A map of the proposed changes Crooker tabled earlier this month. The plan would have rezoned over 210 acres of residential and commercial land to industrial and limited industrial. Image contributed by Topsham Select Board

After facing a wave of opposition from Topsham residents, Crooker Construction has temporarily withdrawn a controversial rezoning request in order to make its plan more palatable to locals.

“We’re looking at how we can make this work so we can make as many people as happy as possible,” said Andrew Sturgeon, vice chairperson of Topsham Development, Inc. and brother of Crooker CEO Tom Sturgeon. “You can’t bang your head against the wall. You’ve got to figure out a solution, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Crooker’s proposal, which would have rezoned over 210 residential and commercial acres in western Topsham to industrial and limited industrial zones, had been set for a Planning Board public hearing on Feb. 23 after the Select Board advanced the item over public opposition in December. The zoning change would allow Crooker to begin the lengthy process of moving its asphalt batch plant from Lewiston Road to a separate property near the company’s rock quarry on River Road.

Sturgeon said the company was surprised by how ferociously residents opposed the plan before even seeing specific details. More than 15 people voiced opposition at the December Select Board meeting, following a trend of resistance to Crooker’s continued rezoning efforts over the last five years.

Residents like River Road homeowner Kaylyn Metivier cite a litany of concerns about the proposed move, including destruction of the environment, potential adverse health impacts from declining air quality, unpleasant sounds and odors, and loss of property value.

“Having something like that come in can destroy families,” Metivier said of the proposed industrial plant. “Nobody wants that in our neighborhood.”

Sturgeon said Crooker’s plan could improve life in western Topsham by eliminating the need for the company to constantly truck materials across town. Even if a zoning change allows the company to pursue the move, he said, Crooker will still have to meet permitting standards designed to protect residents from issues like excessive odor and noise.

If the company does move, Topsham will have a chance to redevelop Crooker’s current site, which both the town’s 2019 comprehensive plan update and a recent market analysis of Topsham’s economic corridors highlighted as a strong candidate for redevelopment into a mixed-use district.

“I think Crooker should be commended for saying, ‘Hey, let’s step back; let’s talk to the neighbors,’” Assistant Town Manager Mark Waltz said. “If they can sit down and talk, maybe they can find ways to minimize the detrimental stuff, and then the positives for the entire town could be something everyone could support — or almost everyone.”

Crooker is currently working with an engineering firm to rework its proposal, Sturgeon said. The final version, which the company hopes will be ready in time to make it onto a secret ballot in November, will likely include a smaller, more tailored rezoning request than the tabled proposal.

In order to gather the community feedback Crooker needs, it will have to mend what both the company and residents recognize as broken lines of trust and communication.

While she plans on keeping an open mind, Metivier said she wants Crooker to be more forthright about their specific plans and their reasons for wanting to move. She said she doubts the company and residents will be able to find a middle ground proposal that works for both sides.

Resident Tim Wilbur, who said he was “elated” Crooker tabled its rezoning request, was more optimistic.

“Nobody’s an evil genius behind all this,” he said. “I think if we’re all looking for a solution, we can find one that works. It’s a big task, but I don’t think it’s one that’s beyond us.”