PERU – The Board of Selectmen on Monday voted 3-1 not to renew the junkyard permit for JC Demolition Recycling, town secretary Angela Barkhouse said Tuesday.
During its Sept. 23 meeting, the board initially voted to table the application until meeting with the Planning Board, inspecting the site and watching a video of the meeting at which the permit was originally approved.
The original permit was issued to Jesse Childs and Lori Labbe in July 2012 to convert the old Diamond Match plant into an automobile demolition and recycling facility. At the time, the Planning Board included several conditions JC Demolition would have to meet before beginning operations. They included having a spill prevention containment plan, and keeping records of when it runs its crusher, Planning Board member Steve Fuller said previously.
Barkhouse said Tuesday that the owners were at Monday’s meeting.
“They made some statements to the Board of Selectmen about their facility and were wondering why they were considering to not approve it,” Barkhouse said.
During an Oct. 7 meeting between selectmen and the Planning Board, Selectman Jim Pulsifer said they should renew the permit because JC Demolition had “never started operations.”
“If he didn’t start operations in the first year, and the renewed permit said he’d still have to meet the conditions before starting operations, why shouldn’t we renew it?” Pulsifer asked. “Since it was once granted, unless we have cause, I’m not sure how you can deny him a renewal.”
However, some residents said JC Demolition had been given a year to meet the conditions and wished to see selectmen deny the junkyard permit.
Selectmen Danny Wing, Larry Snowman and Lee Merrill voted against renewing the junkyard permit, while Chairman Pulsifer voted to approve it. Selectman Laurieann Milligan was absent from the meeting.
Barkhouse said selectmen also unanimously voted to approve a junkyard permit for Dickie Powell.
Barkhouse said that the board reported that their second test in two weeks of the public Worthley Pond spring on Green Woods Road showed there was no coliform or E. coli bacteria.
Barkhouse said a test found high levels of both so a boil water order was required by state law. It can only be lifted after three consecutive weeks of tests come back negative.
“Right now, we’re on the second consecutive week,” Barkhouse said. “I’ve already tested the water for the third week, and we’re just waiting on the results.”
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