3 min read

LIVERMORE — Selectpersons unanimously approved amendments to the Dog Control and Limited Commercial Zoning Oodinances Tuesday night.

A public hearing and special town meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 14, to vote on the proposed changes. A time and place will be announced later.

Section 3 of the Dog Control Ordinance now reads: “Intermittent barking, baying, or howling for three (3) continuous hours or more for four consecutive days.”

“Disturbing the peace of any neighbors within 500 feet” was removed.

A new Section 6: Kennels, Breeders, and Boarders was added. It states, “Registered kennels, breeders, or boarders shall not be exempt or grandfathered from this ordinance.”

The Planning Board had added another section earlier, but after selectpersons reviewed the draft, additional changes were made on the recommendation of the animal control officer. Renumbered Section 8 on enforcement, now reads: “Upon a third offense, and any subsequent offense thereafter, the penalty shall increase to $500.”

Advertisement

Unpaid fines will be pursued in court, along with recovery of the town’s legal costs, according to the revised ordinance.

The earlier version included seizure of the dogs. Administrative Assistant Amy Byron said the animal control officer said the courts frown upon seizure.

The Planning Board made proposed changes to the Limited Commercial Zoning Ordinance on Aug. 16 and Oct. 25.

Under Section 3, the actual date the ordinance was first adopted by the voters, June 14, 2017, was added.

Section 10 originally read: “The Limited Commercial District outside the Shoreland Zone shall be 250 feet wide (depth of the lot) on both sides of Route 4 right of way starting at the Turner Town Line and going north to the intersection of Route 108 East.”

In August, “intersection of Route 108 East” was changed to “Livermore Falls Town Line, Route 108 East to the Livermore/Turner Town Line and Route 108 West to the Livermore/Canton Town Line.”

Advertisement

In October, “wide (depth of the lot)” was changed to “deep (as measured from the center of the roadway)”  and “Livermore/Canton Town Line” was changed to “Livermore/Hartford Town Line.”

Byron said the changes were made to make the first part less wordy. Route 108 West actually goes into Hartford before going into Canton.

Section 12 was also changed slightly.

Originally it read: “Commercial businesses are allowed in the town of Livermore, except that commercial businesses where the owner of the business does not live on the property, or directly across the road from the business, must be located in the Limited Commercial outside the Shoreland Zone as described in Section 10 above.”

The comma was changed to a period after Livermore, “except that” was deleted,  and “Zone” was added after Limited Commercial.”

During public comment, one resident asked why the 500-foot requirement was removed from the Dog Control Ordinance. He said it’s the standard in most towns.

Advertisement

Byron said the Planning Board recommended removing it. She didn’t know that was the standard.

Tom Gould, chairman of the Board of Selectpersons, said it could be brought up at the public hearing.

“An ordinance can’t be amended from the floor,” Byron said. “Voters can accept it or vote it down. The Planning Board could then go back and start the process again.”

[email protected] 

During the Livermore Selectpersons meeting Tuesday night Selectperson Wayne Timberlake at left looks toward  Town Clerk Renda Guild (not in the picture) while she gives her report. Also seen are Selectperson Scott Richmond and Mark Chretien. Not in the picture are Selectpersons Tom Gould and Megan Dion.

Comments are no longer available on this story