AUGUSTA — A taxi business that had its license renewal rejected by a city committee because it had too many junk cars on its Mount Vernon Avenue property is working to clean up the site by Thursday.
That’s when city councilors are scheduled to consider the license renewal application from Al’s & Double R’s Taxi, which has operated for decades in the city.
The city’s licensing board earlier voted to reject the business’s application for renewal, citing code issues, mainly too many junk cars on the property stretching back for nearly a decade.
“For some period of time, we’ve been attempting to compel them to clean up their property, they’ve got an un-permitted auto graveyard and junkyard there,” said Robert Overton, the city’s director of code enforcement. “We’ve given them ample time to remedy the situation. We’ve given them about nine years. So we finally took this action.”
However, Overton said Tuesday that the taxi operator was complying with the direction from city officials to clean up the property and he anticipated they’d likely be done by Thursday.
“The vast majority of material has been removed,” Overton said. “We fully expect all the work will be completed by Thursday, based on our conversations of today. If they’ve remedied the ordinance violations there, code enforcement would have no problem with the license being issued.”
Al’s and Double R’s Taxi’s owners could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, and an employee there said they would not be available until Wednesday.
The business operates six taxis out of its headquarters at 162 Mount Vernon Ave., according to its application.
City Manager William Bridgeo said the City Council reviews business applications that are rejected by the city licensing board.
City councilors are scheduled to review the license request at their 7 p.m. meeting Thursday, in council chambers at Augusta City Center. They will also hold a public hearing and consider granting victualer’s and liquor licenses to State Lunch to operate on Water Street.
Councilors are also scheduled to consider:
• Approving the creation of a new zoning district, along a section of Winthrop Street, as recommended by the Planning Board.
• Establishing a contract zone to allow the new owner of the former St. Mark’s Church building to redevelop the historic property as a community gathering space.
• A proposal to allow small distilleries, breweries and bakeries in an area encompassing much of the commercial area near exit 109 off Interstate 95.
• A fourth zoning-related proposal, to allow medical marijuana caregiver retail stores as a conditional use in the city’s industrial zoning district.
• Establishing a fund dedicated to the purpose of matching stimulus funding for projects deemed by the City Council to be qualified restoration projects and appropriate $7,500 from a council contingency account to help fund the Worromontogus Lake Association’s project planned to improve the water quality of Togus Pond.
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