By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

South Portland residents and flea market frequenters throughout greater Portland will be able to peddle their wares at a new flea market at the corner of Broadway and Buttonwood Street in South Portland after the city council unanimously approved proposed licensing and time restrictions for the new operation last week.

Louie Maietta, owner of the former Yerxa’s equipment shop, said he had “received a lot of positive feedback” from vendors about the new venture, however some would not come to South Portland until amendments were made to the allowable hours of operation. A preliminary policy concerning flea markets suggested they be allowed to operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the city’s “Limited Business” (LB) zone but was later amended to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and was approved by the council in a Jan. 5 first reading. 

“I had six vendors who won’t come because they can’t open up in the morning,” Maietta said. “If I’ve lost six people in two weeks, I’m not sure what I’m going to be able to bring in.”

Despite concern early morning activity could disrupt residents on Buttonwood Street, members of the council agreed with former mayor Jim Soule’s suggestion to allow vendors access to the flea market as early as 7 a.m. as long as they were not open for business until 8 a.m. and closed by 5 p.m.

“Flea market people are early people,” Soule said. “Yerxa’s had a tradition of opening at 6 a.m. and they were operating lawnmowers and [snowblowers].”

The council unanimously passed the proposed policies for flea markets, which include a licensing requirement and special permits for flea market patrons along parking Buttonwood Street on weekends when the flea market is open.

Former Willard Beach Task Force member and Save Willard Beach member Gary Crosby said he has to restart the process of bringing the issue of allowing dogs on Willard Beach to a public referendum. He said he obtained about 100 signatures from residents supporting a referendum question that would ban dogs from the beach during summer months before last week, when the city council amended the city’s ordinance so the wording of his proposed referendum question no longer applied.

“If it had to happen, now is the time,” Crosby said. “We’re regrouping on the question and will have to submit it [to the city clerk’s office] again.”

The council unanimously voted to pass a first reading for amendments to South Portland’s “Animals and Fowl” and “Parks and Recreation” ordinances that would continue to allow dogs on Willard Beach between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. from Sept. 30 to May 1 and between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. during summer months – as the ordinance currently stands. In addition to these hours, dogs will also be allowed on Willard Beach from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., an increase in allowable hours that Councilor Maxine Beecher called a “concession.”

Many members of the council said they saw the proposed ordinance as an “experiment” for this upcoming summer, after which residents may weigh in by voting for or against Crosby’s referendum question during the November election. Councilor Linda Boudreau said the referendum question could help solve the problem that has divided city councils, neighborhood associations and the city as a whole.

“Without a decision by the public on this, three years from now another council will be here,” she said. “If the public speaks on this issue, future councils will be reluctant to change.”

The first reading comes more than six months after some Willard Beach residents complained of the potential health and personal injury risks posed by dogs on the beach. 

“Nobody expected it to get this long,” said councilor Jim Hughes, the only remaining councilor to have served on the Willard Beach Task Force.

A final reading on the proposed amendments is scheduled for Monday night’s council meeting.