FARMINGTON – Farmington residents will get a chance to cast at least one more vote this year.

Officials will hold a special town meeting Monday to allow residents to discuss and vote on an amendment to shoreland zoning of 70 acres along Wilson Stream near Knowlton Corner Road. If the proposal passes, it would be a first but significant step to paving the way for a new proposed shopping center on Wilton Road near Knowlton Corner Road.

Tom and Janice Daku have been trying to sell the piece of land for more than 10 years with no takers. The dairy farmers own 256 acres on both sides of Knowlton Corner Road and hope to make the sale to W/S Development Associates LLC, which plan to build a shopping center there. The developers based in Massachusetts have done several shopping centers in Maine including the Marketplace at Augusta and Lewiston Crossing.

The project has seen little opposition from residents to date, it having been the subject of several meetings since August.

In fact, several nearby residents along Knowlton Corner Road signed a petition supporting the proposal.

Of concern to opponents are the effect the zoning change would have on wildlife habitat and on drainage issues to nearby properties. Also, neighbors worry about more traffic, trucks and noise.

Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser said Friday that he hopes a lot of people show up.

It’s in the best area of town with infrastructure already in place, he said referring to a traffic light in front of Wal-Mart that would serve this center as well. It will also help with the town’s tax burden, he added.

“We’re a service center,” he said of Farmington, adding that this sort of expansion is inevitable.

GO AND DO:

WHAT: Farmington special town meeting

WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday

WHERE: Farmington Community Center, Middle Street