Roll Call & Call to Order - Secretary and Acting Chair Declan O'Connor, Members Wayne Corey, Geoff Gilchrist and David Bond and Associate Members Daisy Beal (voting member on Nordic application) and Hugh Townsend. Steve Ryan, Board Chair, has recused himself from participating in review of the Nordic Aquafarm application.
Development Review - Nordic Aquafarms Permit Applications, Including Site Plan Permit, Shoreland Permit, Zoning Use Permit, Significant Groundwater Well Permit and Significant Water Intake/(Waste)Water Discharge Pipe Permit Nordic Aquafarms, Inc. has submitted an application to develop a land based salmon aquaculture facility on a 56 acre site located on the northwesterly side of Route One near the lower reservoir of the Little River. The applicant proposes to develop the project in two phases over 5 or more years. Total production capacity at build-out is estimated to be 72,732,000 pounds (33,000 metric tons) of salmon per year. Phase 1 involves the construction of about 414,450 square feet of buildings, and Phase 2 involves the construction of about 392,804 square feet of buildings; each phase involves rearing and processing a similar amount of salmon. The facility would use a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) to process water used in rearing the salmon in land based tanks. At full build-out, the facility is projected to use about 1,205 gallons of freshwater per minute (gpm) and about 3,925 gallons of saltwater per minute. The freshwater is proposed to be obtained from three sources: the Belfast Water District (about 500 gpm), on-site groundwater wells (about 455 gpm) and the extraction of surficial water from Reservoir 1 on the Little River (about 250 gpm). Saltwater will be obtained from Belfast Bay via two new off-shore water intake pipes that extend about 6,300 feet from the High Annual Tide into the Bay. The RAS system also involves Nordic Aquafarms treating and regularly discharging the freshwater and saltwater (wastewater/effluent) used to rear salmon back into Belfast Bay via a discharge pipe that extends offshore about 3400 feet from the High Annual Tide. The 56 acre site that Nordic Aquafarms, Inc. proposes to develop includes parts of all of the following properties, as such are identified on the City of Belfast Tax Assessor maps: • Map 29, Lot 39, located at 285 Northport Avenue that is owned by the Belfast Water District (about 29 acres): • Map 4, Lot 104, located off of Northport Avenue that is owned by Sam Cassida (about 12.5 acres): • Map 4, Lot 12A, located at 22 Perkins Road that is owned by Goldenrod Properties, LLC; [dba Mathews Brothers] (about 14.5 acres): and • Map 29, Lot 36, located at 282 Northport Ave, that is owned by Richard Eckrote (easement for construction of water intake/wastewater discharge pipes). The Belfast Planning Board is responsible for the review of the following permit applications: • Chapter 82, Shoreland. Shoreland Permit for construction of facilities in the Shoreland Zone, including but not limited to the proposed water intake and discharge pipes. Part of project site is in the General Development Shoreland district and the easement area on the Ekrote property is in the Limited Residential Shoreland district. • Chapter 90, Site Plan. Project requires a Site Plan Permit for a project that may substantially affect the environment. Board is now reviewing the Preliminary Plan application. • Chapter 102, Zoning. Project requires a Use Permit for a project that qualifies as a Site Plan. Most of project is in the Route One South Business Park zoning district and the Ekrote property easement area is in the Residential II zoning district. • Chapter 102, Zoning. Project requires a permit for the location and use of Significant Groundwater Wells; reference Article VIII, Division 7. • Chapter 102, Zoning. Project requires a permit for the location of Significant Water Intake and Significant Water Discharge/Outfall Pipes; reference Article IX, Div 2. Note to Public # 1: The Nordic Aquafarms permit application can be viewed on the City website, cityofbelfast.org. Reference planning and codes, Nordic Aquafarms Permit Applications. Application also can be inspected at Code & Planning Department offices in City Hall. Note to Public # 2: Public comment can be offered to the Planning Board in any one of the following three ways: Oral comment offered at one or more of the public hearings at the Board meeting; Written comment to: City of Belfast, Code & Planning Department, 131 Church St, Belfast, ME, 04915 Comment via email to: public@cityofbelfast.org 4.1 Description of Board review of Nordic Aquafarms Permit that has occurred to date - Declan O'Connor, Acting Board Chair or Wayne Marshall, Director, Code & Planning. 