In its first in-person meeting since the pandemic began, the Wiscasset Planning Board on Monday approved the Wiscasset Solar 1, LLC project for a community solar facility off Jones Road. The board also held a public hearing for three amendments to town ordinances including adding a requirement for certificates of occupancy for residential structures and adding the Maine Universal Building and Energy Code to building laws. These will now go before selectmen.

Cole Peters and Kathy Garrard from Power Engineers, Inc. of Freeport presented an overview of the solar project in-person with Mike Atkinson of Syncarpha on Zoom. The life of the project is 20-25 years with the panels starting to produce less at the end of that period. The project will be decommissioned once the panels have fulfilled their lifespan, a process included in the site plan review application. Wiscasset Solar 1, LLC is a fully owned subsidiary of Syncarpha and Peters said the decommissioning plan is very elaborate so the responsibility does not rest on the town.

Wiscasset resident Ed Polewarczyk had several questions during the hearing, including how much energy would be produced in the first year. Atkinson said 7.1 million kilowatt hours will be produced in the first year, and each year after that would be a quarter to a half a percent less. Polewarczyk asked about the benefit to the town. Atkinson said the state will reimburse half the taxes on the value of the structures, and the property tax on the land is paid to the town as it normally is. The planning board unanimously approved the project.

The board also approved a subdivision application on Lowelltown Road for Allison Chapman. Chapman wishes to sell one piece of her land, and a third piece of property will be created within five years. Karl Burrati, a neighbor from New Hampshire, joined the meeting via Zoom and was concerned about a garage in disrepair on the piece of land to be sold and whether or not the new owners will take care of it. According to the discussion in the meeting, even if the board took no action, Chapman could make the sale in another year without having to have a subdivision approved.

An expansion from four to seven apartments at 410 Gardiner Road was also approved.

Donald and Betty Oyster of  Rumerill Road presented their plan to build a garage to grow marijuana plants. He said he thought it would fall under the agricultural ordinance and be a home occupation and therefore not need official approval, but he wanted to make the board aware. The board disagreed and member Jackie Lowell clarified that, under state law, if you are not already growing more than the personal use limit for the number of plants and/or selling the product, the town needs an ordinance that approves it. Oyster had planned to have 15 plants and has received approvals from the state, but since Wiscasset does not have any ordinance addressing it, the board voted to seek legal advice on whether or not it could approve the request.

The board voted not to meet on Indigenous People’s Day. The board meets next on Oct. 26.