The Freeport Town Council has scheduled a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, to allow discussion on an amendment to the zoning ordinance on temporary banners.
Following the public hearing, the council will vote on the amendment, which would alter the location of where banners could be used by town nonprofits to publicize events. Banners would be moved from U.S. Route 1 near Independence Drive to Desert Road, near the intersection of Route 1 by the “Welcome to Freeport” sign and a short distance from Exit 20 of Interstate 295.
The large signs near Independence Drive have been hung high and across the road, but have not been put up since last year, when a storm damaged the Central Maine Power utility poles, to which the banners had been attached, for the second time. The fire department was hanging banners for the nonprofits. According to the new setup, members of the nonprofits themselves would put up the smaller banners, which would be visible to motorists driving either way.
CMP has declined to replace the poles, which would cost up to $10,000. Town Manager Peter Joseph said at the July 7 council meeting that it is not a good use of expensive fire department trucks to hang the banners.
Joseph said that the Freeport Community Improvement Association is willing to landscape and beautify the location of the new poles and banners, according to the board’s president, Sande Updegraph.
“Our major attention here is to continue this resource for our nonprofits, and also our identification of Freeport as a small town,” he said.
The association was organized 13 years ago by Freeport business pioneer George Denney.
Updegraph said Monday that the association has collected donations for the beautification at the Desert Road site, if and when the Town Council approves it as a location for the banners.
“I think this project really fills a need and I love it because it is a public/private sponsorship,” she said. “The money all will be used to improve the look of Freeport and upgrade its status.”
Updegraph said that the installation of the sign post and the accompanying landscaping all could happen this summer.
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