A Shaw Brothers Construction request to rezone a parcel adjacent to its quarry off Mosher Road now returns to the Gorham Town Council for a final decision.

The Gorham Planning Board on Sept. 8 recommended a 6.5-acre portion of a larger parcel the company bought be rezoned from residential to industrial. The Town Council Aug. 5 voted 6-0, with Janet Kuech absent, to send the rezoning request to the Planning Board for a public hearing and its recommendation.

The parcel the company is seeking to have rezoned is adjacent to its rock quarry at its Mosher Road headquarters. A rezoning would “prolong life” of the existing Brickyard Quarry 12 years, Danny Shaw, co-owner of the company with his brother, Jon, told planners last week.

When the existing quarry has expired, quality rock, Shaw said, would have to be trucked in from other locations.

In February, the Town Council, by a 7-0 vote, unanimously rejected forwarding to its Planning Board a Shaw Brothers request for a contract zone that would have allowed expansion of its quarry on 20 acres, effectively quashing the request.

A quarry expansion has stirred emotions and opposition throughout the town, with neighbors complaining about quality of life issues like noise and dust. Some residents have lawyered up.

Keith Richard, a lawyer representing abutter Charlie Hamblen, among several objections to rezoning last week, argued that the request previously rejected by the Town Council can’t come back for a year. Richard urged the Planning Board to send a negative recommendation to the Town Council.

Hamblen added that 400 residents feel impacted by the quarry now.

Resident Mark Curtis favored the rezoning and urged the board to approve it. “A zone change makes sense,” Curtis said.

Planning Board Vice Chair Bill Benson said the panel is not approving the rezoning. “We’re just sending it back to the Town Council,” Benson said.

The town’s lawyer, Benjamin McCall, indicated the Town Council expected the planners to render either a positive or negative recommendation.

Jim Hager, Planning Board chair, last week said the ball now is in “our court.”

Planning Board member Barbara Nichols moved for adoption and the motion was seconded by Planning Board member Rob Delaney. The measure was recommended 5-0 with board members Dave Walsh and Stephen Crisafulli absent.

So, the matter now rests in Town Council hands. “It will have to go through the wringer,” Hager said.