Pike, Idexx reach agreement
A pitched battle over Pike Industries' blasting operations at a quarry near the Five Star Industrial Park in Westbrook may end with a compromise reached out of court.
The agreement, which would need court approval, will allow Pike to conduct eight blasts per year at its quarry and Idexx Laboratories to move ahead with its plans for a $50 million expansion of its headquarters, according to the Portland Press Herald. The city of Westbrook, Idexx and Pike officials agreed to the settlement Thursday night, Mayor Colleen Hilton told the paper, adding she will ask the city council to approve the agreement when it meets on Aug. 30.
It's the latest development in a long battle between the construction company and the biotechnology firm. Pike Industries has threatened to leave the city if it's barred from using its Spring Street quarry, and Idexx officials had indicated they would relocate if Pike were permitted to expand its blasting operations. In July, Pike Industries officials filed an appeal in Cumberland County Superior Court after the city council voted to rezone the industrial park to a manufacturing district to limit Pike's quarrying. Hilton told the paper Pike officials would withdraw any pending lawsuits if a judge approves the settlement.
Meanwhile, Artel, which makes precision measuring instruments, objected to the settlement, saying it would pursue a $2 million expansion elsewhere and take 55 jobs to another community if Pike is allowed to continue operating the quarry. More details on the agreement are expected to be released this afternoon, according to the paper.
Go to the article from the Portland Press Herald >>
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