuss the ordinance’s not stating where on a road a setback starts; Olson said he was comfortable going by the edge of the pavement. He added in the meeting and a phone interview Monday, the ordinance review committee will need to work on clarifying that part of the ordinance. Olson also serves on the ORC.

Olson explained of Monday night’s discussion, the board did not and cannot waive the road setback for the proposed dealership’s display, and moving the display a matter of four or so feet further back to keep it out of the setback is “well within (the prospective applicant’s) capabilities” for the project.

“The planning board can’t waive (the road setback). So if we did violate our ordinance with Dollar General, it was a mistake. Planning boards make mistakes.” This was the first time the point has come up about Dollar General and the setback, he said. “The ordinance has changed as Route One has developed,” he noted.

Project representatives will seek a driveway entrance permit from Maine Department of Transportation and a Site Location of Development Act permit from Maine Department of Environmental Protection, according to PRE’s letter. The PRE representative anticipated possibly being back in front of the planning board in December.

Tap room sought 

An area, high end craft brewery owner said he wants to offer a “watering hole” in downtown Wiscasset. Jeremy Meyers, owner of Aekeir Brewing, LLC that he runs out of his 15 Yankee Way, East Boothbay home, seeks a taproom at 111 Main St., Wiscasset. Monday night, he met with the planning board for the first time. 

Fielding board questions, Meyers said the taproom will be licensed as a brewery and will have a small brewing system for exhibition. According to the discussion and documents Meyers gave the town, Aekeir Brewing would lease 2,000-plus square feet from G&G Holdings of Topsham. Aekeir will sell beer to drink at the taproom or to go, and will “self-distribute packaged beer to a select few stores and restaurants,” documents state.

Meyers wrote to the town, “Downtown (Wiscasset) has plenty of art galleries, restaurants and shops to attract tourists but it lacks a local watering hole. Where do all the tourists go when they’re done shopping and eating? I intend to remedy this regrettable situation ... Just a few blocks up the hill from the always packed Red’s Eats, Aekeir intends to be the end of day destination for thirsty and weary tourists.”

Olson noted possible waivers Meyers could pursue. Meyers expects to meet with the board again in November. He stated in documents, he aims to open the tap room this January or February and have it in full swing in June, selling up to 900 pints a week through September.