Last Night's Planning Board Meeting Recap

PLANNING BOARD MEETING – APRIL 26^TH

At Thursday’s night Planning Board meeting, the Planning Board held, as part of this meeting, a Public Hearing on two issues: Case #11-06 Swift Demolitions Co. Demolish and Remove Existing Building at the Old Masonite Fiber Board Site in Lisbon Falls and the Comprehensive Plan Amendments, specifically for limited commercial uses for properties directly abutting Route 9 in Lisbon Falls.

Also the Planning Board Regular meeting dealt with these two issues and Case #11-05 Site/Plan/Subdivision Final Plan Application: Premier Development LLC Develop a Commercial Park. Both Cases 11-05 & 11-06 were passed by a vote of 5-0 with little or no discussion. However, the Comprehensive Plan Amendment was a totally different matter altogether.

During the Public Hearing on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, there were members of the audience who spoke against the proposed changes. Roger Cote, David Bowie, Dot Fitzgerald, Mark and Curtis Lunt all presented arguments against the proposed changes. Each of these individuals provided insight as to the damage being done by allowing businesses on Route 9. It was brought out the businesses on Route 9 have been in violation of the current ordinances for a long time. The policy in effect throughout the town is; it is better to ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission. 

No one wants to prevent people from earning a living or supplementing their income by operating a business from their residence but the town has ordinances in order to protect the environment and the investment residents have put into their homes. Rural Open Space 1 was established to protect the rural environment and a peaceful lifestyle. Allowing limited commercial in Rural Open Space 1 will destroy both the environment and the rural lifestyle.

Everyone agreed this current situation was a direct result of the Code Enforcement Officer not performing his duty. However, in all fairness to Mike Cote, it is the Town Manager, Stephen Eldridge, who is not enforcing the ordinances of the town of Lisbon. Eldridge has on several occasions reversed Mike Cote trying to enforce ordinances. Mike Cote is close to retirement and will lose his retirement if he tries to enforce any ordinances without Eldridge’s prior approval. Eldridge protects his and Brooks’ friends. They both protect and make exceptions for town councilors such as Gina Mason and Lori Pomelow. These two councilors receive preferential treatment.

It is a known fact; the town of Lisbon is operated on favoritism and not in accordance with the law or ordinances. The laws and ordinances are not applied evenly throughout the town. Brooks and Eldridge enforce only what they want to in order to protect their friends. Law abiding citizens are actually penalized for following the rules. In some cases, citizens are actually put at risk by the police not enforcing speed limits and stop signs in residential areas.

Some residents, who were operating a small business at their residents, were in fact ordered to close the business when others were allowed to continue operating a small business from their residence. This is called discrimination and the courts take a very dim view of this practice. Eldridge and Brooks have placed the town of Lisbon in a very compromising position.

The town has been collecting personal property taxes on these businesses on Route 9 for years. This means the town has acknowledged that these illegal businesses were operating but wanted the revenue instead of enforcing the town ordinances.

There was no one who spoke in favor of the proposal and so the Planning Board voted 4-0 with one abstention to table the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. A representative of AVCOG was present but could not offer any solution.

Stay tuned for more to come on this situation.

Larry Fillmore

Concerned Citizen