LIVERMORE – The proposed Barnyard All-Terrain Park, to be located on Route 108 near the Turner line, is a go – with one condition: the owners must produce proof that the site has undergone an archaeological review.
By a 3-0 vote, and after 5 hours of discussion, the appeals board Wednesday, agreed the Planning Board had acted appropriately in approving the park under the town’s site-plan review ordinance.
Concerns were raised during the meeting, including whether or not the land on which the park is located had had an archeological review. Members of the Lovewell family, who are developing the park, told the board they thought they could produce a letter stating that one had been done. But if that proved impossible, the board added the condition that the family be required to contact the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to see if it could produce information regarding the land.
Neighbors of the Lovewells, Robert Boothby and abutter David Damon, and David Andrews of Paris, who owns a subdivision near the track, appealed the Planning Board’s Jan. 23 approval of Lovewell’s all-terrain park on 55-acres of the family’s farmland near the Turner line.
A private agreement was reached between Damon and Lovewell regarding a buffer between the two properties to help with noise and sight issues. Lovewell agreed to create a 4-foot-tall, 310-foot-long berm with hedging planted on top, located within 25 feet of their property line.
During the public hearing, Katie Damon spoke about how the noise during the park events was a problem to abutters, but noise, it was noted, is not covered within the town’s ordinance and could not be acted upon by the board.
Frustration levels ran high during the meeting as issues of noise, safety and ground water issues were discussed.
While board members agreed that they understood the neighbors’ concerns, they also felt that Lovewell had done a lot to comply with his proposal and had done what he said he would do.
Chairwoman Muriel Bowerman also wanted to include her concern that any future changes to the park’s plan need to go before the planning board. She was uncomfortable with any board granting a permit without a timeline or conditions.
Concerns about overnight camping at the park were raised, but could not be addressed as they were not part of the original application and are due to go before the planning board in the future.
Lovewell said he was happy with the results following the 5-hour meeting, and that it has been a long process taking over a year. The family has 14 all-terrain events planned for this summer.
Comments are no longer available on this story