Although it will need to go before voters in the spring, Damariscotta has an adult entertainment ordinance.

The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen approved the draft ordinance during its Feb. 18 meeting. The ordinance will still need to be approved by voters during a public meeting.

Town manager Matt Lutkus said the full ordinances will heavily restrict where adult-themed businesses can set up in town.

“The 1,500-foot buffer (from schools and other designated areas) is on the high side, but it maintains the (potential store owners') constitutional right to have (adult-themed stores) in the community,” he said. “There are four areas in town where (a store) could be, but for all intents and purposes, it's really two.”

Lutkus said those two locations include a section of Biscay Road and at the intersection of Route 1 bypass and Main Street.

“It's restrictive, but it meets the court’s requirements of the constitution,” Lutkus said.

Currently, the town has a temporary moratorium in place regarding adult-themed stores, meaning no businesses are allowed while the moratorium is enacted. The moratorium is only for six months, and without an ordinance in place, an adult-themed business would be able to open without any regulations in town.

Parking lot numbers

During the Feb. 12 open house at Great Salt Bay Community School, those in attendance were asked to fill out a survey that would help the Waterfront Committee as it moves closer decide what direction to take regarding the downtown parking lot redesign.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18 those results were read back to the board of selectmen.

Of the approximate 75 people who attended the Feb. 12 meeting, 26 returned surveys, and of that 26, 25 respondents replied they wanted to have the parking lot reconstructed in one form or another.

“We were very pleased with the turnout; the roads were slick (from snow) and about 75 people attended,” Lutkus said. “It was a group that represented the community well: there were business owners, residents and non-residents alike.”

Although nothing final has been decided when it comes to the design of the parking lot, the input gathered shed some light on where different demographics see the direction the parking lot should take, Lutkus said.

Another 22 respondents also checked the box asking if they would support the town's effort to secure more parking by talking to adjacent businesses and landowners. If the town could come to an agreement with the abutting properties, it could potentially create 24 addition public parking spaces.

Of the 26 people who responded, 23 said they would support the decision to build public restrooms, while only two people voted against the option.