The Hallowell Planning Board will convene on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Hallowell City Hall (1 Winthrop Street). The board faces a packed agenda featuring two public hearings, a conditional use application for a new downtown-adjacent business, ordinance revisions, and a transition in the Code Enforcement Office.
Public Hearings & Possible Action
Hillside Terrace Parking Lot Expansion (21 Warren Street): The board will hold a public hearing and consider final action on a Minor Site Plan Review application from Hillside Terrace of Hallowell, LLC. The senior care facility proposes constructing a 12-space parking lot in the wooded rear portion of its property and reconfiguring its existing courtyard parking from six spaces to four (including two ADA-compliant spaces), bringing total on-site parking to 16 spaces.
The Applicant’s Case: Engineers and facility operators argue the $190,000 project is a necessary safety measure to move employee and visitor parking off narrow Union Street—especially during winter parking bans—and to keep the circular driveway clear for ambulances and fire apparatus. The plan includes a 6-foot stockade fence, three 16-foot full cut-off LED light poles, and a stormwater management system approved by the Public Works Director.
Neighborhood & Conservation Opposition: The proposal has drawn extensive opposition from the Hallowell Conservation Commission and dozens of neighborhood residents, including direct abutters Alice and Giles Gifford and the Sirabella family. Critics contend the project violates Residential 2 (R2) zoning standards by altering neighborhood character, risking property devaluation, impacting a small wetland area, and introducing 24-hour commercial lighting. Abutters have submitted a multi-month vehicle log showing a maximum observed demand of nine cars and are asking the board to either deny the project or scale it back to four new spaces with lower, dimmed lighting. The Conservation Commission has also recommended denial unless pervious pavement is utilized to protect the Kennebec River watershed.
Grove Street Minor Subdivision (8 Grove Street): The board will hold a public hearing and consider action on a minor subdivision application from Aiden Dix. The original 0.98-acre parcel at the corner of Grove and Middle Streets—which contained both a single-family home and a duplex—was previously split into two lots, with a small strip conveyed to an abutter. Dix is now seeking to divide the remaining duplex parcel into two lots, creating a new 10,500-to-11,556-square-foot vacant, buildable residential lot. Because this splits the original parcel into three lots within a five-year window (specifically within six months), it triggers formal minor subdivision review. Code Enforcement notes the proposed lot meets all Residential 1 (R1) dimensional requirements for area, frontage, and depth.
Conditional Use Application
Proposed "c. 1865 Wine Parlor" (68 Second Street): Property owners Sonja and Don Fraser are applying to expand the existing conditional use at their Second Street bed and breakfast to open an intimate, 20-to-30-seat wine and beer parlor inside the property's existing three-bay carriage house. The business would offer wine, beer, desserts, and pre-packaged snacks (with no cooking on-site) and feature seasonal outdoor seating using the carriage house's open garage bays. Renovations are limited to interior finishes, insulation, HVAC, and electrical updates, utilizing the main house's existing ADA-compliant restroom and commercial kitchen for dishwashing.
Ordinance Revisions & City Business
Dumpster Ordinance Revisions: The board will review and vote on sending recommended revisions to the City's dumpster ordinances (Sections 5-401, 5-406, and 9-610) to the City Council. The updates aim to eliminate conflicting language in the current code by requiring municipal permits only for dumpsters holding 10 cubic yards or more, establishing a 5-foot property line setback, setting a 180-day limit on temporary construction dumpsters, and clarifying screening rules while grandfathering existing compliant dumpsters.
eCode360 Project Overview: The board will review the timeline for the City’s partnership with General Code to digitize, renumber, and publish the Hallowell City Charter and Code of Ordinances online via the eCode360 platform. The first phase, an Organizational Analysis, is scheduled for completion by January 15, 2027.
Code Enforcement Transition: Under "Other Business," the board will address the departure and transition of outgoing Code Enforcement Officer Sarah Moore.