6 Church Street, Gardiner, Maine 04345 Pat Hart, Chairperson
Dorothy Morang, Recording Secretary
{00030026-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} CITY OF GARDINER
PLANNING BOARD
Gardiner Planning Board October 22, 2009
City of Gardiner, Maine Site Walk 4:30 PM
Site Walk
Oak Grove Cemetery, Plummer St Entrance
ROLL CALL
Present: Pat Hart Judith A. Dorsey Pamela Mitchel
Ronald Condon James Montell Deborah Willis
Edward Lawrence
Also Present: Dorothy Morang, Planning Board Recording Secretary
David Cichowski, Code Enforcement Officer
Anne Davis, Acting City Manager
James Toman, Police Chief
Russell Greenleaf, Applicant Victor Tessari Patti Martin
Anne Cough Lynn Gerard Rosalind Jellison Jaye Trimm
Mark Gosline Linda Cailler Don Cailler Joan Vining
William F. MacDonald Deborah Skehan Timothy Skehan Jerry Maschino
Mary Maschino Ken Carlson Laurie Carlson Jay Folkomer
Lincoln Luken Coleen Valera Elizabeth Cooley Jack Skehan Joseph G. Donahue Kirk Mohney Peter Hagerman Harold Gerard
Sam Temple Ralph Clark Christopher Temple
Greg Thompson David Robinson
1.) Call the Meeting to order.
Chair, Pat Hart called the meeting to order at 4:36 PM and welcomed everyone. She said that the purpose of this meeting is for the Planning Board to ask questions of the Applicant and gather facts. It is not a public hearing. The public can ask questions of the Applicant after the meeting, if the Applicant is willing to stay. She also cautioned that the public cannot discuss this Application with any member of the Planning Board. The public may refer questions of City staff and any letters should be sent to the City for distribution.
2.) Roll call taken.
Joe Donahue said that he is concerned about the Board taking evidence from the Applicant without any input from any other interested party. He wanted it noted for the record that his silence doesn’t mean he does not have any comments.
3.) Site Walk
The Gardiner Planning Board will conduct a site walk at the Oak Grove Cemetery, Plummer St Entrance concerning an application from Oak Grove Cemetery Association, Applicant, Russell Greenleaf, Agent, who is seeking approval of a minor site plan application to use an existing tomb within the cemetery to operate a crematory. The property, located at 45 Danforth St, City Tax Map 31 Lot 150, is within the High Density Residential (HDR) Zoning District.
The group walked from the Plummer St entrance to the Oak Grove Cemetery to the first building, currently being used as a maintenance shed. The Applicant opened the building so everyone could see the inside of the building as well as the exterior.
Chair Hart asked what kind of construction will be done to this building. Rusty Greenleaf said that they plan to replace the windows and doors. They will close the large double doors and put a new door where an existing window exists. The interior will be partitioned off for a bathroom, office and a storage area for urns and other materials. They plan to jack up the building and construct a foundation under it. It is currently on posts.
Ron Condon asked if they had given any thought to leaving the double doors and just close them off from inside. Rusty said they could, but also, they don’t have to use this building if there are objections.
The group moved on to the receiving tomb and the Applicant opened the doors so everyone could see inside.
Pam Mitchel asked where the furnace will go. The Applicant said that it would go along the back wall. He also noted that the total height of the stack would be 18’ high - with 8’ of it inside – coming off the bottom of the unit and 10’ above the roof.
Ron Condon asked if they will be doing any repointing. The Applicant said that the front doors will be sealed shut and a new double door will be added to the side between the two buildings. He has talked with a stone mason about the work to ensure that the building stonework will not be damaged and they do plan to re-point some of the stone.
Pam Mitchel asked where the propane tank will be. The Applicant, Rusty Greenleaf, said in the back of the building. It is a 1,000 lb. tank.
Ron Condon asked if the State requires two means of egress. Rusty said no. Ron asked why they don’t use the existing doors. Rusty said the machine won’t fit through the existing doors. Also they want to keep the road clear for people to use and they plan to put a fence around the entrance to people going by won’t see the bodies being unloaded. Ron asked if all of the work on the buildings will be done at one time. Rusty said yes. Ron asked what type of insulation will be used. Rusty said the interior wall will have 2” spray foam with 5/8” sheetrock over that as required by the Fire Department.
Judy asked what distance from the building would you hear the furnace. Rusty said he is not sure, he could check on it. He noted that Jon White had given that information at the last meeting and he would check with him.
The group went up to the roof of the building. Judy asked where the chimney would be placed. Rusty showed them – at the back of the building.
Ron asked if they would be reroofing as well as repointing and restoring. Rusty said yes. Ron asked if the Oak Grove Cemetery Association had any intention of restoring this building on its own. Rusty said no and also noted that the members of the Association were in the group and could confirm that.
Chair Hart asked about the white building that could be seen through the trees. Rusty said it was a garage and house on Heselton St. and he pointed out where the Skehan farm property was located and the surrounding streets.
Ron asked about the amount of daily traffic if the maximum number of human remains were processed. Rusty thought about 7 per day. Victor Tessari said it would be less than that because of additional time for heating the retort. He thought 4 or 5 at most.
Jim Montell asked about the placement of the stack. Rusty showed him where it would be in the back of the building. Pam asked the color of the stack. Rusty said he didn’t know, but probable a typical metal color.
Rusty said that someone had asked in the last meeting about feeling heat if they were going by the tomb. He said that the temperature for the start up of the retort is 1,600 degrees. He said, in comparison, a home furnace has a start-up temperature of 2,400 degrees.
Ron asked what the normal traffic for a day was. Victor said it is mostly travel-through traffic to Gary St.
Timothy Skehan asked how large the propane tank would be. Rusty said about 4’ tall x 10’ wide.
Chair Hart asked the Board members if they had any other questions. They said no.
The group continued on to see where St. Joseph’s Cemetery connected. Victor showed where the property lines were for St. Joseph’s Cemetery. From that point he noted that, through the trees, you could see the Skehan’s farm, Gary St houses off in a distance and houses on Brunswick Terrace. Ed Lawrence pointed out that there was about 6 acres of treed area to the right of St. Joseph’s Cemetery, behind Gary St belonging to Oak Grove Cemetery.
Rusty said that the Gary St entrance is closed in the winter and the Danforth St entrance is permanently closed. Ron asked if it closed on a specific date. Victor said it closes when the snow arrives and reopens after the spring thaw, when the roads are good. Chair Hart asked if they plan to pave the road. Victor said it is not in the plans now.
Judy asked about the number of employees who would be at the site. Rusty said there are a total of 5 employees, but most are part time. He said that there would be 1 – 2 employees there at one time. Chair Hart asked where they will park. Rusty said in a parking area between the two buildings. Chair Hart asked if they will change the road. Rusty said no.
Chair Hart asked if there were any more questions. There were none.
Chair Hart closed the Site Walk. She asked Mr. Greenleaf and Mr. Tessari if they would be available to stay and answer any questions from the public and they said they would.
Chair Hart thanked everyone and said that the draft minutes of this meeting would be available after Dorothy has a chance to type them up.
4.) ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 5:31 PM
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