Neighbors of a yet-to-be-built salmon farm in Belfast have filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that municipal officials did not follow the proper process in making zoning changes that paved the way for the project.
The zoning changes, adopted by the Belfast City Council at a heated April meeting, were made to allow the Norwegian aquaculture firm Nordic Aquafarms to advance to the next stages of its plans to build a $150 million land-based salmon farm in Belfast.
Abutters of the 40 acres where Nordic Aquafarms plans to build its facility off Route 1 filed their lawsuit in Waldo County Superior Court on June 11. Neighbors Elinor Daniels and Donna Broderick allege that the City Council did not follow proper procedures to amend zoning ordinances at the April 17 meeting, that the zoning changes made were inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and then changed the plan after the fact without following the proper procedures for making changes to the comprehensive plan.
“The city council took actions to purposely avoid any citizen participation in any planning processes related to amending the Comprehensive plan to allow the proposed Nordic project,” the plaintiffs allege in the lawsuit.
The city’s attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the lawsuit.
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