By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The corner lot stands empty and bland: Just concrete barriers, one ‘no trespassing’ sign and windblown road sand making patterns on the pavement.

In the eyes of Casco residents and developers, this lot on Pikes Corner is prime real estate. After all, it is located at a busy intersection close to the Casco Town Hall and Casco Central Fire Station. It is considered the gateway to Casco Village, just a few miles away.

For those familiar with the junction of Route 11 and Route 121, it was once the site of Crossroads Discount Store, a locally owned gas station and convenience store that closed a few years ago.

The land was purchased in November 2022 by Ron Taber, who developed Tabor’s Variety in Standish and the former Naples Variety. Previously, Taber, doing business as Meadow Country, LLC, has been before the Casco Planning Board with his plans to build a 2000-foot convenience store and put in six gas pumps on three islands. The previous five curb cuts would be reduced to two entrances onto the property.

This Monday, the first public hearing for the project was supposed to be held. At the last minute, the public hearing was nixed.

“The notice requirements per our ordinance were not met. So, rather than leave ourselves open for an appeal, we postponed the public hearing,” Chairman Ryan McAllister explained. “We will get an overview [of the project] for the public here in attendance. We will have an open forum for discussion, realizing it won’t fulfill the requirement for the public hearing.”

Essentially, during the planning board meeting, several residents expressed their desire to have the designs and standards of the new gas station adhere to the Casco Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted by the town last year. Residents spoke after Engineer Peter Dalfonso highlighted the plans and after Taber answered some planning board questions. 

“Every person I’ve talked to is incredibly excited to have a gas station back in Casco for filling up, for our snowmobiles, for our children to work at, for our children to learn how to pump gas. We want a gas station. We don’t want it to look like other gas station in area,” said resident Rae-Anne Nguyen, who serves on the Comp Plan Implementation Committee.

“It isn’t the gas station that is the problem. We are concerned what it will look like at that corner,” she said.

Earlier in the evening, Planning Board member Tiffany Payton asked about having a porch on the convenience store. McAllister asked what color and height the canopy over the gas pumps would be. The canopy is considered a structure and should be addressed at the planning board level, he said.

Developer Ron Taber was perplexed and a little frustrated that this additional information was being requested. He stated that his previous projects have pleased people in the community. His stores are nice-looking and clean. Plus, the details of the gas pumps are dictated by the state, he said. 

“This is third station I’ve built. I built one in Standish. I redid Naples, and never had to go to the town for anything. I am flabbergasted that the town is concerned with the gas pumps when the DEP does it,” he said.

Planning board member Tuan Nguyen responded, “That is Casco.”

The new construction project triggers a site plan review, he said. The planning board is tasked with following the ordinances and adhering to the comp plan, he said.

A better rendering of the building and details about the pumping station canopy was the topic.

In a gentle voice, Planning Board member Payton told Taber, “That is the question people will be asking at the public hearing. If you could draw a picture and say it looks like this, it would be helpful.”

Earlier, she had asked about a porch, which would give the store more of a New England feel. Taber said with the setback requirements, there wasn’t room for a porch.

The planning board voted, 5-0, to deem the application complete with a request to provide the board with something in writing describing canopy over the gas pumps.

“To make sure every aspect of the architecture will fit into the town — that is that basis,” Planning board member Marc Rocque said.

Also, the board scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 23.

Sam Brown, also on the implementation committee, stepped to the microphone and extended his salutations to Taber.

“Please honor our request for a rendering. You are proposing to move into my town. If you were coming to my house, I would offer you a glass of wine, food and a smile,” Brown said, adding, “If you roll your eyes, I sure the hell won’t be spending money at your place.” “We want Casco to look a certain way. We don’t want to be a carbon copy of Naples. Ryan’s request is clearly explained in the [comp plan] document we have. We want to see what the building on the property will look like,” Brown said. “This is the candle on the birthday cake for the Town of Casco. What we put there will be there forever