Bangor planning board grants land development permit for 570 Stillwater Ave, conditioned on DEP stormwater amendment

The City of Bangor Planning Board voted unanimously on March 3, 2026, to grant a land development permit to Bangor Retail Management LLC for a major redevelopment at 570 Stillwater Ave, provided the applicant secures an amendment to its Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) stormwater permit.

The board’s decision followed a staff recommendation that conditioned final approval on receiving the DEP amendment. Planning Officer Anya Collette asked the board to “condition approval on them getting an approved Maine DEP stormwater permanent amendment,” and the board incorporated that requirement into its motion.

Engineer Giovanni Caesar of Stonefield Engineering, representing the applicant, told the board the project proposes removing the front of the vacant building, raising a portion of the structure, expanding parking, and adding landscaping and a bioretention area to meet local and state stormwater standards. He said his team had coordinated with city staff and Maine DEP and expected to submit a modification to the existing stormwater permit.

The board first found the application complete and then worked through the approval checklist in parts. Members moved and voted on multiple findings that the project satisfied code requirements including erosion- and sediment-control practices, minimum lot frontage, the required number and design of parking spaces, utility availability (water, sewer, electrical), lighting to prevent pollution and trespass, adequate fire protection, and storm-drainage requirements. Each finding passed on roll-call votes.

Member Ken Heughan moved that the board grant the land development permit for the proposed major site development with the condition that the Maine DEP stormwater-permit amendment is approved. The motion passed on a unanimous roll-call vote of members present.

The chair confirmed the permit was approved and directed the applicant to contact the code-enforcement office for next steps. The board noted that the DEP amendment is a precondition to the finalization of the permit, and staff will verify that requirement before issuing any final approval.

Next procedural steps noted during the meeting included submission of the DEP amendment package by the applicant and coordination with city code enforcement and the planning office for any further technical or inspection requirements.