Planning board approves transit center electric bus chargers with decommissioning and lease conditions; one member opposes

The Saco Planning Board on Aug. 19 approved a site‑plan amendment for installation of pantograph overhead chargers to top‑charge battery electric buses at the city transit center (138 Main Street), subject to conditions that require a decommissioning plan, staff review of lease amendments for city property and compliance with landscaping peer‑review recommendations. The final vote on conditions and the site‑plan amendment recorded four yes votes, one no vote and one abstention.

What the project is: the applicant proposes two pantograph en‑route chargers to serve buses operated by the transit provider. The applicant submitted a written decommissioning plan in the updated packet describing how above‑ground concrete and equipment would be removed and the surface restored should the chargers be removed in the future. The applicant also prepared a draft lease amendment to govern use of city property and decommissioning responsibilities; staff will forward the lease amendment to City Council for review.

Conditions and technical points: staff clarified required clearances—20 feet from the city street for structures and 10 feet for landscaping—and the applicant measured the site and told the board the installed equipment would be at least 23 feet from the roadway and 19 feet from the edge of the parking lot, leaving room for the recommended landscaping. The board added a condition requiring that final landscaping follow the planning board’s landscape peer‑review recommendations. Planning staff will review the decommissioning plan for compliance with VRAP (site remediation) constraints and coordinate final lease language with City Council. The conditions also allow staff to require plan updates if lease terms change the site layout.

Board split and concerns: Planning Board member Jeff Brusciau voted no on the substantive approvals and recorded concerns about placing large electric charging infrastructure at the downtown transit center, citing fire and public‑safety risk, the technology’s evolving nature and the potential effect on downtown aesthetics and infill development. Other board members supported the project and emphasized the decommissioning plan and a limited lease term—applicant representatives said approximately three years remain on the current lease—as safeguards.

Votes and next steps: the board adopted findings of fact and conditions (vote 4 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention) and granted the site‑plan amendment (same tally). Staff will forward the lease amendment to City Council for review and will verify final engineered drawings, CMP/CMP‑style equipment clearances and landscape details before building permits are issued.