Ogunquit News
Developer sues town
By Melissa Wood
OGUNQUIT - Developer Stephen Hallett responded to the Planning Board's May 14 denial of subdivision approval for his proposed Ogunquit Village Estates off Berwick Road by filing a lawsuit against the town.
Town Manager Phil Clark has confirmed that the lawsuit has been filed against the town but he had not seen it as of Tuesday afternoon because it had not yet been served to Town Attorney Patrick Scully.
Clark said that because the town had not yet been served he did not know exactly what issues the lawsuit alleges, but in any case, he would not be able to comment on them because it is a legal matter.
"I don't have any comment," he said, referring questions to Scully, who could not be reached before press time.
The town granted subdivision approval for the 34-lot subdivision in March 2005, but that decision was overturned on Nov. 7, 2006, by the Maine Supreme Court after abutter William Bodack filed suit.
The court ruled that the Planning Board had erred in its interpretation of the town's traffic standards ordinance.
In the months that followed the court's decision Hallett presented traffic mitigation plans to the Board of Selectmen for the intersection in question of Berwick Road and Route 1. However, Selectmen rejected the eight proposals. The Planning Board then denied the preliminary plans based on a recommendation by the town's planning consultant.
Durward Parkinson, attorney for Stephen Hallett, could not be reached for comment.
