By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — It really stinks.

Septic issues slowed down the ability to go forward with an addition to a senior living facility in South Casco.  

The Casco Planning Board tabled approval of the site plan for the Casco Inn because the paperwork lacked a soils study and a design for the leach field.

On Monday, four members of the planning board met and heard presentations on two site plans. The first was a revised site plan for single-family housing in the village. The second was an addition to the back of the assisted living facility, Casco Inn, which is located off Roosevelt Trail in South Casco.

The entire lot is 19 acres, but only an acre will be used for the addition to the building, the septic system and leach field and the landscaping.

It was discovered that despite the detail of the site plan, a waste water disposal design was also required.

Casco Town Planner Tom DuBois spoke.

“Most of the application was well put together. The biggest issue that is unknown is waste water disposal. We have a feasibility study but no formal plans for leach field designs. They need soil study,” DuBois said. 

Representing the interests of Casco Inn, Landscape Architect Sashie Misner, of Gawron Turgeon Architects, P.C., spoke to the board. 

She said the investors did not want to pay the expense of the design without knowing whether or not the town would approve it.

“We do have soils information that didn’t get put into the plan,” Misner said. “We didn’t want to do the full design and spend the cost to do that, if we weren’t sure the project was going forward. Wouldn’t it be a condition of approval, that we would submit a full septic design?”

DuBois said the site-plan application calls for a design.

“The site plan must show wastewater disposal. It requires that the wastewater disposal system has a design,” he said. “It’s a fairly critical piece to make sure the site works, to show flows at each of those leach fields.”

Planning board member Stan Buchanan spoke directly to  

“You understand we cannot give a vote to you until you finish,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to table the approval vote until the next meeting, which is on the calendar for Feb. 8.

Some of the other details provided during the presentation included that the Casco Inn owners had decided to replace one of three septic drain fields.  

“Waste water disposal — the site is served by three leach fields. One is failing so they were proposing replacing one anyway. The project will have three. One will be the brand new one,” Misner said. 

“The packet explains where that is located. It has all the setback to wells and property buildings. We are waiting to get approval before doing the design.”

The plan does not call for any changes to the storm water system, she said. 

“We are not changing the storm water patterns within the site. It’s all flowing downhill. The storm-water engineer has proposed a small treatment site to catch the stormwater before it leaves the property,” Misner explained. 

“In addition to the building, there will some site amenities,” she said. 

Currently there is a split-rail fence. That will be replaced by a taller aluminum fence, which will be more secure for residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Outdoors, there will be a narrow paved walking path for residents. On the grounds, a few additional trees will be planted for shade.