Gorham resident Norman Richardson became a local business owner on Monday night after the Gorham Planning Board approved his plans to open a outdoor paintball field on his property on Moser Road.

Field 51 will be open “hopefully in the next two or three weeks,” Richardson said. He still has a few things left to do, such as screening the parking area from the road, paving an apron into the parking area (which Dana Shaw of the Shaw Brothers is helping out with, “just to be a good neighbor,” Richardson said), and getting a few permits for the mock village and the road sign. But as soon as the sign goes up – something he’s been waiting nearly two years for – Field 51 will be good to go.

Richardson is a devout player of outdoor paintball, known as “woodsball.” It’s a game generally set up with teams and missions similar to military scenarios. But Richardson is known for his fun, casual and safe games where newcomers to the game are welcome.

Richardson has 12 acres of his property set up to play the game. He has a few different types of wooded area plus an open field full of wooden structures, towers, and mock forts. Players had used the field but, since he had no permit, Richardson did not charge any fees.

Richardson spent two years getting the proper permitting for the field, which included a number of minor amendments to town zoning regulations.

More information for the new paintball field, located at 363 Mosher Road, is available on Richardson’s Web site, www.field51.com.

Let the games begin

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