A Waldoboro businessman facing felony drug-trafficking charges plans to open a business that sells sex toys and other adult merchandise in Damariscotta, prompting the town to take steps toward a temporary ban of such businesses.
Hoffman Collectibles proprietor Herman “Rusty” Hoffman, of South Thomaston, plans to move his Waldoboro business to a vacant retail space at 470 Main St., across from Hannaford Supermarket.
“We’ll be selling adult toys and adult videos, lingerie and bachelor and bachelorette party stuff,” Rusty Hoffman told The Lincoln County News. “We’ll also be selling our kids’ toys … It’ll be like a Spencer’s gift shop.”
Hoffman’s Collectibles also sells glass pipes and water pipes, ostensibly for tobacco use, although marijuana smokers often utilize similar merchandise. The business also sells fantasy items like decorative dragons and swords.
Maine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel seized a large quantity of an illegal drug known as bath salts, as well as handguns, approximately $25,000, and other contraband at Hoffman’s Collectibles and Rusty Hoffman’s home July 3.
The agents arrested Rusty Hoffman and Michael Hoffman, also of South Thomaston. Rusty Hoffman was allegedly distributing bath salts from the business as well as his home, according to the MDEA.
Damariscotta officials now hope to enact a moratorium on adult entertainment establishments. The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Wednesday, Aug. 20 to direct Town Manager Matt Lutkus to prepare a moratorium ordinance.
“There are certain cultural aspects of Damariscotta that we want to maintain,” Lutkus said. “I think this is one area we should address before it becomes an issue.”
Damariscotta attorney Jenny Villeneuve is drafting the moratorium ordinance. The selectmen will review it Sept. 3 and likely call a special town meeting for Sept. 17, Lutkus said.
If the selectmen approve the moratorium Sept. 3 and the voters approve the moratorium Sept. 17, “we have six months to develop a substantive ordinance on adult entertainment centers,” Lutkus said.
The town cannot permanently ban such establishments, but can regulate where such an establishment can operate – a certain distance from churches and schools, for example.
The town could also ask voters to extend the moratorium. “We can extend the six months, and I believe it’s up to another six months,” Lutkus said.
Lutkus does not yet know when the moratorium would take effect, but he will seek to make it retroactive to Aug. 20, the date of the selectmen’s vote.
“That’s a legal question,” Lutkus said.
Damariscotta residents will also consider somewhat lower profile questions at the special town meeting: a minor change to 2014-2015 revenue figures to fix a clerical error and an amendment to the shoreland zoning ordinance.
The first item would take $8,106 from Damariscotta’s undesignated fund balance to cover the town’s contribution to Central Lincoln County Adult Education.
Voters approved the expense, but the figure did not make it into the revenue side of the town budget.
“We have to make sure we go into the year with a balanced budget,” Lutkus said. “It’s got to be to the dollar.”
The town will also consider an amendment to its shoreland zoning ordinance at the request of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, which reviews municipal shoreland zoning ordinances.
The amendment requires an applicant who receives Damariscotta Planning Board approval for a legal, nonconforming structure to record the approval at the Lincoln County Registry of Deeds, Damariscotta Town Planner Tony Dater said.
The amendment would also define the term “footprint,” Dater said.
“That has something to do with how to calculate your expansion and so forth,” Dater said. “You take a look at the total footprint that’s already there, including patios and decks and overhangs.”
Dater described the changes as “procedural, not substantive.”
In other town business, Lutkus met with the selectmen in private session to discuss his contract, which will expire Dec. 31 after three years.
“I definitely want to re-up, we just have to talk about the details of that, and since it was executive session I should probably wait until the board announces what we want to do,” Lutkus said.
