Shoreland zoning amendments to appear on June 8 ballot

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — On Tuesday, June 9, residents will decide on some proposed amendments to the town’s shoreland zoning ordinance after the selectmen voted to place such an article on the referendum ballot, during a March 9 meeting.

    Town Manager Jack Clukey said Code Enforcement Officer Connie Sands discussed the proposed amendments at the previous select meeting, amendments that would make the ordinance consistent with a new map adopted in June 2014. Document language would be corrected for consistency in definitions.
    “That went to the planning board during their meeting last Thursday,” Clukey said. “The planning board recommends the amendments are moved forward to town meeting.”
    In his report, Clukey touched upon several ongoing projects in town. “The trading barn demolition will start tomorrow, and it will be a long ways to being totally done by the end of the week,” he said.
    In January the board approved a $6,500 bid from Eastwood Contractors of Brewer for the demolition and removal of materials at the old trading barn near the edge of the new Browns Mill Park on Vaughn Street. As part of the agreement, the town will be able to keep the building sign and at least six knees from the structure and a half dozen timbers.
    Clukey said he participated in a conference call concerning the hydro facility at the Riverfront Redevelopment project. He said the developer is applying for a USDA grant for renewable energy at the site, which includes the dam on the Piscataquis River.
    “Everything just has to be looked at and agreed to, and that process is moving forward,” Clukey said.  “That’s hopefully going to stay on track and on schedule to happen.” The project goal is for the work to be completed later this year.
    The budget advisory committee has started its meetings, taking place on Thursday evenings for the remainder of March. On March 26 the committee is scheduled to have a joint meeting with the selectmen, with a public hearing set for Wednesday, April 1 at the town office and the annual town meeting on the morning of Saturday, April 25 to affirm the warrant articles.
    The selectmen approved a bid from Prouty Ford for a little more than $32,900 for a public works truck — a 2016 Ford with a 9-foot Fisher plow. “We received (four) bids on a new truck for public works, just a pickup, single cab work truck,” Clukey said.
    “It’s fair to say there was a lot of interest in keeping it in town,” he said, with Prouty Ford being one of two bids coming from Dover-Foxcroft-based dealerships and the other two being made by businesses from out of town.