New hire

Scarborough has hired Saco resident Jason Brown to be its new network and telecomm administrator at an annual salary of $53,872. Brown previously logged eight years with Biddeford-based GWI, where he maintained the carrier network. Brown replaces Paul Demers, who retired Jan 3. His first day with the town was Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Fuel fund

According to Steffi Cox, executive director of local charity group Project GRACE, Scarborough residents gave “nearly $10,000” in just three hours during the “Keep Our Neighbors Warm” rally, held Feb. 8 at the Oak Hill Fire Station. Cox says Project GRACE is on track to dole out $30,000 in heating fuel assistance, down from $44,000 last year due to diminished resources. Still close to 60 Scarborough families have been given 100-gallon fuel donations so far this season, including 30 in January and 12 during the first week of February.

Bottle drive

Speaking of the fuel fund, following Steffi Cox’ presentation at the Feb. 12 Town Council meeting, Councilor Jessica Holbrook challenged her peers to step up with a donation of their own. Holbrook said she would deliver 15 CLYNK bags, supplied by Hannaford’s bottle redemption program, to each councilor at the Feb. 19 meeting, and challenged each to fill them as soon as possible. Proceeds will go to the town’s heating fuel assistance program, administered by Project GRACE. So, if you have bottles and cans to donate, contact information for each town councilor can be found on the town web page.

Real award

Steve Blais of Scarborough, president of Blais Civil Engineers, was awarded the Maine Real Estate and Development Association’s Public Policy Award for 2014 at the group’s annual real estate forecast conference, held Jan. 23 in Portland. The award is presented each year to an association member “whose efforts have had a significant impact on public policy decisions for the benefit of responsible real estate development in Maine.” Blais last year supported enactment of a new law that lets businesses make minor modifications to projects without having to undergo full review to amend an existing state development permit.

New food

Two Scarborough businesses are expanding their offerings. At its Feb. 12 meeting, the Town Council approved a new request for a liquor license for Pizza Plus, located at 491 Payne Road. The council also voted on a food handler’s license for Mamie’s Farmhouse, a vintage goods and sweet shop that opened in late November at 97 County Road.

Gallery build

According to Nancy St. Clair, of Cumberland-based St. Clair Associates, work could begin by mid-March on the largest undeveloped parcel in the Scarborough Gallery subdivision, located between Walmart and Lowe’s. However, all locals will see for the first year is a two-story mound of dirt, used to compress the soil. Then, in early 2015, property-owner Waterstone Retail of Needham, Mass., will begin work on up to six new stores, including two small freestanding shops and four in a large 107,000-square-foot building. The plan, originally proposed following the 2002 zoning change that created the 89-acre Scarborough Gallery development, also calls on 450 parking spots.

Building boom

On Jan. 27, the Scarborough Planning Board reviewed proposals for two subdivisions that could create 35 new house lots. Northeast Civil Solutions, on behalf of Woods Edge Scarborough LLC, made an introductory “sketch plan” presentation for 12 lots off Ash Swamp Road, at the Saco town line. Creation of the lots, ranging in size from 0.69 to 0.9 acres, and a new road to be known as Benjamin Way, is expected to disturb 9.685 square feet of wetlands. The site also includes a family cemetery uncovered by surveyors, who found evidence of old headstones. The board also began preliminary review of the Sawgrass subdivision, submitted by BH2M Engineers of Gorham, on behalf of Star Homes Inc. of Cape Elizabeth, for 23 lots off Sawyer Road. New roads to be called Sawgrass Drive and Sumac Lane will service the subdivision, located across Sawyer Road from the Oak Dale Condominiums. The 13.7-acre development site will disturb a quarter-acre of wetlands, while roughly 8.4 acres will be held as open space by a homeowners’ association.