Planners approve new business applications in Farmington

Aug. 13--FARMINGTON -- The Planning Board approved site review and other applications Monday for two new businesses coming to town.

The proposed opening date of Sept. 1 for the Sweet Ginger Thai Restaurant may be set back to Oct. 1 or before, Jack Cahill said for owner Wichai Tatiyanunthaporn.

The restaurant will occupy approximately 1,700 square feet at 112 Marceau Court, formerly leased by Black Bear Graphics.

"We are here for approval of a change of use for the space," Cahill said.

Some board members have received calls since the plan was released about potential aromas from the restaurant wafting through the downtown area.

For insurance and safety purposes, an exhaust fan would vent cooking odors a couple feet above the edge of the roof, Cahill said.

Board Chairman Clayton King said he had received a couple calls and suggested the higher the vent, the better.

Other questions were asked about the size of the restaurant, grease trap provisions, garbage and restrooms before the board unanimously approved the site review application.

Although named a Thai restaurant, the Winslow couple plan to serve Korean, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes, Cahill previously said.

Applications for The Ice Cream Shoppe at 171 Wilton Road were also approved.

Robert Gardner of Mercer sought approval to build an approximately 1,500-square-foot building on the property where Melanie Farmer has operated her Classic Gallery and Framing.

A garage and two sheds will be torn down. The house will be renovated to include an upstairs tenant and a light business downstairs, he said.

Gardner and family own similar ice cream shops in Randolph and Skowhegan. The shop will sell hard and soft ice creams but no other food, he said.

Several questions were posed by board members, including about traffic, the driveway and potential flooding.

The business is located next to Temple Stream and the plan required approval of soil erosion control/stormwater management, flood hazard development, shore land zoning and site review applications. All four applications were unanimously approved.

When asked about being in the flood plain, Gardner said the plan meets requirements.

Fill will be brought in for the new shop 50 feet from Routes 2 and 4 and 85 feet from the stream. Town rules do not allow any structure or parking within 75 feet of the stream, Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser previously said.

Concerns were raised about a small second entry to the property, one used mainly for agricultural work on the field behind the proposed shop.

Gardner told the board the main driveway would be the entry/exit for the business. He intends to continue to hay the field and use the entry closest to the stream for that.

Concerning traffic, the busiest time for his businesses is between 7 to 8 p.m., when traffic is normally lighter.

The business will be open from April to October. Gardner said he intends to open next spring.

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