The Nobleboro Planning Board reviewed a change of use application during its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug.  19 for a residence “for persons recovering from substance use disorder.”

According to a letter sent to abutters, Enso Real Estate Holdings, LLC, executed a purchase and sale agreement with the current owners of the Nobleboro Antique Exchange at 104 U.S. Highway 1 in Nobleboro with the intent to provide a home for people in recovery.

Reached by phone, Tim Cheney, founder and CEO of Enso Real Estate Holdings and of the Choopers Foundation, an addiction treatment and recovery charity that “provides financial assistance to harm reduction and recovery community initiatives” said, “We need an addiction recovery residence in this county.”

Cheney said that recovery residences are a place for people to come after treatment where they can find “safe, structured, substance-free housing.”

Cheney said that lack of housing is a major barrier in the recovery process. “It’s hard to stay sober if you’re homeless.”

“You see the change in people’s lives,” Cheney said. “Mothers getting their children back, integrating back into society.”

Cheney said that there are more deaths by overdose than from COVID.

“The state and federal government won’t fix the problem,” he said. “It’s up to the community.”

Lincoln County does not currently have a recovery residence.

Angela Achorn, an abutter of the proposed residence, posted a copy of the letter she received from Enso Real Estate Holdings on the Nobleboro, Maine Facebook page. The page is “for residents and those interested in the town of Nobleboro, Maine.” It is not affiliated with the town office or town government.

In the letter, she said, “We fully understand that there is a need for services like this, however this rural community is not one of them.”

In the post, she asked other residents to “share (the post) and help us spread the word that this is not the place for such a facility!!”

Reached by phone, Achorn said, “We don’t know a lot about it, but we’re not happy.” She said that she thinks “it’s probably one of the worst possible locations,” and that “a lot” of neighbors that she’s talked to aren’t happy about the residence.

Achorn said the building “needs a lot of work before anyone can actually live in it.” And she is concerned about residents from the property using her driveway. And about the impact on traffic flow on Route 1

“Yeah, I don’t want it in my backyard,” she said. “I’m human. I don’t want that.” Achorn said she knows there’s a need for a proper place “where (people in recovery) can actually heal.”

But as far the building in question she said, “I would love it to be a store again. That would work better with the space.”

Achorn plans to contact the planning board and attend the next meeting.

Cheney has plans to address the repair issues with the building and hopes to open before Christmas.

The planning board concluded that additional information was required for the application to be complete, and that they would revisit the issue at the next meeting if the applicant provided the additional details they requested.

Planning board meetings are open to the public, but Chair Matthew Lewis, said they don’t take public comments. He said that once they have made a determination on the application, they will schedule a public hearing if necessary.

“It’s up to the purview of the planning board to decide if there is enough public interest to hold a public hearing,” Lewis said. “At this point it’s too early to determine that.”

The planning board also reviewed a solar farm application prepared by engineering firm Weston and Sampson on behalf of Damariscotta Solar LLC.

The board identified several areas where more specifics or information were needed before they could consider the merits of the application.

The planning board has a checklist for applications, and Lewis said some information regarding ownership of the property was missing. The property is on Route 1 and is shared between Nobleboro and Damariscotta, with approximately one third of the property on the Nobleboro side. Lewis said one owner currently owns the property across both town lines.

The board anticipates receiving updated applications for both projects to review at its next meeting on Sept. 16. The deadline for applications to the planning board is 14 days prior to the meeting.