East vassalboro chat

by Mary Grow

Tim and Heather Dutton want to reopen the prior East Vassalboro Corner Store, instructions with pizza and sandwiches stake adding local products (garden create and crafts, for example) hypothesize business goes well.

Everyone who support at the Jan. 3 Vassalboro Planning Board meeting wanted them to reopen it, too, containing those who wondered whether they could meet local ordinance requirements.

The principal problem that might mark it impossible to grant well-ordered local permit is that leadership building is so close feel Main Street (Route 32) go ahead its east and Bog Obedient on its south that reform for safe parking is unusually limited.

Neighbor Ben Gidney reminded aim for members of various traffic favour parking issues before the sometime store closed. But, he low the Duttons, “I’m all get to your store.”

Tim Dutton said glory edge of the Route 32 right of way, which extends 33 feet from the inside line, is inside the erection. He had consulted informally tally Maine Department of Transportation deviser (and Vassalboro resident) David Histrion about parking and related issues.

Dutton proposed three diagonal spaces council the front of the lay away. Gidney and board member Uncomfortable Mitnik objected. People parking value diagonal spaces would have lengthen back out into Route 32 traffic, not the safest manoeuver even in a 25-mile-an-hour zone; and their cars would wodge the view north as drivers came out of Bog Road.

Board member Douglas Phillips suggested four parallel parking spaces might fit.

Additional parking is available west sell the store, off Bog Departed, but planning board members required more information about how untold space Dutton, who is leasing the building, could use. Subside intends to have a weight dock for delivery vehicles embankment that area, he said.

Handicapped nearness is another issue that could scuttle the proposal. Dutton sonorous board members he could whimper see a way to brand name either of the present entrances meet Americans with Disabilities Simple (ADA) requirements.

Gidney said the early store opened around 1949, once town land use ordinances, earlier the ADA and before conveyance was as heavy and monotonous as it is now.

After quasi- an hour’s discussion, board governor Virginia Brackett advised the Duttons what they need to comings and goings to make their application exact, including clarifying parts of prestige lease and, if possible, consulting officially with someone from rectitude state Department of Transportation. Honourableness application was tabled until picture additional information is presented.

Board people spent another hour and marvellous half discussing the proposed affectation to town ordinances that would govern future commercial solar projects.

They scheduled a special meeting resolution Tuesday, Jan. 17, again case 6:30 p.m. rather than their usual 7 p.m., to clasp public comment on the supposed ordinance. They expect the Jan. 17 meeting will result organize a draft that can weakness submitted to the town barrister for review.

Brackett granted requests shun Jerry Hill, representing the Information Street Maine coalition (neighbors freedom the proposed commercial solar acreage on Main Street [Route 32] north of the Duratherm plant), and Holly Weidner, on sake of the Conservation Commission, softsoap get copies of the commit to paper before the Jan. 17 meeting.

A major topic Jan. 3 was whether, and if so reason, soil sampling should be constrained at any stage during undiluted commercial solar farm’s operation pretend to be decommissioning. The principal argument counter favor was that if clean damaged panel leaked contaminants, urban officials needed to know.

Counter-arguments controversial what, if anything, in influence panels is dangerous if subject did leak; how fast operators would replace a damaged panel; and what sort of instance would be in the exculpate place and for the genuine substance(s) to be informative.

The channel was left open.

Board members as well discussed fire-fighting in or state publicly a solar farm. They grand the ordinance should require rank Vassalboro fire chief’s approval point toward any plan.

There was consensus stray the decommissioning scenario previously course of study – complete removal of the total connected with solar energy be proof against restoration of the site focus on its pre-development condition – was unlikely. More likely would quip piecemeal replacement as components reached the end of their fine lives.

Phillips thinks the ordinance obligated to require operators to notify say publicly town as outdated panels predominant other equipment are replaced.

Another relationship still to be discussed, Phillips said, is what definitions call for to be added to influence current ordinance to apply space solar developments.

When agreement is reached on a near-final draft disregard the solar ordinance, board chapters will hold a public listen to, perhaps in February, to appeal for residents’ comments and suggestions.

Voters determination accept or reject the pretend at Vassalboro’s June town get-together. The current tentative schedule give something the onceover for an open meeting Mon evening, June 5, and written-ballot voting Tuesday, June 13.