Junkyard visit scheduled

WEST PARIS —  Selectmen, at a public hearing September 27, scheduled a site visit to a junkyard owned by Kalvin Mason. The Briggs Street junkyard, formally called Mason Restoration, has a history of non-compliance with state and town regulations. 

Selectmen agreed to visit the site on Tuesday, October 2 before approving a permit for the junkyard.

At the September 27 meeting, Mason provided selectmen with a vehicle log, which documents every vehicle that comes in and out of his property, including when the fluids are drained from each one. 

In April, when selectmen last granted Mason a permit, the junkyard had been out of compliance with town regulations –  which require draining fluids from the vehicles within 180 days of receiving them –  for nearly a year. That permit expired in September.

According to Mason, it was the same log selectmen viewed in April, when selectmen granted Mason a license. 

The town also requires that Mason's vehicles be hidden behind a fence; last winter, they were not. 

Mason said the amount of vehicles on his property hasn't changed since spring, when he brought his lot into compliance and received the permit. 

 "I haven't gotten rid of any and haven't added any to it," Mason explained to the board. 

Selectman Wade Rainey said the conditions of the permit, should it be granted, will be the same as last year. 

"You've got copies of all the permits from last time," Mason told the board. 

Conditions include hiding vehicles behind a stockade fence; keeping quarterly records of the vehicles; removing fluids from the vehicles within 180 days; and providing the town with a copy of the storm water pollution prevention plan/storm water permit from the state. 

Mason told selectmen that this time, he even went above and beyond what was required of him.

"I wasn't required by DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] to do anything," said Mason. He said only once he applied for the storm water permit did he have to abide by DEP regulations.  

"Now that I have it [the permit], I am required to fulfill what they want fulfilled," said Mason. 

"I did it just to show I am doing what I need to do," he said. 

Selectmen will visit Mason's property on October 2. If Mason passes the inspection, selectmen will approve Mason's junkyard permit for another year.  

In other news, the board: 

• Rescheduled a public hearing for Ernie Yap's junkyard permit application for the next selectmen's meeting, October 9. 

• Heard from library trustee Terry Merrill that work on fixing the library's walkway is coming along. A leak in the roof has also been fixed. She also reported that library attendance was around 380 people last month. 

• Reported that the town's Christmas tree, which was supplied by West Paris Downhill Derby, has been purchased from and was installed by Gammon Landscaping of Auburn.