By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — A community-oriented brewery, taphouse and restaurant is coming to fruition on a familiar stretch of Route 302 in Casco.

On Monday night, the Casco Planning Board approved the site plan for Lakes Region Brewing, the future business of Tor Moson and Mike Bray.

The vote was 4-1, with Planning Board member Michelle Williams opposing, having expressed her concerns about the 30-year-old septic system.

The location is the former Chute’s Cafe. The address is 333 Roosevelt Trail. The seating capacity will be 80 people, with 50 seats indoors and another 30 outside.

Community is the emphasis of this business, according to Moson. The business will cater to families and outdoor groups like the snowmobile club, the ATV club, the running and hiking clubs, he said.

“We are looking to do a small brewery, a small taproom. We will have fun community events and try to draw in clubs,” Moson told the planning board. 

“It is a tap room, not a bar or a lounge. It will have earlier hours than a bar,” he said.

The proposed hours call for the business to close at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, to close at 9 p.m. on Saturday and 6 p.m. on Sunday. The taproom would open at 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

“Lakes Region Brewing will be a small Maine brewery specializing in traditional ales. These ales will feature beers produced by Bray’s Brewing Company between 1995 and 2018 plus new styles as developed. There will also be nitro beers and weekly cask ales,” according to the business description submitted to the planning board.

“In keeping with the Town of Casco’s comprehensive plan, Lakes Region Brewing will be using the existing cedar shake cottage style building formerly known as Chute’s Cafe´ and Bakery, maintaining Casco’s rural aesthetic heritage. We will have an inviting outdoor beer garden facing Route 302, encouraging people to stop and not simply drive through at fast speeds,” the proposal stated. “Our indoor decorating scheme will tie in with the outdoor recreation activities of the area.” 

Prior to the meeting, earlier that afternoon, some of the planning board members attended a site walk of the property.

The site walk took place outside. The seating capacity, parking, lighting was discussed.

The business-owners are replacing on street light and putting a second one behind the building.

During the meeting there were some questions about parking and if it required people to back up onto an existing roadway.

Chairman Ryan McAllister spoke.

“I had trepidations about the parking plan, but after doing site walk, it is going to be markedly better than what was existing,” he said.

Town Planner Vanessa Farr agreed.

“The parking is moving away from 302. The whole area is markedly improved and the parking more defined,” she said.

Another concern brought up by both Tuan Nguyen and Williams was the septic system and the protection of the groundwater.

Williams spoke early during the public hearing portion of the meeting. Having reviewed the town and state ordinances, she said it the responsibility of the Licensed Plumbing Inspector (LPI) to review the septic.

“How much waste water is being used — that is the state’s responsibility to review that factor. I have some concern regarding the septic system (because it is 30 years old). I would like to make sure that it is checked out by the LPI and the state inspector sooner rather than later. Your calculations may be correct. I am not the expert,” Williams said. “I would hate for you to get all the way down the process, building the interior of your new business and to not be approved because of septic issues.”

Town Planner Farr spoke.

“It is not our jurisdiction. You provided an observation. They can take that and do with what they would like to do We have done our responsibility,” she said.

The bottom line is: Other entities are set up to take care of those specific issues.

It is not on the board’s shoulders, according to Chairman McAllister. 

“As long it is maintained and it works. For us to satisfy our requirements of this board, this review, we need to ensure the applicant has submitted a subsurface wastewater application appropriate to size of project that they are doing,” he said. 

“Yes, it is 30 years old. You could go out there with an excavator tomorrow and if you could break through the layer of frozen ground, it could be a pristine leech field,” he said.

“We are not the wastewater specialists. We are relying on the state. If it fails, they have to address it,” he said. 

The two business owners addressed some of the septic concerns.

“The grease trap is by the flower beds. The septic is being pumped and inspected. The grease trap is being pumped as soon as landlord does it. That is in lease,” Moson said.

While the beer will be served in a glass, the food will not be served up on glass plates, which require washing and the use of additional water.

“The food will all be paper service, probably bamboo because it’s more environmentally friendly,” Bray said.

After the project was approved, Bray said the business could possibly open its doors within 60 days.