Hearing on D-F corridor moratorium extension will be Nov. 13

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Three years ago residents approved an ordinance concerning private distribution corridors, including paved highways, pipelines and high-tension transmission lines. The moratorium enacted in 2014 — meaning permits for these types of development projects cannot be granted during the timeline — was in effect for 180 days. The moratorium has since been renewed six times with the current extension in place through Nov. 26.

During an Oct. 10 selectmen’s meeting, the board scheduled a public hearing on another potential extension of the moratorium for the Monday, Nov. 13 meeting (which starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building). If granted by the selectmen then the moratorium would be extended for 180 more days from Nov. 27 through May 25, 2018.

“It’s the same moratorium we have extended several times just to get us through the land use ordinance process,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said. “There might be another one after this but we are seeing a lot of progress.”

Extensions can be put in place as long as reasonable progress is being made to address the needs identified in the moratorium, such as the town continuing to work on the land use ordinance. Clukey said the land use ordinance committee has been meeting diligently to get the document ready for a vote at the annual town meeting referendum in June.

“Give credit to the committee for all the work they have done and to our consultant (Gwen Hilton),” he said. “We are lucky to have her.”

In other business, Clukey said three pairs of demo lights were installed downtown. He said 4,000-degree lights are in front of Dover True Value and the Union Square Mall, 3,000-degree lights are by Pat’s Pizza and the Pub and 2,700-degree lights are located next to the fire station and Bigelow Travel. The degrees refer to the color temperature of the LED lights, for example, natural white (4,000) and warm white (3,000).

“We are asking people to take a look and express their comments,” Clukey said. “We have a downtown Dover-Foxcroft Facebook page.”

The town manager said representatives from RealTerm Energy are scheduled to be at the Nov. 13 meeting. “That will give people plenty of time to go and look at the lights,” Clukey said, saying initial feedback has favored the lower degree lights.

When asked Finance Director Dave Johnson there likely would not be a significant — or any — price difference between the different types of lights, but this would be a good question for the Nov. 13 meeting.

The selectmen normally meet the second and fourth Monday of the month but the second sessions both this month and in November will be pushed back a day.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 24 — Clukey asked if the change could be made so he could attend a parent meeting at Foxcroft Academy the night before. The selectmen will also meet on Tuesday, Nov. 28, avoiding a conflict with the annual public hearing on the county budget on Monday, Nov. 27.

Board member Jane Conroy asked if a letter of congratulations from the selectmen to SeDoMoCha School music educator Kaitlin Young, the Maine 2018 Teacher of the Year, could be drafted.

Select Chair Elwood Edgerly mentioned how Foxcroft Academy boys soccer and wrestling coach Luis Ayala is one of 15 finalists in the U.S. Cellular Most Valuable Coach program. A second letter from the board will be sent to Ayala, who also is a resident of Dover-Foxcroft.