FARMINGTON – In a special town meeting followed immediately by a selectmen’s meeting, Farmington residents voted Monday to approve funding two sewer projects, discontinue a portion of the Smiley Road, and make a small change to the town’s skating ordinance.
Citizens voted overwhelmingly to fund the two projects – one sewer reconstruction project to increase capacity and another to relocate the sewer outfall. The projects will require the town to accept $230,000 in grants from the federal government and to borrow $420,000 to further fund the appropriation.
Town manager Richard Davis said that there was no increase expected in sewer rates.
In the next article, townspeople voted unanimously to discontinue a 330-foot portion of the Smiley Road. The portion in question was at the end of the road, and was discontinued with support of the abutters.
In the only article that went without discussion, voters supported making a small change to the town’s roller-skating, skateboarding and scooter-riding ordinance, amending the current law so that “parents of any violator 17 years or younger will be subject to a court summons if fine is not paid.” The previous law had set the age at 16, thus overlooking 17-year-olds.
At the selectmen’s meeting that occurred immediately after the town meeting, developers Buzz Davis and Bill Marceau spoke for several minutes about what they intend to do with the former dowel mill site on Fairbanks Road. The two presented a “conceptual plan” for the lot, which is called the Mill Pond Road Project.
They are hoping to receive a community planning grant from the state to help with the project, which they expect to include an assisted living center, as well as a 12,800-square-foot building that they said would likely house either a restaurant or a retail facility. The plan was met with several questions and concerns – largely regarding what the tax status of the businesses in question – but no real objections.
After the hearing, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to authorize the Lincoln Street Sewer Project, as well as the Sewer Outfall Relocation Project.
The board then debated a request for the town to grant a short-term mortgage on the Fairbanks school property, arguing over whether it was the town’s place to act as a bank. Several selectmen raised concerns that the town was risking losing the piece of land, while Franklin Savings Bank, which would likely issue the mortgage, would risk nothing.
At the end of the meeting, Davis announced that he had received a letter of resignation from school board member Susan Roberts, and Selectman Dennis Pike suggested that the town send her a letter of thanks for her years of service.
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