By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

AUBURN – The city has denied petitions to two groups of Auburn citizens who wanted to stop or change city plans to build a parking garage at Great Falls Plaza.

One five-person group, led by Daniel Herrick, wanted a June 13 citywide vote to rescind the City Council’s approval of the multi-million-dollar parking garage. The second five-person group, led by Lucien Camire, wanted to force the City Council to reconsider a land swap deal it made with developer Tom Platz in connection with the parking garage project. If the council failed to then repeal the agreement, the petition would have required a citywide vote on the matter.

The city denied both petition requests, saying the city’s charter prevents citizens from forcing a vote on capital projects.

The city initially denied Herrick’s petition request early in March after city Attorney Patrick Scully said residents do not have the power under the charter to repeal the project. Two weeks ago, with help from his own attorney, Herrick wrote the city and asked for that ruling to be reconsidered.

Citing state law and the U.S. Constitution, Herrick said Scully’s legal interpretation was wrong and the city was illegally blocking residents’ right to bring the matter to a vote.

The city’s attorney reviewed his earlier opinion and on Monday told city officials that his interpretation stands: The charter prevents citizens from forcing a vote on the project.

On Tuesday, Auburn City Manager Pat Finnigan again denied Herrick’s petition request.

Herrick vowed to take the matter to court.

“I know I’m right,” Herrick said. “I know the citizens of Auburn don’t want the parking garage.”

Under the city’s agreement with developer Platz, he would get about .94 acres in the plaza, including the back corner, north of The Esplanade and east of the access road. Platz plans to build at least one office building in the plaza. The city would get about nine-tenths of an acre near the middle of the property. The city plans to build a parking garage on the site.

“I think the city could do better if it sold the land,” Camire said. “Why are we giving a good piece of buildable land away?”

But on Monday, the city’s attorney told officials that Camire’s petition would fall into the same category as Herrick’s. It centered on land integral to the parking garage – a capital project – and so citizens don’t have the right to vote on the matter.

On Tuesday, Finnigan denied Camire’s petition request.

Camire said he would respond to Finnigan’s denial in a couple of days.

“We aren’t giving up, I can tell you that,” he said.

The parking garage project continues to move forward, Finnigan said. Platz and the city will soon sign their agreement. The garage is being designed.

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