POLAND — Selectmen agreed on Tuesday to hold a workshop to discuss whether and to what extent the town can place restrictions on marijuana-growing operations.
The issue arose when Board of Selectmen Chairman Steve Robinson, noting that a group opposing a marijuana operation in the Poland Spring Country Estates subdivision has asked to address the board at its Aug. 4 meeting, questioned whether the board knew enough about laws regulating growing marijuana for medicinal purposes to make such a meeting productive.
Selectman Janice Kimball said she needed to know the history behind the neighbors’ complaints, which involve past actions of the Planning Board, the code enforcement officer and the Zoning Board.
At a May 14 meeting, the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals revoked an after-the-fact permit for a 20-by-60-foot greenhouse in the subdivision.
It took this action having ruled that property owner Derick Erickson’s operation constituted a commercial enterprise in a residential zone.
Robinson noted that the town hasn’t taken further steps to enforce the decision, mainly because it appeared the town’s attorney had determined state law supersedes local law in regard to the growing of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The board agreed to hold a workshop either next Tuesday or Wednesday, Aug. 28 or 29, with the town’s attorney and code enforcement officer in attendance, so that it might become educated on the issues involved and get in better position to address the concerns of the group opposing the operation in the Poland Spring Country Estates subdivision.
In other business, the board awarded the bid for grinding/paving Herrick Valley and Johnson Hill roads to Glidden Excavating and Paving, of Windham, for $277,816.99.
Glidden Excavating provided the lowest of the four bids received.
In making his recommendation to selectmen, Public Works Director Tom Learned said that the work will be scaled back to keep within budget by eliminating the final overlay on Herrick Valley Road, a savings of about $77,000.
Learned said the final overlay will be done in 2016, allowing the full winter for the base paving to settle out.
Selectman Stan Tetenman noted that the new ditches along Herrick Valley Road seemed rather deep and might prove a driving hazard.
Learned responded by pointing out that hitherto the road wasn’t properly ditched and that now it is being reconstructed to town specifications, which in the long run will be of benefit to the upkeep of the road.
In his report, Town Manager Bradley Plante noted that the materials stored in the Town Hall basement have been largely removed and, while it still needs to undergo a thorough cleaning, it should soon be ready for use as a senior center.
Plante also reported that he has received two responses to his request for proposals for estimates of what it might cost to bring the McConaghy property up to accessibility codes, and that information on property valuations will be ready by Aug. 18 when the board will set the tax rate.
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