Gray--Frustration was shown from both the Council and the citizens' side Monday night as the Council continued to work on changing uses within zones and adjusting and zone lines in all parts of Gray.

The Council is getting closer to finalizing their map that illustrates exactly where the new zones would be, and is ready to review the uses within the zones. The group of citizens who have endured the brunt of the most changes over the longest time period have been the people who live on Rt. 100 south of Gray Center.

For about eighteen months they have attended meetings, asked the Council not to change the zone, watched on tenterhooks as each new map was unveiled, impacting this neighbor but not that one. Initially, the Council had proposed to make the entire zone all commercial with severe restrictions on future residential building, the original catalyst for the group to become involved. At that point, the citizens gathered 63 signatures and presented it to the Council asking them not to change their zone.

In addition, a new group of citizens became interested when they became aware that their zone, the Village Center, would also be changed to a large degree and was in attendance Monday night.

Council Chair Pam Wilkinson said that she had had an e-mail correspondence with Kevin Kimball, who owns a large mechanics shop and salvage yard in addition to other land on Frost Road. Ms. Wilkinson said that she had talked on the phone with Mr. Kimball as well, and gestured for him to speak his mind.

Mr. Kimball said that, "Mrs. Durgin and I also own a lot of land out there and we ask you to please leave it alone. Don't touch it. And many other people do not want you to touch these zones. You should leave it alone unless petitioned by someone who needs specific changes. But to arbitrarily change these zones on people who have paid taxes and insurance on it for a long time…why? Just leave it alone."

Ms. Wilkinson replied, "We'll leave it alone and let it stay as is."
This pronouncement brought an outcry from the citizens who have been lobbying for the very same treatment from the Council for eighteen months. Three citizens variously stood, yelled and raised fists at the Chair, and Pat Watson exclaimed, "Who are you to concede to one guy who comes in here when we have been here for eighteen months and you say to Kevin right away, 'OK, we'll leave you alone?' We had 63 people in a petition and that counts for nothing?"

Ms. Wilkinson said that they needed to embrace economic development.
Mary Miller of Gray is another resident who would be affected by a change in zones, since a developer had recently asked for a zone change in the Village area so a two-phase large-scale development could be completed. Ms. Miller was insistent that Ms. Wilkinson answer her question as to whether the developer had withdrawn his zone change request in the face of recent obstacles to his completing completing phase 2.

Ms. Wilkinson said "I don't keep track of that," which drew a heated response from Ms. Miller. After intense demanding from several audience members for an answer, Ms. Wilkinson deferred to Planner Dick Cahill, who said that the developer had not withdrawn his request for a zone change in the Village Center.

The Planner was directed to look at the maps, get ready to draw them up with specifics as to the proposed changes, and review the zone preambles. Jean Bibber of Gray had noted that the preamble language did not include a description for an entire portion of South Gray.