News

Planning Board approves Village Store site plan request
By Elizabeth Prata

New Gloucester-About 35 interested citizens packed the New Gloucester Meeting House to have a say about Michael Brady's request to modify his original application for the Brady Village Store.

Brady's original appearance before the Planning Board in 2001 resulted in a improvement to the abandoned Village Store in the historically pristine Lower Village that included a store and beauty shop downstairs, and two apartments upstairs. Tuesday night, Brady was requesting to change one of the apartments upstairs to an office space, and to be released from the specific approval of the "beauty shop" and rent it as simply "retail/office" space. These uses are allowed within the zone.

Citizens concerns ranged from fear that the unspecific definition of the 'office' or 'retail' space would produce uses that were environmentally harmful or inappropriate for the distinctive historical atmosphere of the Lower Village. The entire Village is a designated historic zone according to the register of National Historic places, and residents wanted to ensure that any modifications to Brady's plans for the property were consistent with their vision of the historic atmosphere.

The abutters had formed an organization named. "Friends of the Lower Village" and hired Frederick Lipp, attorney, to present their case. Lipp is also an abutter.
Lipp said that "Once destroyed, historic architecture, area, and sites cannot be replaced." His seven page packet containing exhibits and excerpts of the ordinance also stated that there were issues the Board had not addressed, such as use of fuel tanks, use of neon 'open' and 'beer' signs, parking safety issues, whether the Pepsi machine constitutes a sign and thus adhered to the Sign Ordinance, and using the basement.



He said that the Friends were concerned that the two additional uses were "wild cards" and urged the Board to be more strict in requesting that the applicant present a specific use for each of the spaces. Above, Lipp. The Monument: Prata photo

Lipp also urged the Planning Board to maintain their authority and not "pass it off to the Code Enforcement Officer."

Chair Jean Libby said that the only issue to be discussed was the one before them- the change in uses for the upstairs apartment and the change in nomenclature for the downstairs space.

Most of the abutters were present and spoke. Jennifer Muldoon said that she was concerned at how the Board can be looking at approving uses without knowing what they were. She was worried about environmental impacts any new uses would bring to the property.

Diane Stone said that "I am here to voice my opposition to the fourth use. To see this building turning into a the equivalent of a mini-mall is disturbing to me."

Andy Fillmore said that when Brady was originally reconstructing the store he offered Brady the opportunity to use his phone or get a drink of water. "We're neighbors, I hope the store succeeds. But I think it's expanding beyond the capacity to sustain it."

Ed Domas said that he would be "disturbed if the extra use wasn't what I wanted as a neighbor, like a tattoo parlor."

Don Gundersorf handed the Board a petition containing all signatures of the abutters, and said "Before, it used to be a simple store with an owner's residence on top. Now, we're concerned to see it becoming a mixed use commercial center with problematic parking." He, and others who spoke after him, said that the mixed-uses were a concern.

Vice Chair Karen Asselin said that the zone allows for mixed uses, and that historical centers encouraged them. She also stated that "the extra commercial use is allowed. The zoning is approved publicly, and is specific about what uses can go in. Part of the historic nature of a town are its mixed uses, that's right in the ordinance."

Brady said, "I think part of the turmoil is that the neighborhood wants to do away with the commercial uses, and they can't do that."

Board member Janet Smaldon pointed out to Brady that "Your other store is in a totally different area, and I think that it takes a particular kind of person to live in a historical zone, and they are sensitive to the issues."

The Board voted 6-0 to approve Brady's request with John Green recusing himself because he is an abutter to Brady's other store.