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Gardiner council approves first reading to limit hours, improve notice for quarrying
Summary
The council approved first reading of changes to City Code Chapter 13 (Quarrying) to restrict hours of operation and improve abutter notification, including an opt-in blast-notification system; the committee left blasting safety and licensing to state regulators.
The Gardiner City Council approved a first reading on changes to City Code Chapter 13 that would regulate quarrying hours and strengthen notice to abutters.
The ordinance review committee, chaired by Debbie Willis, recommended the code changes after multiple public input meetings. The proposed revisions do not attempt to regulate blasting technique or licensing; council members and committee members said those matters are regulated at the state level. Instead, the ordinance focuses on limiting noisy quarry operations to specified hours and creating better notice systems for neighbors, including an opt-in listserv or text notification for blasts.
Willis told the council the committee wrestled with several options and concluded the local code should address noise and notification rather than attempt to duplicate state-level blasting rules. Code Enforcement Officer Chris McNeil said the revised language “limited the hours and we also improved the notification for the abutters to the property.” When Councillor Mark Cohn asked whether the ordinance requires compliance with state Department of Environmental Protection rules, committee members explained that blasting is licensed and regulated by the state and that the city lacked the technical expertise to write or enforce blasting regulations.
Councillor Rusty Greenleaf moved to approve the first reading; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The measure now returns for a second reading and additional formal adoption steps before becoming law.
