By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — Naples put a halt to all new commercial construction by putting into place a six-month moratorium.

The Naples Select Board voted, 4-1, to stop any new commercial construction in the commercial district. Select Board member Stephen LaPointe voted in opposition of the moratorium.

The topic was not even on the agenda.

Select Board Kevin Rogers started the conversation toward the end of the meeting.

“We should implement a moratorium on box stores. Box stores are a contradiction to the comp plan, which states we should maintain the rural character of Naples. The town needs time to decide what to do, to create some design guidance,” Rogers said.

Already, Naples residents have approved the cost of updating the town’s comprehensive plan so the comp plan process is on the horizon.

“We are going to amend the comp plan. A moratorium will buy us some time,” Rogers said.

Later, he said he was not opposed to box stores or retail businesses, but he would prefer the buildings to have details — such as windows with shutters, dormers, cupolas or weathervanes — to blend in with the New England architecture.

He read the definition of big-box store: “A physically large establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term big box references the typical appearance of the buildings occupied by such stores.”

He advocated for the passage of a moratorium that evening.

“It is the effort Naples needed to make. It has been put off. It’s time to take the bull by the horns,” Rogers said. “By the time, we start taking action, there could be multiple other commercial applications put before us.”

While it might seem like Rogers’ push for a moratorium was out of the blue, it is likely a response to the upcoming agenda of the Naples Planning Board. On June 18, the planning board is scheduled to hear a major site plan application for a General Dollar Store.

Selectman Bill Adams said if the board passed the moratorium, it would not stop any big-box stores already in the application process.

He said a moratorium should cover all retail businesses.

“It’s not just box stores. You need to create design standards for all businesses,” Adams said.

Rogers made the motion to put a moratorium on box stores, and challenged other board members to come up with verbiage that covers all retail buildings.

Select Board member Colin Brackett seconded the motion so the board could discuss it. 

“I just think box stores is the needle in the haystack. How do we define the rest of the haystack,” Brackett asked.

Adams said, “It needs to say commercial development.”

Then, the motion and second were retracted and Rogers made a new motion: To create a moratorium for any new commercial construction in the commercial district, pending the approval of design standards for the November Election.

“I am concerned about any business wanting to come before the planning board. We will stifle that business for six months,” Brackett said.

Martina Witts stepped to the microphone. At one point, she commented that often Naples officials are accused of being anti-business.

“We are doing this because we are pro-Naples, not because we are anti anything,” she said.

She commended Rogers for introducing the moratorium. She expressed her support of it.

“If we are looking for some protection against things that are not palatable and fly in the face of the comp plan, [a moratorium will] give us time to pause, decide how things will look, develop a standard,” Witts said.

Rogers spoke about positive experiences working with some developers. Having a design standard would guarantee how a building would ook.  

“Back in the day, when the Family Dollar was done, we asked the developers to please give some details to make it look more appealing. That is what the town can ask for ahead of time by having design standards. We want a dormer or a cupola or an awning,” he said.