Greenville looks to revise land use ordinance with motorsports definition inclusion

GREENVILLE — A proposed revision to Greenville’s land use ordinance which involves a new definition pertaining to motorsports businesses has been developed by the planning board. The proposal was brought to the select board at the Dec. 3 meeting and action may be taken at a future meeting.

Planning Board Chair John Contreni said he is reading a book about The Constitution and the author makes a point about it being amended from time to time as living documents. 

“I think of that when I think of our land use ordinance, periodically it needs to be amended because things change within town,” Contreni said.

Land use ordinance amendments big and small have been brought forward in recent years, he said. Now there is a “new definition that we would like to add to the list of definitions, it’s called ‘motorsports sales/service/repair.’”

A motorsports sales, service and repair establishment is a commercial use involving the retail sale, servicing, maintenance and mechanical repair of recreational and utility vehicles powered by internal combustion or electric engines. This use includes but is not limited to boats and electrical watercraft, snowmobile, all terrain vehicles, utility vehicles, small engine recreational vehicles, for example dirt bikes, go karts, and lawn and garden equipment, for example mowers, chainsaws and trimmers, Contreni read aloud.

Such a business would not be permitted in the residential, downtown district 1 and 2, rural, airport and resource protection districts. These would be available for conditional use in village, village commercial, commercial industrial, rural development 1 and 2 districts, meaning the owner needs to come before the planning board to get a permit. 

“We had some interest in somebody opening up a shop to repair 4-wheelers and side by sides and small engine stuff,” Code Enforcement Officer Ron Sarol said.

Some discussions with neighbors revealed they were worried the business could evolve into an automobile garage so instead a specific motorsports definition was developed by the planning board. 

The select board would need to approve the definition and it would then go before residents to be decided at a special town meeting.

Selectperson Richard Peat said he would like more time to look the proposal over, so no action was taken by the board.

In his report, Town Manager Mike Roy said, “As you know Ron here, our CEO, is leaving us on Friday. Ron, thank you for your work and dedication and helping make the town a better place to be and appreciate all your hard work and your work ethic as well.”

The week before two strong candidates were interviewed for the code enforcement position, Roy said. An offer was made to and accepted by resident Tim Post and he began working with Sarol.

“Ron is showing him some things as things come up, showing him around the office and basically passing the baton so to speak,” the town manager said.

“I feel like all the interview committee felt that he was very capable of handling himself with enforcements and making some great decisions and following our town ordinances,” Roy said.

Last month Sarol submitted his resignation letter to the town after having served as code enforcement officer for more than three years. He has known Post, who has lived in Greenville for 33 years and is a former member of the fire department, for the last few years.

Post has been a forest ranger and forester with the Maine Forest Service and oversaw timber harvesting operations. He later served as a field team leader overseeing permitting and supervising three regional enforcement coordinators and two district foresters.

Post has been retired for eight months and thought the code enforcement position would be a good fit for him when he saw the job posting.

The skating rink warming hut was set to arrive the day after the meeting. Roy said a $10,000 donation is helping fund the structure with the remaining $14,545 coming from a capital improvement account.

“Hopefully we can get some cold weather, get the rink flooded and start using it,” Roy said.

Power and water still need to be connected once the warming hut is in place. 

“After that it’s lights on to skate,” Roy said.