NEW GLOUCESTER – Two public hearings by the New Gloucester Planning Board on Tuesday drew more than 50 residents to comment on the town’s first bed and breakfast and a memorial gazebo project for the library.
The Planning Board unanimously approved the Chandler House Bed and Breakfast at 377 Intervale Road in Lower Gloucester.
But it tabled action on the memorial gazebo project.
The seven-bedroom bed and breakfast and banquet facility, located in the Lower Village, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Neighbors say they support the bed and breakfast, but worry about the banquet facility generating noise, parking issues and traffic woes from parties.
Abutter Patrick Munsell said he was concerned about the commercial use’s impact on future property value. And, he requested a buffer to decrease the noise and traffic impact to his home.
Louise Novak and her husband, Dennis, recently sold the property.
She told the board she ran an successful antiques business for many years without complaints from the neighbors.
And, three giant barn sales there raised a large fund for the renovation of the New Gloucester Public Library with hundreds of people attending the sales.
“They will make it stunning and add more charm to the Lower Village. I can guarantee they will be good neighbors,” said Novak.
Vaughn Hardesty lives across from the property and said that traffic laws are yet to be enforced in the Lower Village.
He said he was concerned about noise from the band and alcohol use when the banquet facility is used in a residential neighborhood.
Private caterers will be used by individuals using the banquet facilities, the board learned.
The owners of the Chandler House, Shannon Ehrich and Alton Warren, agreed to install a buffer at neighbor Patrick Munsell’s property line, and to operate the banquet facility from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from June through October.
They will abide with a 55-decibel noise level requirement in the town’s zoning ordinance.
After a public hearing on the Robert Leighton Memorial Gazebo project, the board voted 5-0 to table action to build the eight-sided, 24-foot diameter gazebo behind the public library.
Although the public favored the project, the board said the committee must first show that adequate financial capacity exists to complete the project.
Gazebo board member Jim Fitch said roughly $8,500 in cash and $4,000 in in-kind donations have been raised to fund a portion of the $30,000 project. A fund-raising campaign was expected to be launched once the board approved the project, said Fitch.
Selectman Steve Libby said the board approved locating the gazebo at the library.
Selectman Robert Leighton died while serving on the board. He was a strong supporter of the library expansion to the former New Gloucester High School.
The expansion plans called for a gazebo initially, but were dropped.
“The thought of the board was to have a gazebo for Bob,” said Libby, whose mother, Jean, is chairman of the Planning Board.
Leighton’s daughter Kathy Ramsdell said, “The family would like to see the project go forward. The family will commit for funds not collected (in fund-raising).”
The Gazebo Committee will meet with the town’s code enforcement officer and town planner to determine if sufficient financial capacity is met to complete the project.
Comments are no longer available on this story