OXFORD – Selectmen started a procedure that could discontinue Lars Drive for the development of retail space proposed across from The Home Depot store on Route 26.
Portland attorney Richard Trask asked the Board of Selectmen on Thursday night to schedule a special town meeting in March to discontinue Lars Drive. The reason is so the road will no longer be owned by the town.
Selectman Dave Ivey asked why they needed to close the road. Trast noted the road is within the bounds of the proposed development.
Lars Drive is one entrance to NAPA. The other is on Route 26. Neal Cohen of NAPA said discontinuing that road would not benefit NAPA because it would force some patrons to have to reverse direction to enter the NAPA parking lot.
A project engineer explained they want to make use of Lars Drive. Trask noted the road does not affect the Home Depot project but does impact the retail development space slated behind NAPA and across from The Home Depot.
“Our preferred design requires the discontinuance of Lars Drive,” Trask said. “We’re just asking you to set a date for a special town meeting. If the Planning Board doesn’t approve our plan we’ll have to do something else.”
The board directed Town Manager Michael Chammings to move forward with steps needed to set a date.
In other business, the board approved new recommendations from the Community Development Block Grant Committee seeking proposals for the Robinson Manufacturing woolen mill site redevelopment.
The request calls for a study addressing issues of remediation and redevelopment of the site. The request for bids outlines three areas to be evaluated by the winning company. They are: the waste water treatment facility, the existing structures on the land and to evaluate moving the town administrative services into the building.
The first two study areas would be funded by a $10,000 grant and the third would be funded by the community.
The proposed timeline for the study calls for awarding the bid in late February or early March.
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