NEW GLOUCESTER — Planning Board Chairman Don Libby told selectmen Monday night to be proactive on the Upper Village Master Plan once the town garage vacates the property at 1036 Lewiston Road.
“Please don’t put a for sale sign up there and see what happens,” he said.
Libby, who also chairs the New Gloucester Land Use and Comprehensive Planning committees, urged selectmen to use the blueprint of the Upper Village Master Plan adopted by voters several years ago.
The Upper Village is one of the town’s historic business districts along Routes 100, 202 and 4. The area has experienced numerous challenges over the years that have hindered its development. Foremost among them was contamination of groundwater that was remedied with a public water system in 2014.
The master plan calls for creating a livable and compact “village” that promotes everyday services and growth in an appropriate and safe area, helps preserve the open space character of the town for social and cultural activities and is designed consistent with the town’s rich history.
Resident Terry DeWann, who worked with the Master Plan Committee and is a landscape architect, said, “We work with towns to envision what goes on in their community.”
Resident Steve Chandler of Chandler Brothers has worked with the town to acquire important Chandler Brothers parcels that include land for the fire station and future public works department, as well as the sale of Chandler Mill Pond through the Royal River Conservation Trust and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for public use.
Chandler urged the board not to sell the public works building.
In other matters, resident Steve Hathorne urged the board to consider celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the founding of Cub Scout Pack 135.
The board also approved holding a workshop on Public Works Department’s job descriptions.
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