AUGUSTA — Some Winthrop Street property owners maintain a relatively wide swath of city-owned land between the sidewalk and road in front of their homes, and at least one wants to know why it’s her row to mow.

Those concerns have prompted an Augusta City Council discussion, slated for Thursday night, regarding the maintenance of the area between city streets and sidewalks.

Additional Photos

WIDE OPEN SPACES: John Taber, of Farmingdale, waits for a ride Wednesday beneath a tree on the esplanade between the sidewalk and Winthrop Street in Augusta. In some spots, there’s nearly 25 feet of space between the sidewalk and street. The city-owned property will be the subject of a council discussion Thursday. Staff photo by Andy Molloy

The area — which the city refers to as an esplanade — is owned by the city but has traditionally been maintained by the nearest homeowner or other property owner.

In the case of some areas on Winthrop Street, that’s no small patch of grass.

In some spots, there’s nearly 25 feet of space between the sidewalk and street.

City Manager William Bridgeo said the city has no written policy or ordinance requiring the owners of homes or businesses adjacent to city-owned esplanades to maintain them. But he said the work has traditionally been done by those property owners — not the city.

Bridgeo said Winthrop Street resident Jane Adams raised the issue with Mayor William Stokes, noting that as she, and a neighbor, are aging, and that they are concerned mowing and maintaining the city-owned lawn could become more difficult.

Bridgeo said he has asked city staff to look into how many other areas of the city might have similar esplanades, and to estimate the cost of city crews taking the responsibility for maintaining them.

“On Winthrop Street, where the esplanade is quite large, that could have a significant impact,” Bridgeo said. “I don’t know that you can do one (area in front of a residence) without accepting responsibility for the entire street.”

Adams could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Councilors are scheduled to discuss maintenance of the esplanades at their informational meeting Thursday, which starts at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at Augusta City Center.

Also Thursday — in the latest step in an ongoing, heated discussion — councilors are expected to discuss a local paving company’s efforts to quell pavement odors that neighbors say come from a West River Road factory into their homes in the Grandview neighborhood.

R.C. & Sons Paving, which runs a paving plant in the active mineral extraction pit owned by Steve McGee Construction, said earlier this year it would hire an odor expert to try to address neighbors’ concerns about odors coming from the plant.

Councilors said they wanted updates on progress of those efforts from the company, and scheduled one for Thursday’s meeting.

Bridgeo said Tuesday the city had not yet received any written reports or updates from R.C. & Sons. In the meantime, the city continues to receive regular complaints from Grandview neighbors about odors and other concerns, such as dust and noise, coming from the paving plant.

Councilors previously voted to table, until Oct. 6, an ordinance change which would force the R.C. & Sons Paving plant to close when its license expires next May.

The proposal before councilors would have banned asphalt plants from operating as associated uses as part of a mineral extraction license, as the R.C. plant is, if they are within a certain number of feet of a residence. The distance being considered by councilors ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 feet.

City officials said the nearest home in the Grandview neighborhood to the R.C. & Sons plant is 1,300 feet to 1,400 feet away.

Councilors are also scheduled to discuss the city’s capital improvement plan and seeking bond funding for renovations at Gilbert Elementary School.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

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