Down East city prone to delay towering flagpole proposal once more
Columbia Falls would possibly prolong by one other six months a brief ban on main developments, together with a possible 1,400-foot tower that may double as a huge flagpole.
Voters within the small Washington County city adopted a six-month moratorium in March to provide the city time to undertake improvement ordinances that may apply to the large construction that may fly an American flag bigger than a soccer area.
The tower would anchor a sprawling veterans’ memorial park unfold out over 2,500 acres that the Worcester household has stated it needs to construct in Columbia Falls.
Aga Dixon, an legal professional employed by the city to assist it put together for a doable formal utility to construct the park, stated Monday that selectmen can determine on their very own to increase the voter-approved moratorium for one more six months. The board will maintain a public listening to on the doable extension at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, then vote on whether or not to increase the short-term ban by way of Feb. 28, 2024.
The short-term improvement ban applies to any proposed challenge that exceeds 100 toes in peak or disturbs greater than three acres.
The preliminary improvement idea for the sprawling park, which has not formally been submitted to the city for approval, additionally contains 9 miles of remembrance partitions displaying the names of veterans, six historical past museums, and a improvement with a resort, eating places, retailers and a 4,000-seat occasion venue.
The thought has been criticized by many space residents who say it will be out of scale for the world, which is sparsely populated and closely forested. The Worcester household — which based and run Wreaths Throughout America — and supporters say the park would pay homage to American army veterans and draw much-needed financial improvement to jap coastal Maine.
Dixon stated the city wants extra time to beef up its improvement ordinances, however that Columbia Falls officers anticipate to have voters contemplate new potential land use guidelines in November. The brand new guidelines would give the city higher management over large-scale improvement tasks, she stated.
Final yr, the Legislature handed a legislation that may enable Columbia Falls to annex an adjoining 10,400 acres from unincorporated townships that lie throughout the Worcesters’ improvement plans. Dixon stated Columbia Falls voters would determine whether or not to annex the extra land after the Worcesters’ submit a proper improvement utility to the city — which they’d not be capable of do till the moratorium expires on the finish of February.
