Brunswick Planning Board Meeting - September 9, 2025: Simpsons Point Boat Launch and Woodside Private Street Approvals
Brunswick Planning Board Meeting - September 9, 2025: Simpsons Point Boat Launch and Woodside Private Street Approvals
The Brunswick Planning Board met on September 9, 2025, to consider two major development applications: improvements to the Simpson’s Point Boat Launch (Case 25-25, tabled from July) and a private street development on Woodside Road (Case 25-33). Both applications were approved unanimously with conditions after public hearings. The board also approved minutes from prior meetings and discussed a conservation commission site visit.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Woodside Private Street Development: Greg Leonard, an abutter, expressed concern about potential future development on the nearly 60-acre lot (of which only two lots are proposed now), fearing impacts on nearby wetlands and McQuay Bay. He urged the owner to consider conserving the back portion of the property as conservation land, noting that adjacent property is already conserved.
Discussion Items
Case 25-25: Simpsons Point Boat Launch
- Barney Vaker (GEI Consultants) presented the project on behalf of the town and property owners. The project involves widening and extending the existing hand-carry boat ramp (used for kayaks, paddleboards, town emergency services, and the harbormaster) with precast concrete planks and riprap armoring, plus an erosion control plan. The previously included trail and staircase on Lot 4C were removed and will be resubmitted later. Board members asked about nature-based alternatives to riprap (Chris Baldwin) and the status of ADA parking and expired DMR timing approval. The applicant noted that green solutions are less effective in the intertidal zone and that the timing extension would be sought if needed.
Case 25-33: Woodside Private Street Development
- Joe Martin (Site Lines PA) presented a proposal to construct a 900-foot private street on an undeveloped 57-acre wooded lot to create two building lots (one retained lot of ~49 acres and one new lot of ~6 acres). A stormwater pond and drainage swales are included; no wetlands or streams are impacted. The applicant requested two waivers: one from surveying all 10-inch caliper trees (due to the high cost and that all trees within the clearing limits will be removed) and one from treating 95% of impervious area (instead meeting Chapter 500 exemption standards, as the final 100-150 feet of road cannot be treated). Board member Laura Hatmaker questioned compatibility with the Wildlife Habitat Block Overlay, but staff confirmed the clearing is within ordinance limits. The board also discussed the potential for future road extension (capped at 1,500 feet per town ordinance) and the need for a road maintenance agreement.
Key Outcomes
- Case 25-25 Simpsons Point Boat Launch: Approved unanimously (motion by Rob Burgess, second by Chris Baldwin) with three conditions: (1) approval refers to findings of fact and public record; (2) prior to building permit, obtain a shoreland protection overlay permit; (3) prior to building permit, obtain a flood hazard development permit.
- Case 25-33 Woodside Private Street: Two waivers granted unanimously (motion by Chris Baldwin, second by Kelly Matson): (1) waiver of 10-inch caliper tree survey requirement; (2) waiver of 95% impervious treatment requirement, to be replaced by Chapter 500 exemption standards. The project was then approved unanimously (motion by Kelly Matson, second by Rob Burgess) with six conditions: (1) approval refers to findings of fact and public record; (2) prior to building permit, submit letter from MDIFW confirming no endangered animal habitats; (3) prior to building permit, performance guarantees for street and stormwater infrastructure approved by town manager and finance director; (4) prior to building permit, submit evidence of stormwater permit by rule and MEPDES general permit; (5) prior to building permit, submit draft road and stormwater maintenance agreement for town attorney review; (6) prior to building permit, submit revised site plan showing clearing limits to planning director.
- Approval of Minutes: Minutes from June 24, July 8, July 22, and August 12, 2025, were approved with minor corrections (spelling of Michael Hori’s name and “Bonneault”).
- Other Business: The Conservation Commission will hold a public site visit to the Jones Farm subdivision (off Lisbon Road) regarding a conservation easement.
Meeting Transcript
Chris Baldwin and next to Chris on my near right, Laura Hatmaker on my near left, Alison Harris. Next to Alison, Director of Planning and Development, Julie Erdman, and next to Julie, our land use planner, Matthew James. We have two cases before us tonight, case number 25, 25 Simpsons Point Boat Launch, which was tabled on July 22nd. And we'll remove it from the table and finish that up. And then we have case number 2533, Woodside Private Street Development. Matthew, would you introduce case number 2525, the Simpsons Point Boat Launch? The planning board will review and act upon a tabled major development review, sketch, and final plan application submitted by GEI Consultants Incorporated on behalf of the town of Brunswick and the property owners, the Benson and Patricia Ford Trusts for improvements to the Simpsons Point Boat Launch. The subject property is located on Simpsons Point Road, Map 31 Lot 4 and 4A, and within the Rural Protection 1 or RP1 zone, Shoreland Protection Overlay or SPO subdistrict, rural protection stormwater management overlay or RPSMO subdistrict, any shoreland protection overlay, resource protection or SPORP subdistrict. I'd also like to note that this project previously included lot 4C on which the applicants have proposed a trail and staircase leading down to the beach. However, that has been removed from the application and they will resubmit at a later time. Okay. Thank you. So we tabled the project on July 22nd on August 8th. Was it? We took took it off the table and then retabled it. So I'd like a motion to remove the application from the table. Move by Chris Baldwin, second by Laura Hatmaker. All those in favor, that's unanimous of the board members present. All right. Over to you. Thank you very much. I'm a civil engineer with GEI consultants. Last time the project was presented by Lisa Vickers. She's the project manager, but she's not able to be here tonight. The project is for Simpsons Point boat launch. It's uh funded by the town and by a small harbor improvement grant. Um the reason the two projects, Lot 4C and the boat ramp are included together is because they're both in that funding stream and will be uh put out to bid together. But the two projects are on separate lots, as uh was mentioned, so um the other project will be handled separately by staff. So I have a few slides uh to show you. Um this is the title sheet for the uh project and um you've got a very rough location of where the project is located. Um this is um this is the site right here. Um it's essentially a right-of-way that extends down through Simpsons Point directly to the water. The old Chamberlain Pier is located there. It's an intertidal area. This picture is actually uh taken it at high water. And we think there's been a ramp there uh since the 70s, but of course the pier was there much earlier, Chamberlain Pier. This is the condition of the uh ramp right now. Um you can see the um site has been improved with uh riprap uh slopes and uh concrete precast planks uh that go down uh to the water. So this is the launch site. Uh this site is used by um for hand carry um hand carry use for kayaks and and small paddle boards. Um it is also used by the town uh emergency services and by the town airboat harbormaster. The new facility does not change that use, but the boat ramp is made wider and also extends further towards the intertidal area. This is the remnants of the old pier. And town use. Properties located on the town right away and also located on property owned by the adjacent butting property owners. We do have DEP permits and also Army Corps permits for the project. And lot 4C, which is being considered separately, includes a path down to the beach. The only thing that has changed since you've seen this the last time is there was a section of the path that has been removed because of a comment that was received about endangered plant species. This is the pre-cast ramp. It's pretty common construction using pre-cast, which holds up very well in the intertidal resource.
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