WEST PARIS — Town officials are demanding that Chandler Wright of Greenwood clean his Bethel Road property or face a potential violation as an unauthorized junkyard.
Town Manager John White told selectmen Thursday that he sent Wright a letter recently, demanding that he clean up his property, which has several unregistered, unfit-for-the-road vehicles and a boat that have been parked there for several years.
Properties with more than two unregistered vehicles parked for a certain lengthy of time must meet requirements for a junkyard, White said.
For several years, the Planning Board has noticed the vehicles, and it wants the property to comply with zoning ordinances.
Selectman Denny Henderson said, “I know this has been under discussion several times over the past several years. I’ve been to Planning Board meetings where it’s been discussed.”
“I sent him a letter giving him a drop-dead date of Oct. 29, saying he needed to remove his cars or be in violation,” White said.
Wright responded with a letter, claiming he is an automobile hobbyist and citing a law that he said exempts him from the junkyard law.
White questioned whether the term “hobbyist” accurately represents the situation at Wright’s property.
“He definitely is storing,” White said. “It is not organized, and it’s a funny way to display them.”
Wright said he is trying to do something with his property that might resolve the situation; however, the size of his lot and its proximity to the road and surrounding wetlands makes any kind of construction activity difficult.
The code enforcement officer has requested to meet with Wright and the state Department of Environmental Protection to review options for the property.
“It’s just within inches of the setbacks from the road and the wetland,” White said.
At their meeting Thursday, selectmen decided to table the issue to give the code enforcement officer time to meet with Wright. However, they reiterated they had little interest in seeing the situation continue without a resolution.
mjerkins@sunmediagroup.net
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