Orono fines developer $7,500 for disrupting local wetlands
A property owner with a permit to build a residential multi-family development in Orono will have to pay a $7,500 fine and restore vegetation after violating a town ordinance in late June.
Nattapong Kongsuriya of NSKE Investment, LLC owns about 6.65 acres at Blake Court, a private road off Stillwater Avenue in Orono. In November 2021, the Orono Planning Board gave him approval to build the six-unit rental development.
During construction, Kongsuriya “removed vegetation within the buffer area and impacted wetlands,” which violates Orono’s ordinances, according to an administrative consent agreement between the two parties. He later violated an order to stop construction, which ultimately led the town to issue a notice of violation July 10, the document said.
The arrangement illustrates that there are consequences to breaking rules in Maine’s small towns, and in this case a housing project is being delayed. Orono and Kongsuriya settled on a consent agreement instead of taking the violation to court. If he does not complete all the terms outlined in the agreement, he faces another $15,000 in fines.
“The site plan approved by the planning board showed no removal of vegetation in the buffer and wetlands area except for the access road,” said Mitch Stone, Orono’s community development director. “Significant vegetation was removed from both the buffer area and wetlands.”
The agreement requires Kongsuriya, who lives in Hampden, to pay a $5,000 fine to Orono, plus fees incurred by the town’s attorney, which total just more than $2,570, according to the agreement.
As part of a site restoration plan, Kongsuriya must hire a contractor to complete erosion control measures within 21 days of the agreement, which is dated Aug. 24. He must also submit a permit application to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, which documents affected wetlands and their remediation, within 14 days.
Kongsuriya will handle revegetation of the Stillwater Avenue buffer area based on the plan approved in the application, according to the agreement. He has 30 days to complete the work.
Once Kongsuriya completes the terms outlined in the agreement, the town will allow him to continue construction on his project and house people in the development.