Selectmen vote to take Currier property

GORHAM — At last week's meeting of the Gorham selectmen, the board voted 2-1 to take property owned by Currier Sales and Service Corp., for taxes owed.

The vote was taken at the Jan. 17 meeting of the board of selectmen. Board chairman Terry Oliver and member David Graham voted to take the property with Paul Robitaille voting against. Robitaille said he wanted to go on record noting a new business had recently started at that property and he felt the towns should help them to become profitable and pay taxes, said Town Manager Robin Frost.

The North Main Street property consisting of two side by side lots totaling more than 6 acres and a 21,000 square foot building have been subject to lien by the town since 2008 for unpaid taxes dating back to 2007. According to documents provided by the town, as of Jan. 18, the unpaid taxes, interest and penalties on the property totaled more than a quarter of a million dollars at $254,762.

At a Jan. 18 budget committee meeting Oliver addressed the issues saying that the town had worked with Currier for years. “Last night enough was enough,” he said, noting that the property owner has a pattern of paying “for a month or two and then he stops.”

After a period of inactivity, a business has begun operating out of the North Main Street building. It was not immediately clear what kind of business operates in the former trucking company space or how many people it employs. On an average weekday around a dozen vehicles can be seen parked near the front of the building. A request for comment from the business' manager was not answered.

Frost said that the issue of the town taking the property for taxes will be back on the agenda at the upcoming meeting of the board of selectmen on Jan. 30. She said potential environmental issues may exist at the site and the selectmen will need to discuss that before moving forward.