SCARBOROUGH — The Town Council took action Wednesday that will help establish three new businesses.

Councilors also approved a $5.4 million public works and transportation municipal capital improvements budget and a $1.5 million education capital improvements budget.

The council asked the town manager to prepare a report for its March 3 meeting on nearly $650,000 in expenditures. A vote on those expenditures will be taken at that time.

The council approved requests for a food handlers license and a liquor license for Eric Martin to open a Federal Spice restaurant in Scarborough. He already owns a restaurant on Federal Street in Portland.

The new restaurant will be in the Allied Mortgage building at 360 Route 1, south of Oak Hill.

Martin’s Scarborough business partner is Mark Maroon. Martin said he expects to open the restaurant, which will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, within three weeks.

The council also approved a license for massage therapist Tatiana R. Gagnon to open a business called Peaceful Touch at 183 Route 1, and amended the schedule of fees to enable Tom Bennett, owner of Coastal Trading & Gifts at Southgate Plaza on Route 1, to open a pawnshop.

The council held a second reading and a public hearing on a proposed new pawnbroker ordinance. No residents spoke at the hearing.

Bennett said he expects to open the pawnshop part of his business in April.

The council voted 4-1 (with Chairwoman Carol Rancourt opposed) to remove a section of the ordinance that required retention of articles purchased by pawnbrokers for at least 15 days, but approved the ordinance  5-0 (Councilors Ronald Ahlquist and Karen D’Andrea were absent.)

No one spoke at a public hearing on a proposed fourth amendment to the contract zoning agreement for New England Expedition, which developed the Gateway Shops, Gateway Square and Cabela’s.

The proposed amendment would extend the substantial completion deadline for the project to March 12, 2013. Town Manager Thomas Hall said the developers are asking for the extension because of the current economic situation.

The council will take final action on the request at its March 3 meeting. The Planning Board is also required to make a recommendation to the council on the proposed amendment.

Hall also announced that U.S. Rep. Chellie Pinegree will recommend an allocation of $1 million in federal funds be earmarked for Scarborough to build a bridge across the Nonesuch River for the Eastern Trail, at the point where a railroad trellis was once located.

Hall said the project will not require matching funds, and that some of the money may be used to extend the trail.

In other action, the council:

• Approved Hall’s recommendation to appoint Thomas Raymond, engineer and landfill Manager of ecomaine, as the landowner representative as a director to the Long Creek Watershed Management District.

• Approved the appointment of Marty Marcisso to fill an unexpired term on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Copy the Story Link