Pastor vacany filled
Fantastic finish
Rev. Michael Zullo is the new leader of the Bridgton Alliance Church
Inside News Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 7D
Fryeburg Academy stuns Kennebunk with late TD strike, 14-12
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Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 4D Country Living . . . 1B-8B
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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 37
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
September 11, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Putting the brakes on pot dispensaries By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Would Bridgton be ready if a medical marijuana dispensary wanted to operate in town? Would it know how to deal with a permit request to lease a vacant warehouse for a marijuanagrowing operation? Not by a long shot, believes Planning Board Chairman Steve Collins. That’s why, on Tuesday, Collins asked Bridgton Selectmen to approve a Nov. 4 referendum vote to enact an emergency sixmonth moratorium on such businesses, so that rules can be created to govern their location and operation. Selectmen agreed to place the emergency moratorium ordinance on the ballot. If passed by voters, Bridgton would join dozens of Maine towns and cities grappling with what many say is a lack of state oversight over a rapidly-growing industry. Maine’s Medical Use of Marijuana Program allows for eight regional nonprofit dispensaries, the closest of which is located in Auburn. But, much of the demand is filled by the small-scale caregivers, either operating out of their home or, more recently, renting commercial space to grow the herb. As of July 31, there were 1,533 registered medical marijuana caregivers serving 3,980 patients statewide, according to the Department of Health and
Human Services, which oversees the state Marijuana Program. There are 298 caregivers in Cumberland County. Selectman Paul Hoyt was opposed to a moratorium, saying he didn’t think the prospect of medical marijuana dispensaries or cultivation sites met the legal standard of a risk to public health and safety or would overburden public facilities. But Collins disagreed. “It overburdens by virtue of being a high-value, very portable commodity,” he said. Tuesday’s meeting was the last opportunity for the board to act on local questions in time to make the Nov. 4 ballot. Later in the evening, selectmen also approved placing the final draft of the updated Comprehensive Plan on the ballot. Collins said that some time ago, he had “heard a rumor” of plans for a medical marijuana dispensary in Bridgton. He said he polled his fellow planning board members about the need for a moratorium, and “The board thought it was a good idea.” Collins said a new ordinance needs to be drafted to guide his board in the event they needed to review a formal application for a marijuana dispensary or for a site to cultivate marijuana. As it stands now, the only
document they could turn to would be the Site Plan Review Ordinance, which doesn’t offer any guidance on such uses. “I would hate to have to see the board with no more than the Site Plan Review Ordinance that we could judge the application on,” said Collins. “I’m not advocating for or against (marijuana dispensaries), but (marijuana is) a high-value commodity with an attraction to thieves,” and such dispensaries and cultivation sites will put extra pressure on the BPD (Bridgton Police Department),” he said. He said Bridgton has had a “good track record” with moratoriums, in that the town has used the time to craft new ordinances, such as the Groundwater Extraction Ordinance that followed concerns over Nestlé Waters coming to town. A committee could be formed with representation from the police department, health community officials and the planning board, said Collins. Selectman Chairman Bernie King met with Town Manager Bob Peabody Thursday after Collins asked for his request to be placed on Tuesday’s agenda, and directed Town Attorney Richard Spenser to draft the emergency moratorium ordinance. The document makes the following points in providing justification for
BRIDGTON RESIDENT Steve Collins said he was speaking both as a citizen and the chairman of the Bridgton Planning Board in asking selectmen to approve a November referendum that would place a six-month moratorium on any new applications for a medical marijuana dispensary in town. a moratorium on marijuana dispensaries and sites of marijuana cultivation: • Maine has liberalized its laws since 1999, when the growing of medical marijuana was first made legal.
