LIVERMORE FALLS – Planners gave their approval Wednesday night to an amendment to the present land use regulation.

Selectman Ken Jacques reported to the Planning Board on the proposal, which was a radical change from the proposed ordinance he had discussed with them in March. Jacques and several others had, at the time, presented a two-page ordinance that would have regulated land use, especially regarding mobile homes and house trailers.

However, Jacques said, when the draft was reviewed by the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments it grew to 12 pages.

AVCOG officials said the ordinance might also be considered discriminatory and advised the town to start small, perhaps by adding to the present Building Lots Standards Ordinance adopted in 1997.

The updated amendment will now go to selectmen and will be placed on the town meeting warrant for voters to decide.

As worded, it would designate a portion of town as the “village area,” requiring all dwellings built, rebuilt or replaced in that area to be placed on a full foundation wall at least four feet high. Present dwellings would not be affected by the provision.

The village area would by bordered by the Jay town line on the north, the Androscoggin River on the west, the Central Maine Power right-of-way on the east, and by an east-west line from the river to the power line – encompassing all properties abutting the south loop of Gilbert Street – on the south.

Planners approved the amendment and asked that reconstruction be done on the footprint of an old foundation, if applicable.

Citizens at the hearing were also generally in favor except Clayton Putnam who felt the proposed village area was too large and should stop at the top of Butterfactory Hill and not extend so far on Route 17.

The board and others disagreed. Former member Adrice Richards noted, “This town is getting to be a mess.”

Planner Rod Wright stressed, “We have to do something about it or we’ll keep on going down.”

The proposal will now go to the selectmen and, if approved by them, be the subject of a public hearing in May and be placed on the warrant for the June town meeting.

In other business, the board approved a site plan review for Guy Palmieri for Peggy’s Landing, to sell nursery stock and landscape items on Foundry Road.

Palmieri said this type of business had been his hobby for many years, that it will be housed in a garage formerly used for antique sales, and will probably not open until fall.

Armand Madore of NET Development Corp. was not present to do a scheduled pre-application for the former Parkview Nursing Home property, but planner Elecia Pillsbury reported that Madore’s business creates residential treatment for sex offenders.



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