The Gorham Town Council held their monthly meeting on Aug. 5, 2025. Chair Phillips and Councilmen Lavoie, Gagnon, Siegel, Simms and Willis were present. (6)

There were between 30-40 members of the community in the audience. Most were there to address concerns about the effects of dust, noise and ground movement from a quarry near to them.  They requested a meeting with the quarry owners and town officials and closer monitoring of the environmental effects.

The council voted 6-0 to amend the Land Use and Development Code to standardize the front setbacks of roadside stands to 25 feet.

They voted 6-0 to adopt the Code of the Town Of Gorham codified and consisting of Chapters 1-305.  This is a continuation of the Code by these ordinances and not new enactments, but, as explained by Ephrem Paraschak, the Town Manager, will allow the ordinances to be converted to an on-line digital format.

The Town Council endorsed 6-0 a charitable gambling application for the Reed Allen Community Fund Casino Night on November 1 at the Junction Bowl. As explained by community member, Mark Curtis, this organization donates 100 percent of their raised funds back to the community.

The council voted 6-0 to allocate interest from  the revolving Loan Fund back to the fund for future use.

There was a long discussion on the proposal to send to the planning board a change in zoning for a six-acre lot of land owned by the quarry from urban residential to industrial.  Many of the same property owners expressed concerns about enlarging the existing quarry when there are so many neighborhood concerns.  The town manager did state that his staff has visited the quarry and all numbers are well below the levels set by the state.  There was further discussion about a proposed meeting with the quarry and the neighbors with the town.  The council voted 6-0 to send this to the planning board ensuring that there will be further action taken including public hearings, a site walk and town monitoring of the situation.

There were other proposals sent to the planning board including mixed use development in the South Gorham Commercial Corridor District (5-0) and the dimensional standards for gross floor areas of non-residential-use single-story structures (5-0) and dissolving a contract zone for a property owner to address a utility issue.(4-1)

Councilor Simms sponsored a proposal to review Gorham’s Mobile Park Ordinance which had not been changed since 1987 and to consider restricting excessive increases in fees and directing landlords to invest in proper maintenance of the properties. The committee voted 5-0 to refer this to a discussion about the policy before action is taken.

The Town Council accepted the resignation of Chris Kelly from the GEDC and appointed David Golden to the GEDC, with the term set to expire on April 1, 2027.  The council thanked Chris for his ten years on the committee and his service to the community.

For a complete copy of the minutes of the meeting and to watch a recorded video of the meeting, please visit the Gorham Town Council website.