Newcastle is taking steps to follow its twin village of Damariscotta with a townwide vote on an adult entertainment moratorium.
The Newcastle Board of Selectmen, by a 5-0 vote at its Monday, Sept. 22 meeting, directed the Newcastle Planning Board to hold a public hearing on a moratorium at the next available date.
The planning board meets on the third Thursday of the month, which means its next meeting would take place Oct. 16, although it could schedule a special meeting.
The Newcastle Board of Selectmen would then decide whether to make any changes to the moratorium language and schedule a special town meeting, where Newcastle voters would decide whether to enact the moratorium.
A moratorium, or temporary ban, will give the town time to develop permanent regulations. “That’s going to take some deep thinking and research,” Selectman Pat Hudson said.
“We need to protect the town in the meantime,” Hudson said. “That’s all this device is slated to do.”
According to the draft moratorium ordinance, areas of the town “are being considered for adult entertainment establishments” and “existing ordinances and regulations are inadequate” to prevent “serious public harm” in the form of negative impacts on property values or an increase in “the need for law enforcement” as a result of such establishments.
According to the draft, “there is a strong likelihood” the town will continue to see “development pressure” from adult businesses.
The situation creates “an emergency” under Maine law and requires the moratorium “as necessary immediately and retroactively for the preservation of the public health, safety, and welfare,” according to the draft.
The moratorium would be retroactive to Aug. 25 and would expire Jan. 25, although, if the selectmen find the issue still exists and the town is making “reasonable progress … to alleviate the problem,” they can extend it to Aug. 25, 2015.
Damariscotta voters approved a moratorium at a special town meeting Sept. 17.
The Damariscotta vote followed inquiries by Waldoboro businessman and alleged drug dealer Herman “Rusty” Hoffman into moving his business, Hoffman’s Collectibles, to Damariscotta. The business sells adult toys and pipes, among other items.
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The town of Newcastle would like to hear from any residents willing to volunteer to create a town float for the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest’s Giant Pumpkin Parade. For more information, call 563-3441.
