Newry schedules public meeting on vacation rentals as code officer flags ordinance changes

Newry’s Code Enforcement Officer and Road Commissioner Joelle Corey announced on Feb. 18 that the town will hold a public meeting on the proposed vacation rental ordinance on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. at the Grange Hall. She said HOAs, realtors and rental owners have been invited.

Corey told the board that the draft ordinance will require a specific definition to be added to the Unified Development Review Ordinance (UDRO) and that the ordinance should clarify an exemption for home businesses. She raised technical drafting needs rather than policy questions; the minutes do not record detailed language for the proposed definition or exemption.

Corey also reported on road conditions: she said roads have been quiet but that she rode all roads twice the previous week, noted that Sunday River is encroaching toward the road in places, and that the town issued asphalt bids separated into different sections. She mentioned a potential discussion with a landowner about installing a snow fence near Simonds Bridge and said completing engineering work could position the town to apply for grants.

What’s next: the town will hold the Feb. 26 public meeting for stakeholder input; the UDRO definition and home-business exemption noted by the code officer are drafting tasks that will need to be resolved before the ordinance can advance.

Attribution: statements about the public meeting, UDRO changes and road conditions are attributed to Joelle Corey, Code Enforcement/LPI/Road Commissioner, as recorded in the meeting minutes.