4.2 Planning Board consideration of 'Party in Interest' application from Larry Theye and Betty Theye, property owners, Northport Ave/Route 1, that errantly was not presented to the Board for consideration at the Board meeting of August 5. 4.3 Planning Board consideration of uses proposed by Nordic Aquafarms; are the proposed uses permitted activities in the applicable Chapter 102, Zoning, zoning districts, the Route One South Business Park District and the Residential II District, and in the applicable Chapter 82, Shoreland, shoreland zoning districts, the General Development district and the Limited Residential district? 4.3.1 Nordic description of proposed uses. 4.3.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.3.3 Public hearing on proposed uses. 4.3.4 Board deliberations on proposed uses. 4.4 The Board will consider if Nordic Aquafarms can satisfy requirements in Chapter 90, Site Plan, and Chapter 102, Zoning regarding Technical Ability --- Does Nordic Aquafarms have adequate the technical ability to develop the project in a manner consistent with state and local performance, environmental and technical standards? Attachment 29 in the Nordic Aquafarms application addresses Financial Ability. 4.4.1 Presentation by Nordic Aquafarms representatives. 4.4.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.4.3 Public Hearing on Technical Ability 4.4.4 Board deliberations on Technical Ability 4.5 The Board will consider if Nordic Aquafarms can satisfy requirements regarding the projects visual impact on the scenic and natural beauty of the area and aesthetics; particularly reference the Visual Assessment Report in Attachment 27 of the application. 4.5.1 Presentation by Nordic Aquafarms representatives. 4.5.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.5.3 Public Hearing on Visual Impact 4.5.4 Board deliberations on Visual Impact 4.6 The Board will consider if Nordic Aquafarms can satisfy requirements regarding 'Buffers', including bufferyard areas, screening and landscaping, particularly reference Attachment 28 in the application. 4.6.1 Presentation by Nordic Aquafarms representatives. 4.6.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.6.3 Public Hearing on Buffers 4.6.4 Board deliberations on Buffers 4.7 Description of public hearings on Nordic Aquafarms application scheduled for Planning Board meeting of August 26, and potential Board meeting schedule for September. -Wayne Marshall. 6. Adjournment
Roll Call & Call to Order - Secretary and Acting Chair Declan O'Connor, Members Wayne Corey, Geoff Gilchrist and David Bond and Associate Members Daisy Beal (voting member on Nordic application) and Hugh Townsend. Steve Ryan, Board Chair, has recused himself from participating in review of the Nordic Aquafarm application.
Development Review - Nordic Aquafarms Permit Applications, Including Site Plan Permit, Shoreland Permit, Zoning Use Permit, Significant Groundwater Well Permit and Significant Water Intake/(Waste)Water Discharge Pipe Permit Nordic Aquafarms, Inc. has submitted an application to develop a land based salmon aquaculture facility on a 56 acre site located on the northwesterly side of Route One near the lower reservoir of the Little River. The applicant proposes to develop the project in two phases over 5 or more years. Total production capacity at build-out is estimated to be 72,732,000 pounds (33,000 metric tons) of salmon per year. Phase 1 involves the construction of about 414,450 square feet of buildings, and Phase 2 involves the construction of about 392,804 square feet of buildings; each phase involves rearing and processing a similar amount of salmon. The facility would use a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) to process water used in rearing the salmon in land based tanks. At full build-out, the facility is projected to use about 1,205 gallons of freshwater per minute (gpm) and about 3,925 gallons of saltwater per minute. The freshwater is proposed to be obtained from three sources: the Belfast Water District (about 500 gpm), on-site groundwater wells (about 455 gpm) and the extraction of surficial water from Reservoir 1 on the Little River (about 250 gpm). Saltwater will be obtained from Belfast Bay via two new off-shore water intake pipes that extend about 6,300 feet from the High Annual Tide into the Bay. The RAS system also involves Nordic Aquafarms treating and regularly discharging the freshwater and saltwater (wastewater/effluent) used to rear salmon back into Belfast Bay via a discharge pipe that extends offshore about 3400 feet from the High Annual Tide. The 56 acre site that Nordic Aquafarms, Inc. proposes to develop includes parts of all of the following properties, as such are identified on the City of Belfast Tax Assessor maps: • Map 29, Lot 39, located at 285 Northport Avenue that is owned by the Belfast Water