A new fitness center, lounge and gift shop have been approved.
By Cora C. Briggs
Special to the Sun Journal

LIVERMORE FALLS – The Planning Board approved four of the five site-plan review applications before them Wednesday night, one pending several state, federal and local safety approvals.

Traci Hollingdale’s plan for a Curves, a women’s fitness center, was approved. It encountered stringent objections from neighbors concerned about the noise level in early morning hours.

Hollingdale’s business will be in the newer portion (Baldwin Street side) of the former primary school at 17 Church St. She plans to be open from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

The objections came from Paul and Jeanine Simoneau who live across the street. They said they were concerned with the noise level of the music, and the shutting of vehicle doors and the school door so early.

“There’s a lot of retired people living there and, if there’s noise, you’re going to be hearing from us. We’re retired and we don’t want to get up at 6 a.m.,” said Jeanine Simoneau.

Hollingdale assured them the music would not be loud and said she will look into a buffer for the school door. She described the center as providing a 30-minute circular program of 16 to 24 stations, which focus on strength training, toning and being healthy, always with a trainer on hand.

Curves is a nationwide program and when a person is a member, she can attend any location, Hollingdale said. She plans to open Oct. 27. She also owns one in Wilton.

The second application, from Wes Bowen who wants to open a lounge in the former Falls Lounge location at 17 Depot St., also was approved. It also met with opposition.

Residents from the Elderly Housing complex at 27 Depot said they’re unhappy about having a bar return to the area after having put up with noise and disorderly conduct under the previous ownership.

“We do not want to see it there again. We’ve had the most peaceful time since it closed, ” said Doris DeMillo who said patrons parked by their building, were drunk and had altercations. “The police were there all the time.” she said.

“I’m not the Falls Lounge,” Bowen countered. “We don’t allow the problems the Falls Lounge has, there are ways to control them.”

He assured the residents that he monitors his bands so the noise level is controlled. “I’m more than willing to work with whatever needs to be done down there. I don’t want the problems that were there.”

Bowen said he’d originally been told by an unidentified town employee that he need not come before the board, so he went to the selectmen who refused to change his liquor license to the new location because he hadn’t appeared before the planners.

“He was misled by someone other than myself,” said Code Enforcement Officer Brenda Medcoff.

After assurances from Bowen and his landlord, George Gendron, that all systems would be updated and previous complaints about the former business corrected, his application was approved pending approval of the fire marshal, presentation of a floor plan to Medcoff and improvements, including ones to the lighting and telephone communications.

Bowen also plans to have pool tables and coin-operated machines in the building.

An application by Robert and Tina St. Laurent Reed for Ravens Nest, a gifts and collectibles store in the Paradis block on Depot Street, was approved with no objections. They hope to open on Oct. 4.

They will be in the space formerly occupied by Pine Xpressions which has moved to the back of the complex. They plan to set up the front of the store like a living room with merchandise decorating it. They also plan to have Tuesdays as senior discount days and will be open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Approval was also give to Robert E. Martin Jr. of 14 Gilbert St. to build a 24 by 56 foot garage on his property. He was not present but had notified his abutters and paid the needed fee.

An application by Matthew Weeks and Art Vigue for an arcade in the Paradis building was put on hold as several issues, including parking, need to be addressed.

The board also wants more information on a request from Ray Cloutier to put a 24 by 24 foot addition on a dwelling unit on Depot Street.