Latest appeals in Alna’s Spinney matter hearing-bound

Thu, 01/21/2021 - 7:30am

If all the lawyers can make it, Alna’s appeals board plans to hear three appeals Feb. 11, all linked to Jeff Spinney’s recent shoreland project. Meeting over Zoom Wednesday night, Jan. 20, board members said two letters appeal the planning board’s Dec. 10 decision on the project at 126 Golden Ridge Road; a third letter appeals Code Enforcement Officer Tom McKenzie’s Dec. 17 decision, Chair Alex Pugh said. 

The appellants are abutters and other project opponents. Spinney removed earthen material he said was unstable, and replaced it with washed stone to stabilize a boat ramp. Opponents have claimed the town’s shoreland zoning barred the project.

The appeals board also set a second, tentative date of Feb. 16, if needed, to decide the appeals. Both meetings would start at 5 p.m.

The board kept Pugh as chair and Mary Bowers as secretary, and determined Pugh’s job with Maine Department of Environmental Protection does not give him a conflict of interest in the Spinney matter. Pugh said he was not involved in Spinney’s dealings with DEP.