Fairfield Fields Complaints About Junk Piles at Local Business
Maine 201 Antiques, on the Skowhegan Road, has been going back and forth with the town for what seems like forever. The KJ reported that The property is freighted with endless piles of antiques and junk. The piles, which appear to have no end, are making their way ever closer to Rt 201. Everything from beds, furniture, lobster traps, garbage and evidently- LOTS of rats. It's reported that the owner, Robert Dale, works and also lives in the small shack on the property. Neighboring business owner, Wayne Gamache, who owns Fairfield Antiques Mall, says he is concerned not only for Dale's safety, but also his own. He says that if Maine 201 Antiques, which is in violation of several town ordinances, were to catch fire, it could easily spread to his business and put him, his vendors and all of their antiques at risk.
The hoarding problem next door has been going on for years. The town has cited Dale several times and tried to get him to voluntarily comply with its land use, property maintenance, automobile graveyard and junkyard ordinances. He now is in violation of them. Dale has worked, at times, to clean up the property by corralling furniture and other items into tractor trailers, campers and vehicles on the property, but then the piles start appearing outside again. The town has taken Dale to court, spending thousands of dollars in legal fees, but at the eleventh hour, Dale’s family has paid off the thousands of dollars in fines and fees.
Fairfield Town Manager Michelle Flewelling said the town spent all last summer trying to get Dale to voluntarily correct the issues and avoid costly legal fees.
“Winter came, and our property maintenance ordinance says we don’t do anything to prosecute until the middle of April,” Flewelling said. “Now it’s back on everyone’s mind again. We’re working on scheduling a meeting with legal counsel and the Town Council to address how we go forward.”
The town gets complaints about Dale’s property all the time, Flewelling said, and officials are fully aware and are not ignoring the problem.
More From B98.5
