CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — On Monday, Cape Elizabeth Town Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting to decide whether to allow The Cookie Jar to keep four front parking spaces that have sparked controversy.
The spaces, a part of the pastry shop's updated site plan, are under review by the town's planning board, which officials say aren't up to current standards, as drivers must back into traffic to exit.
"The other thing is, where [The Cookie Jar’s] current front-of-the-building parking spaces have been, encroaches upon the town’s right of way," former town council chair Jamie Garvin said.
However, this routine zoning concern has evolved into a highly politicized issue, with campaign signs calling to "Save The Cookie Jar" appearing across town, fueling speculation of political motives.
"What’s unfortunate and sad is that people with, I think, political motivations have taken this issue and seized upon it in order to divide folks," Garvin said.
Local candidates David Andrews and David Hughes, who are campaigning for town council seats, support keeping the bakery’s parking and are behind the signs. Both are running against a candidate who currently serves on the planning board.
"Neither David Andrews nor I are professional politicians, and the town council positions are volunteer," Hughes told NEWS CENTER Maine in a statement. "If publicly standing up for the Cookie Jar ... or any other small business is political, then I suppose we're guilty as charged."
The parking dispute is also being brought up by Jeff and Lisa Larrabee, new owners of the neighboring Cape Elizabeth Service Center. They say The Cookie Jar’s customers often park in their lot, creating safety and other concerns.
"There’s a liability issue with the high amount of non-Cape Elizabeth Service Center customers using our lot," Jeff said.
The Larrabees stressed that the four spaces at The Cookie Jar are part of a larger traffic safety concern and believe the debate over these spaces has been oversimplified.
"We’re just asking for the town to really look at the traffic situation and the traffic patterns before allowing those four parking spots to stay because we're really concerned, we're worried about someone getting hit, and someone getting into an accident," Lisa explained.
Despite the planning board’s ongoing review of the site plan, the town council is set to vote Monday on whether to approve the parking spaces. This move has raised questions from Garvin, who argues that such a vote might be premature and potentially inappropriate, given that the planning board is a quasi-judicial body.
"I think there’s some questions over whether it’s actually legal or appropriate for them to take action at that meeting," Garvin said. "Typically, when there’s an issue that’s live before the planning board, it would be out of order for the town council to intervene."
The special meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Monday.
