FARMINGTON — The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday night not to waive a fire hydrant requirement for Sunrise Village Mobile Home Park.

Caten Gabri, owner of Sunrise Village, had asked selectmen to waive a requirement that hydrants be provided at the park.

Town Manager Richard Davis said Gabri does not like paying the water district for hydrants that never get used.

An agreement between the town and former owners/developers David Friedman and Elizabeth Montfort of Weld, signed Oct. 11, 1977, stipulates the developer agrees to provide fire hydrants. It also requires each condition of the agreement may be waived by mutual written agreement between the parties. Any addenda or amendments must be signed by both parties.

“Fire hydrants have since been put in on the Town Farm Road,” David said. “It’s still a stretch to get to the development. The selectmen signed the agreement prior to the adoption of zoning or subdivision ordinances. Town ordinances now require hydrants. For Gabri, it’s a cost issue more than anything.”

Davis and Chief Terry Bell of the Farmington Fire Rescue Department both opposed waiving the fire hydrant requirement.

“If you do it for him,” Davis said, “you’ll have a ton of requests.”

Bell said there are two hydrants in the park, which has 20 mobile homes now with potential for more.

“It is quite an expense,” Bell said.

Selectman Michael Fogg said he thought the hydrants were important for insurance purposes.

In other matters, the board approved issuing a notice of proposed discontinuance of Stinchfield Road, which is off the Strong Road and beyond the Farnsworth barn.

“The Plantings lived there for years,” David said. “Sale of the property to Mark Welch of Colorado was finalized in March. He asked to have the road discontinued. He wants to gate it off at both ends and maintain it himself.”

The notice will be filed with the town clerk. Letters will be sent to all abutting property owners. A public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13. A special town meeting will then be held later in August or September to bring the matter to a vote.

Selectmen also approved funding a summer internship at the Farmington Compost Cooperative, using $2,500 from the compost reserve account. Board approval was needed because money has been moved from revenue to the reserve account, Davis said.

Aiden Sauler, a student at the University of Maine at Farmington, will complete an internship at the compost facility over six weeks in July and August. He will earn two credits, paid for by the co-op. UMF will be reimbursed for wages paid for his time at the facility.

Davis said the town has no obligation to supervise the intern, who will use no power tools.

“The co-op is self-supporting,” Davis said. “The student will be managing the compost pile. There is about $9,500 in the reserve account. Money flows in from the sale of compost.”

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