District (about 29 acres): • Map 4, Lot 104, located off of Northport Avenue that is owned by Sam Cassida (about 12.5 acres): • Map 4, Lot 12A, located at 22 Perkins Road that is owned by Goldenrod Properties, LLC; [dba Mathews Brothers] (about 14.5 acres): and • Map 29, Lot 36, located at 282 Northport Ave, that is owned by Richard Eckrote (easement for construction of water intake/wastewater discharge pipes). The Belfast Planning Board is responsible for the review of the following permit applications: • Chapter 82, Shoreland. Shoreland Permit for construction of facilities in the Shoreland Zone, including but not limited to the proposed water intake and discharge pipes. Part of project site is in the General Development Shoreland district and the easement area on the Ekrote property is in the Limited Residential Shoreland district. • Chapter 90, Site Plan. Project requires a Site Plan Permit for a project that may substantially affect the environment. Board is now reviewing the Preliminary Plan application. • Chapter 102, Zoning. Project requires a Use Permit for a project that qualifies as a Site Plan. Most of project is in the Route One South Business Park zoning district and the Ekrote property easement area is in the Residential II zoning district. • Chapter 102, Zoning. Project requires a permit for the location and use of Significant Groundwater Wells; reference Article VIII, Division 7. • Chapter 102, Zoning. Project requires a permit for the location of Significant Water Intake and Significant Water Discharge/Outfall Pipes; reference Article IX, Div 2. Note to Public # 1: The Nordic Aquafarms permit application can be viewed on the City website, cityofbelfast.org. Reference planning and codes, Nordic Aquafarms Permit Applications. Application also can be inspected at Code & Planning Department offices in City Hall. Note to Public # 2: Public comment can be offered to the Planning Board in any one of the following three ways: Oral comment offered at one or more of the public hearings at the Board meeting; Written comment to: City of Belfast, Code & Planning Department, 131 Church St, Belfast, ME, 04915 Comment via email to: public@cityofbelfast.org 4.1 Description of Board review of Nordic Aquafarms Permit that has occurred to date - Declan O'Connor, Acting Board Chair or Wayne Marshall, Director, Code & Planning. 4.2 Planning Board consideration of 'Party in Interest' application from Larry Theye and Betty Theye, property owners, Northport Ave/Route 1, that errantly was not presented to the Board for consideration at the Board meeting of August 5. 4.3 Planning Board consideration of uses proposed by Nordic Aquafarms; are the proposed uses permitted activities in the applicable Chapter 102, Zoning, zoning districts, the Route One South Business Park District and the Residential II District, and in the applicable Chapter 82, Shoreland, shoreland zoning districts, the General Development district and the Limited Residential district? 4.3.1 Nordic description of proposed uses. 4.3.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.3.3 Public hearing on proposed uses. 4.3.4 Board deliberations on proposed uses. 4.4 The Board will consider if Nordic Aquafarms can satisfy requirements in Chapter 90, Site Plan, and Chapter 102, Zoning regarding Technical Ability --- Does Nordic Aquafarms have adequate the technical ability to develop the project in a manner consistent with state and local performance, environmental and technical standards? Attachment 29 in the Nordic Aquafarms application addresses Financial Ability. 4.4.1 Presentation by Nordic Aquafarms representatives. 4.4.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.4.3 Public Hearing on Technical Ability 4.4.4 Board deliberations on Technical Ability 4.5 The Board will consider if Nordic Aquafarms can satisfy requirements regarding the projects visual impact on the scenic and natural beauty of the area and aesthetics; particularly reference the Visual Assessment Report in Attachment 27 of the application. 4.5.1 Presentation by Nordic Aquafarms representatives. 4.5.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.5.3 Public Hearing on Visual Impact 4.5.4 Board deliberations on Visual Impact 4.6 The Board will consider if Nordic Aquafarms can satisfy requirements regarding 'Buffers', including bufferyard areas, screening and landscaping, particularly reference Attachment 28 in the application. 4.6.1 Presentation by Nordic Aquafarms representatives. 4.6.2 Presentation to Board by 'Parties in Interest' 4.6.3 Public Hearing on Buffers 4.6.4 Board deliberations on Buffers 4.7 Description of public hearings on Nordic Aquafarms application scheduled for Planning Board meeting of August 26, and potential Board meeting schedule for September. -Wayne Marshall. 6. Adjournment