Club Sebago wants waste service By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Peter Church spends half the year in Casco, and the other six months in Florida. While in Maine, Church lives in a gated community with amenities such as access to Sebago Lake beach and the boat launch as well as the Point Sebago Resort Golf Course. He pays fees to the association where he lives; and, in return, the household trash removal, landscaping upkeep and road maintenance is taken care of. But, despite being a resident of Casco, he does not receive the coupons which would allow him to drop off his bulky waste at no cost. He said he owns the deed to both his home and the property, but because the association is considered a commercial entity, he has to pay the five-cent-per-pound fee to use the Casco-Naples Bulky Waste Facility. “I replaced the decking on my deck. I had 600 pounds of pressured-treated wood. I took it to Bulky Waste. I paid $33,” he said. “I feel like I am doubletaxed,” he said, adding his tax bill is $3,500 and paying $33 to the town to get rid of his hazardous debris is insulting and unfair. Like the other residents who, for part of the year, live in the modest-sized homes in the Club Sebago Association, Inc., Church pays property SERVICE, Page A
The law was expanded significantly in 2009 and altered again in 2011 to increase the number of health conditions that can legally be treated with medical marijuana. .• Allowing dispensaries
“in locations not adequately served by roads and related infrastructure could overburden Bridgton’s public facilities.” • If not properly located, POT, Page A
Streetscape plan becomes clouded
EARLIER THIS WEEK, a crew from Glidden Excavating and Paving prepares for the paving job that will take place Wednesday and possibly today. One-lane closures will occur on that stretch of Route 302 near the Route 11 junction, as a turning lane is being installed to facilitate traffic traveling to Dunkin’ Donuts. (De Busk Photo)
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The fate of the Depot Street Streetscape project in Bridgton became even more clouded Tuesday after bids came in over budget for a second time. Selectmen weren’t thrilled with the solution put forward by Anne Krieg, Director of Planning, Economic and Community Development, to make up a nearly $100,000 shortfall by shifting Community Development Block Grant money earmarked for improvements to Town Hall. In fact, the idea prompted Selectman Paul Hoyt to suggest the board take a second look at the project in its entirety. The streetscape plan calls not only for stormwater and road resurfacing but also beautification features along the quarter-of-a-mile downtown side street between Renys and the Magic Lantern Theatre.
Turning lane created for Dunkin’
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Although it is company policy to expedite the order of each customer within minutes, Dunkin’ Donuts has been known to have a traffic lined up for drive-through service. Plus, coffee customers tend to gravitate to the wellknown New England franchise at the same time of the day. Before the opening of the new Dunkin’ Donuts building in Naples, traffic issues are being addressed. Currently, a turning lane is being installed on Route 302 by Glidden Excavating and Paving, a subcontractor for the construction project. Glidden is certified by
the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT). According to Project Supervisor Ted Coffin, the actual paving will start Wednesday and possibly extend through today. There have been one-lane closures for the construction work, he said. There will continue to be closures of one lane of traffic on that stretch of Route 302 through the next couple of weeks, he said. Crews are installing a turning lane for the eastbound lane of Roosevelt Trail. Early next week, paving crews will use heated equipment to create a stained brick design in the asphalt of the turning lane. Essentially, the eastbound
lane will become the turning lane for Dunkin’ Donuts customers, while the shoulder of the road was extended to create a lane for traffic, Coffin said. He said there was more paving than excavation work involved in this road improvement job. Crews placed hay in the newlyexposed ditch to prevent erosion, he said. Pavement was removed to make way for a new batch of asphalt. Therefore, until paving occurs the lanes have been uneven. Glidden also paved the parking lot around the new Dunkin’ Donuts building. Dunkin’ Donuts received approval of its site plan from the Naples Planning
Board this fall. Construction began this spring after the demolition of the restaurant building that stood on the property. Additionally, construction has begun on a future Family Dollar store on the lot next to the Aubuchon Hardware Store. So far, a grand opening date for Dunkin’ Donuts has not been set.
“We do need to step back a little, to see if we want to spend the money” in the way the project has been designed, said Hoyt. In early August, Dearborn Brothers was the sole bidder, but the bid came in nearly $300,000 higher than the $335,000 approved by voters. The board authorized some scaling back, and put the project back out to bid as a two-phase project, which fared better in terms of attracting seven bidders. But J. Pratt Construction, the lowest bidder, still wanted $91,513 more than the voterfunded amount. J. Pratt’s bid was $426,513. Engineers Milone and MacBroom likewise adjusted their estimated construction cost upward to $434,344 from the $378,034 they had originally estimated. Krieg said the phasing included pushing forward $80,000 in work to the fiscal year beginning in July of 2015, which would allow most of the work to be completed before next year’s tourist season. But she also suggested that all of the work could be completed by June 30, 2015, if the board was willing to authorize using the current fiscal year CDBG outlay for Town Hall. “This allows us to get all of our permitting in place (for the Town Hall project), which we still don’t have,” she reasoned. The Town Hall would then be renovated after July 1, 2015, instead of the current target PLAN, Page A
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