KINGFIELD — The Select Board agreed Tuesday to allow Whitney Rhodes to move forward with plans to open a coffee shop while officials wait the result of an audit of the town’s wastewater system. 

Concerns about the capacity of the aging system were expressed during the meeting. 

During initial discussion at the Aug. 19 board meeting, Rhodes explained that her business would primarily serve coffee, with no on-site cooking and minimal water use. “So much of my wastewater is going out the door – it’s literally going into coffee cups,” she said, emphasizing her desire to establish her business prior to building on her property within the next couple of years. 

Wastewater Superintendent Travis Targett told her then that a study of the system was necessary before moving forward. “The engineers will be looking at water meter usages to perform an audit of the entire system,” he said, adding they were waiting for results from the Maine Rural Water Association. 

Rhodes joined the Sept. 3 meeting via Zoom to provide further clarification, reiterating that her coffee shop would have limited water use. “A coffee shop seems like it would be the best sort of option for putting something in now because so much of my wastewater is going out the door,” she said.  

She also expressed frustration with the delays. “I can’t be sitting around trying to wait for two months or a year or maybe even more before I know if I can open in Kingfield,” she sad. “Kingfield is where I want to open, it is where I’ve been working toward opening this business for close to two years at this point.” 

Targett confirmed that the town was still awaiting results from Maine Rural Water Association. 

Chairman Wade Browne voiced concerns about the aging system’s capacity. “You can’t just carte blanche any building into various businesses or the system will fail,” Browne said. He emphasized the need for a long-term solution, asking, “Where are we going to build a field to accommodate more businesses downtown?” 

Planning Board member Sue Davis pointed out that many properties in Kingfield were underutilized. “Only 45% of this town is lived in by people,” Davis said, referencing the number of vacation homes and short-term rentals that often stand empty. 

However, Selectman Christopher Rushton urged caution, noting, “We haven’t had anything from the engineer saying it did have space.” He stressed that assuming there was available capacity without official confirmation could be risky. “Until the engineers verify it, we can’t act as if we have more capacity,” he added. 

Rhodes acknowledged the challenges and expressed a willingness to collaborate with the town. “Everything you guys have said is what my intention was, and hope for resolving the issue. I have talked with Travis. I feel like we have a relationship, and he won’t forget about me,” she said. “The wastewater issue is something we understand exists, but there is not a real timeline on it. I really want to come to a resolution collaboratively.” 

Resident John Goldfrank suggested using tax increment financing money to hire a consultant to inspect the town’s main leach field, which processes much of downtown wastewater. “It is time to have an inspection done by an outside professional,” he said. 

The board agreed to allow Rhodes to move forward with her plans, pending legal review. “We are all in favor of letting her go forward with what she wants to do,” Browne said. 

Rhodes expressed relief. “This has been so stressful, so this is like the best news ever,” she said. She also reiterated her commitment to the community and the project’s long-term potential, stating, “I think there are ways of looking at this to enable us to get a pretty cool business into Kingfield that would be a really great thing for the citizens of Kingfield to have access to without shutting down new businesses.” 

The engineers’ findings are expected in the coming months, and the board will revisit the matter once they are available.