Bangor Zoning Board approves minutes and findings for variance requests

[0:01] Rachel Thompson: Take away our video, please. [0:20] Speaker B (unidentified): It's being recorded. It's to be recorded, yeah. But as long as we see that cursor moving, that means it's underway here. I failed to start the video camera it [Speaker C (unidentified): says it] won't start yeah [2:22] Speaker C (unidentified): it's very confusing because we can see ourselves right so clearly yeah the camera is so weird that's why we're [2:46] Speaker B (unidentified): where's it say it's recording [2:50] Speaker C (unidentified): it's audio recording oh it needs to video there we go but [2:57] Speaker B (unidentified): i don't think it's the video has started no there's no the counter says zero yeah it looks like this is just the camera like [3:08] Speaker D (unidentified): if there were i believe you were born in india [Speaker C (unidentified): i wonder] if [4:13] Speaker B (unidentified): it's because there's two things being right at the same time [4:21] Speaker C (unidentified): that's a good idea is [4:27] Speaker D (unidentified): audio recording insufficient [4:29] Speaker B (unidentified): sufficient I mean I mean historically just recorded right we're trying to get it video recorded but I don't think that there would be a huge problem if we just went ahead with the meeting without the video recording because technical difficulties and it's open to the public that's the important thing i bet [5:03] Speaker C (unidentified): you it is because the other ones i mean what other i mean surely like [5:06] Speaker D (unidentified): this is sophisticated enough to do two things i'm just glad that i wasn't left alone yes i thought [5:12] Speaker C (unidentified): i was alone trying to do this oh no it wasn't like this it's just this black box it's actually This is magic, right? It's magic. It's humanized. Tricky. Oh, Zoom? Yeah. Zoom always surprises me. What do you think? I've never used it. [5:34] Speaker D (unidentified): It's the occasional webinar. Mm. [5:43] Speaker C (unidentified): You've never tried it before? Yeah. [5:45] Speaker D (unidentified): I use Zoom. Do you usually talk to a webinar? I do. [5:49] Speaker C (unidentified): Is it virtual? Yeah, but they're all asynchronous. Oh, okay. I will do... I'll do, like, live review sessions that are optional, but... Do you use Zoom for that? Yeah, I use Zoom. Just record them. Recording to the cloud? It's my computer. I record the cloud. Where does it end up? Takes like 24 hours for like process. Yeah. It's like AI incorporating. It's always asking me things like that. No,, no. Please, no. [6:17] Speaker D (unidentified): User and visitors trying to use AI. [6:20] Speaker B (unidentified): Moving on, your recording is working. So, let's just go ahead and start the meeting on it. Okay. [6:27] Rachel Thompson: very good okay it is 5 36 p.m i'll call the wednesday february 11 2026 meeting of the city of beggar board of appeals to order we'll start out with introductions [6:43] Speaker C (unidentified): don't want to start again rachel thompson robert gallagher ed gold i'm the chair ryan ray [6:49] Rachel Thompson: Thank you everybody. And Don as associate member, since we have five members present, you will be sitting and voting, right? Yes, thanks. Item number two on the agenda is selected chair pro tem. That's on there because when this meeting was originally set up, I wasn't sure if I could make it, but I'm here, so we can skip item two. Item three is approval of the minutes. Oh, and I should just note for the record that we've had some technical difficulties with the video recording reporting of this meeting, so the meeting is recorded, being recorded audio only. Item number three is approval of minutes from the February 4th 2026 Board of Appeals meeting. I hope you all had a chance to take a look at the minutes. Does anybody want to make a motion [7:43] Speaker B (unidentified): regarding adoption of the minutes? Chair, if I could please, when there is a vote, if you could make sure, because it's only audio. Yeah, okay, I [7:53] Rachel Thompson: moved to approve the minutes. Moved by member Ballingall, second remember Thompson. Comments, questions, additions, changes to the minutes? Hearing none, we'll do a roll call. Remember McCann? Yes. Remember Thompson? Yes. Member Ray? Yes. And member Gold also voting yes. The minutes are approved. Item number four are findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding the public hearing that we had at the February 4th meeting. One item I want to call to everybody's attention is that last week when we met, we did not, although there was evidence on this point, we did not specifically discuss, and I will find the language [8:55] Speaker B (unidentified): actually there's two different, we did [9:01] Rachel Thompson: not make specific findings at the meeting as are found in the ordinance regarding relaxation of the ordinance provisions, whether or not it would be contrary to the public interest with respect to the back parcel or the front part or the front parts. Yes, right, because we have, we have two