Land amendments to appear on the June ballot

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Residents will be deciding on a pair of amendments to the Land Use Ordinance when they vote on the annual town meeting referendum June 10, after the selectmen made the decision to include impact fee and contract rezoning articles during a meeting on March 10.
    “Last week the planning board met and they had a public hearing on the two amendments we proposed,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said, as both impact fees and contract rezoning have been discussed by town officials for much of 2014.

    An impact fee could be used to cover and/or assist with costs to a community related to development expenses, such as the installation of a traffic light by a new housing development or an increase in water and sewer usage by a new or expanding business. Under the proposal, impact fees would be assessed early on based on a list of criteria and then held in escrow for up to 10 years.
    Contract rezoning can make conditions easier for developers to work with a town on projects, provided certain conditions have been met. Contract rezoning can help enable economic development in areas of town where such projects would otherwise not be permitted or could only be allowed with an entire larger area rezoned.
    Clukey said during the previous week’s public hearing, attorney John Pottle of Eaton Peabody said impact fees would only apply to projects that would require a site plan review. “So it’s not for things so small they wouldn’t go through a site plan review,” Clukey said, such as a single- or multi-family home.
    “If there is not contract rezoning there would be two things the town would face,” he said, which would be to either change an entire zone of Dover-Foxcroft or do nothing at all even if a proposed project meets nine out of 10 items on a list of criteria.
    “With contract rezoning it has to fit within the comprehensive plan,” Clukey said, adding that the planning board recommended the selectmen put both articles on the town meeting warrant.
    Select Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr said she attended the public hearing and “I thought that was all real wonderful conversation and good work by the planning board.” She said Pottle did a good job addressing a number of specific questions.
    In other business, the selectmen approved revisions to the town’s personnel policy. “A year ago we really did a comprehensive update to our personnel policy,” Clukey said. He said in doing so, town officials realized conducting an annual review of the over 40-page document would be easier than going over all of the policy details on a less frequent basis.
    Freeman Cyr said the revisions were discussed by the administrative committee at the group’s last meeting. She then thanked Clukey and Finance Director Dave Johnson for their efforts on the personnel policy.
    Clukey was also appointed by the board to serve as a representative to the Maine Service Center Coalition for 2014, with an alternate to be determined. “They are a group interested in a lot of issues service centers face, particularly revenue sharing cuts geared toward service center communities,” Clukey said.
    “I think it’s needed at this time and important for our community and other service center communities,” he said. As a representative to the Maine Service Center Coalition, Clukey will be able to vote at the group’s business meetings.
    In this town manager’s report, Clukey said Creative Apparel has announced the impending closure of its Dover-Foxcroft location. “Up at our business park at Pine Crest, one of our buildings is Creative Apparel,” he said. “They announced they are closing it, they just don’t have enough orders to continue that business.”
    Creative Apparel manufactures military chemical protective garments, at several locations across Maine, and the plan is to fulfill remaining orders and vacate the space on Engdahl Drive by the middle of next month.
    The business is owned by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Clukey said “they are very serious about continuing a business enterprise in that space. We will work with them and hope to continue to use that site for what we intended nearly 15 years ago.”
    Clukey also reported the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) is submitting a letter of intent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to apply for funding to improve high speed Internet access in rural areas. The application will seek $5 million in funding for the area.
    “Their top priority, really for several years now, has been to increase access to high speed Internet in Piscataquis County,” Clukey said about the PCEDC’s work. “Now there is an opportunity through the FCC to pursue a grant for substantial funding to advance that in Piscataquis County. I think that is a great opportunity for the region and certainly something that will create opportunities in the future.”
    Clukey also encouraged all in attendance to mark their calendars for the annual maple breakfast on Sunday, March 23 from 7-10 a.m. at the fire station downtown. “Hopefully everyone can come out and support that fundraiser for Homecoming,” he said.