At an April 19 public hearing, the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen removed an ordinance from the town’s June warrant that would have resulted in a zoning change for 10 downtown properties near Washington and Pleasant streets.
The change would have extended the existing downtown business district to include the properties, two of which are town owned, a development that had many residents concerned including Donald Jones.
“Mr. Chairman, I would ask you to send this back to the ordinance review committee,” said Jones. “We need to accomplish good business uses, whatever that may be.”
Jones said the amendment’s thrust would allow the Ledges Inn, a longtime Wiscasset institution, to be operated as a business and that a limited change in the zoning was more appropriate.
“This would allow it to exist as a business that has existed for three generations,” said Jones. “We don’t need to extend our downtown business district to upper Main Street.”
Selectman Pamela Dunning said the ordinance was akin to “swatting a fly” with a sledgehammer and changing a whole district for one building was not the “way to go.”
Her comments brought a round of applause from the heavily attended hearing.
“If it was up to me I would take a little more time on this,” said Town Planner Jeffrey Hinderliter. “As your planner, I would wait on this.”
Hinderliter said he could conceivably have a revised plan in two months, a timeframe Dunning said she would “like to see.”
“If there were some standards developed to accompany this, it would be a better sell to the community,” said Hinderliter.
Before authorizing the June 14 Town Warrant, the Board voted unanimously to remove the ordinance and send it back to Hinderliter and the towns Ordinance Review Committee.
