Board: Auburn City Council

Met: Monday night

Gooseberry Barn parking

Issue: The city had the old Gooseberry Barn demolished over the summer, leaving an empty 3.8-acre lot at Fairview and Minot avenues, next to Fairview Elementary School. They’ve agreed to let the school use part of the lot for parking temporarily.

The scoop: City Manager Glen Aho suggested simply giving the school a 40-foot-long strip along the border with the Gooseberry Barn’s western edge. That would let the school create 42 new spaces, even though school officials said they don’t want the land.

Councilor Dan Herrick spoke against giving it away, since the Gooseberry Barn land is for sale. Giving parts away diminishes its value and ultimately hurts taxpayers.

Up next: Councilors chose not to split the Gooseberry Barn parcel. They urged school officials to find other ways to add parking spaces.

Trash collecting

Issue: Auburn has a committee reviewing solid waste issues, namely increasing recycling rates and whether or not to extend trash collections to businesses. Councilors heard an update on that group’s work from Assistant Public Works Director Sid Hazelton.

The scoop: Hazelton suggested councilors extend the existing contract with Pine Tree Waste, a Casella Solid Waste subsidiary. That contract comes due next spring.

Lewiston extended a similar contract with the company last month to get more time to search for a better recycling system. Hazelton suggested Auburn follow suit and work closely with Lewiston.

Main lanes

Issue: Councilors said yes last month to making Main Street one-way between the Mechanics Row garage and Court Street. The move is designed to make the area more pedestrian friendly and boost the number of on-street parking spaces. The new traffic pattern will let the city create some angle-in spaces instead of parallel parking spaces.

The scoop: Monday, councilors needed to decide whether cars will pull into the new diagonal paces front first, or whether they will back in. Backed-in spaces are safer for cars pulling out into traffic, according to Public Services Director Eric Labelle. Front-in spaces are more familiar to drivers and easier for them to pull into.

Up next: Councilors favored the front-in spaces Monday. The new pattern will give the city 14 angle-in spaces and 12 parallel spaces along Main Street. Crews should begin painting the space lanes this week.

Lown ornament

Issue: With the backing of city councils from Lewiston and Auburn, the Legislature renamed the south bridge between New Auburn and Little Canada in Lewiston the Dr. Bernard Lown Peace Bridge. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Lown got his start in Lewiston and Auburn.

Now the cities are trying to place a memorial near the bridge explaining the name and Lown’s significance.

The scoop: Once the memorial has been designed and paid for, it will go on the corner of Riverside Drive and Broad Street, part of the Rollodrome’s parking lot. Councilors agreed to an easement with the Rollodrome Monday, placing the marker there.

Drug bust money

Issue: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency shares the proceeds from drug busts with the other police agencies involved.

The scoop: Councilors on Monday accepted a share of $840 in seizures stemming from an arrest this summer. That money will go to Auburn police.

Pawn licenses

Issue: State law requires municipal officers review and approve licenses for pawn shops.

The scoop: Councilors renewed the pawn license and secondhand seller permit for Republic Jewelry and Coin, 212 Center St., pending approval of the police and fire departments and the city treasurer.

Liquor licenses

Issue: Local restaurants and bars must reapply for liquor licenses and amusement permits each year. Liquor licenses let them serve alcohol; amusement permits let them play music, have a DJ or karaoke, or have games on site.

The scoop: Councilors approved a new liquor license and a special amusement permit for the Lavish at 34 Court St.

Contact government reporter Scott Taylor via phone at 689-2846 or via E-mail at [email protected]