Rockland Planning Board Advances Car Wash, Hears Boat Storage Plan

The Rockland Planning Board found a site plan complete for a new Eastern Express Car Wash at 131 Camden Street and approved it with conditions, including a requirement to resolve a water view corridor issue before a building permit. The board also held a pre-application discussion with Safe Harbor for a boat storage and maintenance building on New County Road, postponed a vacant buildings ordinance amendment, and recommended a pet daycare ordinance move forward.

Key points

• The board voted unanimously to find the 131 Camden Street car wash application complete, granting waivers for a trip generation report and additional stormwater and drainage information.
• The board approved the car wash site plan with two conditions: obtaining all required state and federal permits, and demonstrating full zoning compliance, including the 50-foot water view corridor, before a building permit is issued.
• The board voted unanimously to accept the proposed 16-foot front setback with green space and to accept the continuing non-conformities for minimum building height and building design.
• The board voted not to require a security deposit for sediment and erosion control or a performance guarantee for sidewalk construction.
• Safe Harbor presented a pre-application plan for a new boat storage and maintenance building on an existing gravel yard at 56 New County Road, with staff and board input on landscaping, stormwater, wetlands, and waiver requests.
• Resident Philip Kendrick raised the future of the Quirk auto dealership property during public comment, suggesting mixed-use housing; the chair said no proposal had been received and would pass the idea to the city council.
• The board postponed its discussion of Ordinance Amendment 27 on vacant buildings to a future meeting and recommended the pet daycare and grooming ordinance (OA 28) move forward as written after a public hearing drew no comment.

Next steps

• Send a memo to city council requesting the most up-to-date draft and a statement of purpose for Ordinance Amendment 27, with questions about multifamily developments and the floor area determination.
• Send a memo to city council relaying no public comment on Ordinance Amendment 28 and recommending it move forward as written.
• Safe Harbor plans to submit its application by the following week for the first November planning board meeting.
• Staff will provide updated copies of Ordinance Amendment 27 and a memo on the zones where pet daycare facilities would be allowed.

Read the full transcript