In another lengthy meeting on Wed., June 11, the Boothbay Harbor Planning Board voted to approve Linekin Bay Resort's application to improve its existing resort and construct 34 year-round homes on Wall Point. On Tuesday, the board was still working out the specific wording of the 17 conditions that were discussed with the applicant on Wednesday night and approved by the board.

Much of the discussion during Wednesday night's meeting focused on roads -- within the development and leading to the development. The applicant requested a waiver to create narrower roads within the development so as to reduce traffic speed and to create a pedestrian-oriented community.

The Planning Board sought assistance from Department of Public Works Director Jody Lewis and Fire Chief Glenn Townsend regarding the acceptability of the proposed 20-foot wide structural road, with an 18-foot reclaimed gravel surface and one-foot loamed shoulders. Both Townsend and particularly Lewis expressed concern about staging and maneuvering emergency vehicles on the proposed roadways. Ultimately, Lewis made his recommendation of either 20-foot gravel surface roadways with two-foot shoulders or 18-foot paved surface roadways with one-foot shoulders. The applicant appeared to choose the latter.

Concerns were raised during the project review about the adequacy of the Barrows Road/Lobster Cove Road intersection. The board proposed a condition to require Linekin Bay Resort to fund improvements to the Barrows Road/ Lobster Cove Road intersection to establish clear stop lines, turning locations and adequate sight lines. The board also proposed a condition that would require the developers to replace the roadbed, shoulders and pavement on Barrows Road to the existing maximum width following site drainage improvement and construction.

The board decided not to assess Linekin Bay Resort for the costs of improvements at the intersection of Park Street, Union Street and Atlantic Avenue since they could not show that traffic was likely to increase due to the development. A traffic analysis conducted for the applicant predicted that traffic would actually decrease since both restaurant seats and resort rooms are less under the new proposal. Although 34 new homes would be constructed, homes are expected to generate less traffic than resort rooms. This somewhat questionable conclusion was supported by an independent traffic analysis conducted for the board.

Lewis raised concerns about "problems" along Wall Point Road, which is quite narrow, that he would like to see corrected. Those concerns are likely to be addressed via work done by the applicant to improve storm water damage. Lewis also asked the board to require the applicant to video the construction route and to hold the applicant responsible for the costs of any repairs necessary due to excessive wear and tear caused by the construction vehicles. This recommendation was included as a permit condition.

Other conditions on the permit include limiting operation of the resort and restaurant to no more than 300 days per year; forestalling construction until sufficient financial guarantees are provided to insure the successful completion of the water, sewer, utilities, roads and other infrastructure; requiring that the total amount of cleared land in the shoreland zone not exceed present conditions; and requiring signage to direct traffic to Wall Point Road at the resort's entrance. The final board approval with conditions should be completed within the week.