FARMINGTON — By a secret ballot vote of 72-13 Tuesday, Farmington residents agreed to change the zoning district at the corner of Franklin Avenue and High Street.
Jon and Lois Bubier had originally requested a zone change from Village Residential to Village Business for most of the block to accommodate a future expansion of their store, Ron’s Market.
For the town meeting the request was modified to amend the area for rezoning to cover two acres at the corner location of the store. The business, like others on the block, is grandfathered into the residential zone because they were in existence before the town’s zoning was adopted.
A neighboring resident, Suzanne Wertz, voiced concern about the size of the zone change that could allow the Bubiers more business frontage on High Street and affect the residential feel where four historical houses sit.
She asked residents to vote the change down Tuesday and to come back in two months to vote on rezoning a one-acre lot. She would support that, she said.
Jon Bubier told voters he’d like to move the house next to the store, build a new store farther back from High Street for better parking and tear down the older portion of the store. The store and his bottle redemption business would become L-shaped. He also wants to create loading docks on the back side of the store where trucks can unload without blocking traffic.
This is a five-year plan, one that could provide jobs for contractors and more employees in the store, Bubier told voters.
As a small business owner who has a successful record, he was there looking for support, he said.
Voters approved all eight articles on the warrant, including a zoning change in West Farmington that will allow new and existing businesses such as Madore’s Market to expand or develop.
The town’s Zoning Board was reduced from seven to five members and the sewer use ordinance was changed to bring manhole installations up to current engineering standards.
Voters also adopted a Property Assessed Clean Energy ordinance and entered the town into an agreement with the Efficiency Maine Trust.
The ordinance was needed for residents to participate in the PACE loan program that allows them to borrow up to $1,500 from Efficiency Maine for home energy improvements.
Voters also approved spending up to $25,000 from the town’s undesignated fund for construction of a garage at the Farmington Police Station.
abryant@sunjournal.com
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- Jon Bubier, owner of Ron’s Market, prepares to cast a secret ballot Tuesday at Farmington’s special town meeting. The zoning change that was approved allows him to plan for a future expansion of the store. Town Clerk Leanne Pinkham, left, checked voters in as police Deputy Chief Shane Cote held the ballot box.
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- Suzanne Wertz of High Street in Farmington casts her vote at a special town meeting Tuesday night. Town Clerk Leanne Pinkham, left, checked voter registrations while police Deputy Chief Shane Cote held the ballot box.
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- Lois and Jon Bubier, owners of Ron’s Market, prepare to cast their ballots at the Farmington special town meeting Tuesday. The zoning change that was approved allows them to plan for a future expansion of the store. Town Clerk Leanne Pinkham checks their voter registration.
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