The effort to rezone Route 26 in Gray has been dropped, following a Town Council discussion and vote Tuesday.

The council voted unanimously to suspend further discussion on the rezone plan, based on public comment at a three-hour public hearing held last week and a petition submitted at this week’s meeting that garnered nearly 400 signatures. Council Chairman Matt Sturgis said Wednesday the council was “going to move on from that conversation (and) call that chapter closed for the foreseeable future.”

At a special workshop Aug. 15, Doug Webster, administrator for the economic development and planning department, updated the public on a plan to rezone parts of the neighborhood along the Route 26 corridor for commercial and retail uses. The plan was a composite of similar rezone plans first presented in November 2014 that were the result of a $40,000 corridor study jointly funded by the Maine Department of Transportation.

The goal of the study was to explore future land use and transportation options for the 1.3-mile section of Route 26 from Hannaford supermarket to the intersection with North Raymond Road, which is zoned for rural residential and agricultural uses.

Permitted or conditional uses along the corridor would have included day care centers, mechanical repair garages, medical facilities, motels and nursing homes. The zoning standards allow the council to consider a consent agreement or contract zoning. In addition to Hannaford and Norway Savings Bank, the road has several in-home businesses.

Councilor Lew Mancini made a motion to suspend conversations on the rezoning project, which was seconded by Councilor Jason Wilson. Mancini expressed disappointment that the project, which he worked on for five years, would not move forward.

The controversy around the project has “caused a lot of problems for the town,” Mancini said, and “gotten in the way of the town pursuing other issues I think we should be pursuing.”

But the discussions were not for nothing, Councilor Lynn Gallagher pointed out. In recent discussions, “several people have raised really good points about some flaws in our ordinances and comprehensive plan,” she said. “It raises a larger issue about our comprehensive plan.”

Sturgis said during Tuesday’s meeting that after reviewing the petition signed by people from all over Gray, he felt it was a good indication that the town did not support the rezone plan.

Sturgis also called for civil discourse among constituents and councilors, saying discussions on the matter had gotten too personal.

Sandy Carder, who, with about a dozen residents of the Fairview Avenue neighborhood, had protested the rezone efforts and submitted the petition, said Wednesday morning that the group was pleased with the outcome.

She said she was pleased Sturgis took the petition into consideration and “recognized the issues we had are not restricted to people in the rezone, that it was and is a town-wide issue” involving the comprehensive plan and the direction of the town.

The efforts of residents to oppose the rezone show that “Gray is a small community town, and there are a lot of people who care about the town and want what’s best,” she said.

Carder agreed with Gallagher that the comprehensive plan needs updating, and said the group “wants to continue to have input, to hopefully move those plans along.”

The town has also been working with the Maine Department of Transportation to alleviate traffic on Route 26. Sturgis said Wednesday the town would notify the department of its intention not to move forward with rezone plans.

The Route 26 corridor study also looks to explore traffic-easing measures on the road. One such measure is creating a left-turn lane on the segment of Route 26 from Libby Hill to North Raymond Road, making Route 26 a three-lane road. A sidewalk and bike lane or breakdown lane have also been discussed for the road. As well, there are plans with the Maine Department of Transportation to straighten the intersection of North Raymond Road with Route 26 and create a left-hand turning lane onto Route 26.

The Route 26 corridor in Gray, above, will not be rezoned for commercial use following extensive public comment on the plans. The Gray Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to suspend discussions on the topic.