By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — Where water run-off goes is a always a concern, especially when it is near a valued watershed or into a neighbor’s yard.

But, in the case of a car wash — which by nature uses lot of water — the run-off is addressed in its design.

“The project design will utilize a 10,000-gallon filtration tank that will be pumped out periodically as needed. The wastewater will be transported to an authorized licensed wastewater receiving facility,” according to Casco Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) John Wiesemann.

Also, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will scrutinize the project’s storm water management plan.

On Monday, the Casco Planning Board approved, 4-0, a proposed car wash off Route 302 in Casco, providing the applicant is granted permits by the DEP.

Voting at Monday’s planning board meeting were: Chairman Ryan McAllister, Marc Rocque, Kendra Osborne and alternate Tiffany Payton.

On Feb. 27, the planning board members took a site walk. McAllister

The location of the future car wash is 385 Roosevelt Trail. Driving towards Windham along Route 302, the area is a wooded location on the left-hand side, past Coveside Conservation Products and a red-colored home. According to the 2022 valuation done by Vision Government Solutions, the land is worth $27,400; and it is owned by Hurteau Holdings.

“The proposed car wash has two automatic wash bays, measuring 45 feet by 16 feet, and three self-service bays one of which will be intended for large trucks and/or trucks with trailers. Two of the self-serve bays will be 30 feet by 15 feet each with the oversized bay being 45 feet by 17 feet with a 16-foot high entrance,” CEO Wiesemann said.

During the discussion on Monday, several abutters showed up.

One of the abutters who spoke did not state his name. He asked the board if this was the kind of business that Casco needs. He expressed concerns to the board that the run-off would jeopardize neighbors’ property. 

“Does Casco really need a car wash? For Christ sakes, they built one in Naples. They took it down,” he said. “I have concerns about this. I really do. If something bad goes wrong, what happens to my land?”

He said the water run-off onto his land is considerable at certain times of the year. Standing water has impacted his shed, he said.

The project calls for a landscaping buffer to make the car wash less visible. However, the buffers won’t stop the water from flowing downhill, he said.

“Consider putting a car wash on a side of a hill that is going to drain into your backyard,” the abutter said in conclusion.

Dustin Roma, of DM Roma Consulting Engineers, spoke to the landowner’s worries.

“Environmental concern — this is something we do not take lightly. We’ve been working on how the water gets captured,” he said.

He said that a commercial car wash isn’t the same as someone washing a vehicle in their yard and allowing the soap and water run wherever.

“Here all the washing takes place in contained facility,” Roma said. “It captures the water, recycles it back through the car wash. The water that doesn’t get reused is captured into a holding tank and pumped and taken off site. It is the water that runs off vehicles with detergents mixed in.”

“When you go out to the site today, there is a fair amount of drainage,” he said, citing the actions put into place to control drainage. “We have designed flow diversions. We will maintain the drainage pattern alongside the road. We built a small retention pond that get directed over the culvert. We have done storm-water analysis.”

“I can understand you being skeptical and wondering what if,” Roma said. “We have a strong interest in making sure it is run efficiently. We don’t want anyone complaining.”