PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Ahead of the summer season, the City Council is still mulling over ways to address complaints from residents about fireworks.
Since Maine legalized the sale of consumer fireworks in 2012, more than 60 municipalities have adopted ordinances restricting their use in some way. In the last year, a number of Star City residents have asked the councilors to step in and consider ways to address noise complaints and concerns about fire risks.
Last fall, Penny McHatten, a retiree who lives on DuPont Drive, brought the council a petition asking to ban fireworks within the city’s more densely populated residential areas.
Over Labor Day weekend last year, McHatten called the police reporting that “excessive fireworks” went off close to her backyard. She also told councilors that she has to tranquilize her dog during summer holidays because of the canine’s fear and reaction to the loud sounds of fireworks, which can also create problems for people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Since then, the Presque Isle City Council has considered several ordinance proposals that could address the concerns of residents such as McHatten, although the council has yet to vote on anything.
In an April public hearing on fireworks ordinances, the views of council members ran the gamut. Councilor Kevin Freeman said he thinks neighbors should be able to resolve concerns largely on their own, and notify each other if they plan to set off fireworks.
Councilor Natalie Graves said she thinks that fireworks should be prohibited in the compact zone, a section of Presque Isle that includes the most densely-settled neighborhoods.
At this month’s council meeting on Wednesday May 3, councilors offered further direction to city manager Martin Puckett, who discussed several options that the city could consider.
The three options include two that are permit-based, and a third proposal from the city’s planning office that could address fireworks much like firearms within certain distances of a building. All would apply only to the urban compact zone of Presque Isle.
The first option would be a “comprehensive” approach, requiring a permit and setting a range of a conditions for using fireworks, including prohibiting their use within 75 feet of any “combustible structure.” Penalties would be a minimum of $100 and up to $500.
The second option would be a “basic” approach, also requiring a permit but allowing the fire department to use discretion in where fireworks can be discharged. The penalties for violation also would be between $100 and $500.
The other option from the planning department, which could be implemented alone or added to either of the other two approaches, would require a person using fireworks to gain permission from abutting property owners if their lot size is smaller than one acre and less than 300 feet from the property line or occupied building.
This approach is “neighbor friendly” and wouldn’t take up a lot of staff time, Puckett said. “If you wanted to light off fireworks, you’d have to check with your neighbors first.”
Councilor Craig Green made his own suggestion that several others concurred with — “a way to track things without being onerous,” Green said.
He suggested that individuals should have to take out a permit from the fire department and then check with the department on the day the fireworks are to be set off, similar to how burn permits currently work.
The fire and police departments would have the discretion to pull the permit, if the use of fireworks “becomes a nuisance” in certain places, Green said. “But we don’t necessarily limit them in town on lot size.”
Puckett said he will be taking the ideas from councilors and coming back with an ordinance proposal that could be voted on at the June council meeting — before the Independence Day holiday on July 4.
Speaking at the meeting, Steven Marsons, owner of the Pyro City fireworks stores in Presque Isle and elsewhere in Maine, said his stores would help customers comply with whatever ordinance Presque Isle adopts.
He said the local store would post information about the ordinance, and Puckett and councillors also suggested that the store could have copies of any needed permit to fill out and take to the fire department.
