AUBURN — A City Council vote Monday could advance plans for a Trapp Road slaughterhouse — or it could put the plans to rest.

“I think it’s fair to get a decision for this business owner once and for all,” City Manager Glenn Aho said Friday. “We just want the council to make a decision.”

Councilors are scheduled to vote on changing Auburn’s Agriculture and Resource Protection zone citywide to allow slaughterhouses as a special exception. That kind of change requires two votes by the City Council. If councilors approve Monday, they’d take it up again in January for a final vote.

“But if they vote it down, it’s done,” Aho said. “There’s no need for another meeting, no need for the Planning Board to review it and Mr. Linke has his answer.”

The question was spurred by Craig Linke, who plans to open Mainestock, a stand-alone slaughterhouse, on 21.5 acres at 512 Trapp Road. If councilors approve the zoning change, he can apply for a special-use permit to build the large-animal slaughterhouse at the intersection of Trapp and Royal River roads. Linke said the operation would have a limited kitchen, preparing sausages and meat pies.

The Auburn Planning Board reviewed the proposed zoning change Tuesday, only to say they needed more time to discuss it. The board scheduled another hearing for Dec. 28, hoping to settle on some standards. Those could include building size and traffic limits.

But Aho said the Planning Board won’t have to review the plan if councilors don’t approve it on first reading.

“If the councilors do approve it, then the Planning Board would have their meeting and anything they recommend could be added in,” Aho said.

If the Planning Board suggests building size limits, for example, the council could vote on those recommendations at the second hearing.

Linke submitted his application to the city in October.

“If someone comes in with an application and they want to build a business in Auburn, is it right to make them wait three months for an answer?” Aho asked. “I think what we’re trying to do is move things along and get an answer, one way or another.”

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