Tremont voters in Maine adopted new development standards for campgrounds last Monday, requiring a minimum of 10,000 square feet per campsite and limiting individual developments to a maximum of 45 sites.
The new standards, including a 75-foot setback from abutting property lines, garnered 251-79 votes in approval. It replaces looser standards, requiring a minimum of 5,000 square feet per site, a setback of 50 feet, and doesn’t limit the campsite number per development.
The stricter measurements came after controversy rose regarding the development plan of a luxury camping property near Goose Cove.
The Acadia Wilderness Lodge wanted to develop 154 sites at a property at the intersection of Route 102 near Kelleytown Road. Seventy-two out of the 154 sites were meant for recreational vehicles, 42 for cabins, and 40 for canvas tent platforms.
Eventually, the total number of sites decreased to only 54 sites, with 18 sites for yurts instead of cabins and 36 canvas tent platforms. The lodge removed the RV sites from the plan.
The planning board approved the revised plan last November. However, citizens’ group Concerned Tremont Residents challenged the approval.
Last week, the appeal board overturned the planning board’s decision after discovering two points.
One point was that the planning board should have included an adjacent site where the lodge has the approval to build eight yurts, separate from the 18 yurts in the proposal, in its review of the overall project. The other point was that it should have used the town’s newer standards for setbacks and site requirements since the lodge scaled back its proposal.
Tremont officials said the lodge owners plan to contest the appeals board ruling in Hancock County Superior Court.
This article originally appeared on Bangor Daily News.
Isn’t it cool how Tremont voters in Maine are stepping up to protect our natural spaces with those stricter campground rules? It shows we care about our environment. What do you think about these new standards? I’m all for keeping our area green and serene!