ordinances here. I mean, I mean two parcels and two variants requests here, so there is evidence on the record so that we can make a finding on that, and in the board reports so votes, those findings are incorporated in these findings effect, so that essentially we can clean up the fact that we didn't cover it last week by adopting the findings there in these findings of fact before you tonight. So before we move on to the findings themselves, does anybody have any questions or have any discussion about that point? So just to clarify that just [10:10] Speaker D (unidentified): By virtue of assuming we accept the findings and conclusions as they're presented, that's sufficient to cover that. We don't have to do a separate motion to cover those, correct, in advance. [10:20] Speaker B (unidentified): By adopting this written decision as written, you are adopting these findings. [10:28] Jordan LaBouff: other comments or questions perhaps again i keep bringing this up just because i'm one of the newer members on the board but just would like a clear and concise definition as to what the public interest is now from my point of view as far as like just assumptions My interpretation of public interest would be like, when it comes to code enforcement, does the non-existence or the variance lead by consequence to a issue in which public interest could be threatened in some way? way. But let's say, for example, the implementation of the variance would lead to difficulties regarding, let's say, you know, snow removal by public service, etc. The possibility in which like storm drains could be affected. Like, are these sorts of material consequences anything that we should be concerned of as far as determining public interest is concerned? Sure. [11:39] Speaker B (unidentified): So the finding that you're making would be that by not requiring them to go by the strict terms of the ordinance in this particular instance, it would not be against, it would not be contrary to the public interest. So it's limited to the front parcel request for variants and the back parcel request for variants. In other words, if by allowing the applicant to vary from that those strict requirements, by way of this hardship, would that somehow be contrary to the of public interests. In this case, there, I mean, there was evidence about parking difficulties and snow plowing, but that all was in the other direction, as you may recall, because they would have a tighter area to do those sorts of things. That's just an example. [12:46] Rachel Thompson: And the way that I look at it, David, I want you to correct me if I'm wrong, is that we are required to at least look beyond the four corners of the parcels involved here and make a determination whether or not the relief that the applicant is requesting may have some negative impact to negative impact outside of the parcel itself. I mean, for example, I suppose, you know, if there was some variance request that was going to wind up in increasing burden on sewer or something like that. [13:31] Jordan LaBouff: Yeah, that's why that's why I brought it up. Yeah. [13:34] Rachel Thompson: Which is not part of the evidence here, but I mean, that could be something that we would have to consider in granting a variance. Did I get that right, David? [13:44] Speaker B (unidentified): Yes, it's very nice to say okay. Other any other questions then? Would someone like to make a [13:53] Rachel Thompson: motion regarding adoption of the draft findings fact and conclusions along and move the board adopt the findings of fact and conclusions of law as presented. Moved by member Thompson. Is there a second? All set. Moved by member McCann. Any other discussion? Hearing none, let's do a roll call. Start with member McCann. Remember Thompson? Yes. Remember Ballingall? Yes. Remember Ray? Yes. And I also vote yes. The vote is unanimous. So before we leave today, make sure everybody's going to have to sign one copy of the identify this as well. The last item on the agenda is other business. Does anybody have any other business bring before the door? Hearing none, would somebody [14:41] Speaker B (unidentified): like to move to the journey? Second. I said moved in second although that says Ballengall and thank you [14:51] Rachel Thompson: seconded by member Ray. Roll call member McCann on the motion to adjourn? Yes. Remember Thompson? Yes. Remember Ballengold? Yes. Remember Ray? Yes. And I also vote yes. [15:05] Speaker B (unidentified): Thank you everybody. If you could go ahead and sign [15:09] Speaker C (unidentified): I mean I that would that's what I would say. Story of my life. [15:39] Speaker B (unidentified): This contract might be signed in a different counterparts and that's so it all together [15:45] Speaker C (unidentified): other equals one. Oh really? That's nice. That's very nice. Thank you. Thanks for [16:08] Rachel Thompson: everything as always. Yeah, thank you. [16:11] Speaker D (unidentified): That is the room [16:20] Speaker B (unidentified): before I go though [16:27] Speaker C (unidentified): all right [16:30] Jordan LaBouff: guys thank you until then. Until next time. Yeah, I'm just gonna