GARDINER — A rezoning request from Costello Road neighbors bothered by the stench of a nearby pig farm is up for discussion at tonight’s City Council meeting.

Ryan Hickey raises hogs on his Costello Road property.

Next door, James Alexander said odors reaching his property are so offensive he has had to limit the use of his home.

The hogs, which Hickey purchases each spring and slaughters in October, are penned on the other side of a narrow valley that abuts Alexander’s property.

“I can no longer open my windows regularly in the summer; and when I do, the entire house smells like pig manure,” Alexander said. “I cannot use my backyard because of the odor from the pigs, and my wife and I experience headaches.

“I want it to stop. I asked for a refund on my taxes. I just put on a $7,000 deck that we can’t even use. We can’t eat on our deck. We can’t go in the backyard. We have to keep our windows closed. People who come over are nauseated. It’s just not right.”

Alexander, 64, who has lived in his home since 1985, said Hickey owns 10 acres, but the pig pen where he keeps half a dozen hogs is only 125 feet from Alexander’s property.

He said Hickey, who could not be reached Tuesday for comment, moved into the neighborhood five years ago.

Alexander said the odors from Hickey’s hogs reduces the value of his property, and he claims swarming flies are a health issue.

“I contacted Mr. Hickey the spring of 2011 about the smell and asked him politely if he could move his pens to the other side of his property,” he said. “He has 10 acres. He responded by putting up ‘No Trespassing’ signs between us.

“We ask that a zoning change be made on that portion of the Costello Road, as the residences are too close together for a rural zoning.”

Code Enforcement Officer David Cichowski said the council has some options, including increased minimum lot sizes, limits on the number of livestock per acre and setback distances for agricultural operations.

However, City Manager Scott Morelli said the council probably won’t change anything, because Hickey meets the rules of Land Use Ordinance Section 10.3: Livestock and Animal Keeping.

The rule requires residents raising cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs or fowl to have at least 80,000 square feet of land, which is just smaller than 2 acres.

He said pens for large livestock are required to be placed 50 feet from a property line and 100 feet from an existing house.

“City staff looked in to this, and we believe that our current restrictions are sufficient,” Morelli said, “… and thus, we are not recommending council enact an ordinance change or zoning change.”

Councilors also are scheduled to consider:

* The Maine Property Accessed Clean Energy financing program, which would allow city homeowners to borrow up to $15,000 at 4.9 percent interest for 15 years for energy-efficiency upgrades, such as a new heating system or weatherization of a home.

* A Kennebec Savings Bank bid to lend the city $425,000 for expenditures and projects in 2012, including a $19,000 police cruiser, a $135,190 dump truck, a $69,000 grant match to pay for a new City Hall pellet boiler, and a $200,000 Capen Road project. The bank’s bid comes with an interest rate of 1.89 percent over the life of the four-year loan.

* An agreement with Loads of Fun Laundromat about a dispute involving the business’s sewer bill.

* An auction of city-owned property that could generate up to $50,500 to help balance the 2012 fiscal year budget.

“We’ve yet to consult with the auctioneer, so we don’t have a date or estimated reserve prices for those yet,” Morelli said.

Today’s meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Mechele Cooper — 621-5663

[email protected]