WESTBROOK – Abutters Smiling Hill Farms and Artel have filed objections against the consent order, saying blasting at the Spring Street quarry would affect their businesses.

David Bertoni, Artel’s attorney, said this week he was filing on Feb. 13, the last day to file the objection.

Warren Knight, owner of Smiling Hill Farm, wants a 100-foot vegetative buffer like businesses to the north and east of his property, in the direction of the business park.

“The reason Smiling Hill Farm is filing is, for whatever reason the city and Pike decided we’re not worthy of having the same protection and buffering as others,” Knight said.

Knight said his phone calls to the city had gone unreturned.

City Planner Molly Just said Wednesday there is an almost 600-foot right of way, owned by Central Maine Power, between the quarry and Smiling Hill Farms. According to Just, the consent agreement states if Pike doesn’t have the room to build a buffer on its property, it will ask abutters for permission to build on their land. Just said CMP was not comfortable building the vegetative buffer on its property.

At the beginning of February, the Westbrook City Council voted 4-3 to approve the consent order amendments and pass the document back to the Maine Business and Consumer Court. Councilors Paul Emery, John O’Hara and Victor Chau, who represent residents in the quarry district, voted against the consent order, saying all parties, including the abutters, seemed close to reaching an agreement.

“We all love a good neighbor, we encourage you guys to get along with your neighbors,” Chau said.

The agreement is the culmination of years of negotiations centered on how Pike can operate its Spring Street quarry, including specifications covering when blasting can occur and the number of trips trucks can make in and out of the quarry each day.

New amendments, likes specifying where the blast vibrations will be measured, were ordered by the court to fix discrepancies between the consent order and zoning amendments that went into affect in October. Both the zoning amendments and the original consent agreement have already been approved by City Council.

Pike and Idexx have until Feb. 19 to reply to the objections.

On Feb. 26, a motion hearing will be held at the Cumberland County Courthouse, which could determine the end of the ongoing disagreement.

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