DEAR SUN SPOTS: Nothing seems to be happening at the location of the proposed addition to the Auburn Suburban fields on Garfield Road. Is this project ever going to get done? — Louise, no town
ANSWER: Regarding the answer to this question, originally published in Sun Spots on Thursday, June 13, Travis Bashaw requested that I clarify my answer. He’s a Realtor and the land was not “acquired by him or his ‘company.’” It was gifted to Auburn Suburban and Travis was involved with the board of directors at Suburban at the time it was gifted in 2021. I’ve included his answer from last week below in case anyone missed it. Thank you for the information, Travis, and I apologize for my misunderstanding and the mistake in how to convey what you shared. I know readers are curious about this.
He originally wrote, “We have done quite a bit to the land since acquiring it. Initially, the National Guard was set to do the work and they were on site last summer to clear the land in preparation for completion of the site plan.
“In June 2023 we had the National Guard on site to start to prepare the land for development. There were two units tasked with the project and they experienced some delays resulting in less work performed than the scope of work anticipated for completion. This is the major piece that stalled the progress.
“After the National Guard left us far short of what we had anticipated, we had Comprehensive Land Technologies (CLT) out of China, Maine come in to grub and grind stumps, organize piles by material and stabilize the land for next steps.
“We had a site plan drawn up to get the land ready for field contractors.” The estimate “is $2.5 million just to get to where we could have fields installed. A significant portion of the work quoted was anticipated for completion by the National Guard originally. We have and continue to reach out to private investors and financial institutions and continue to seek funding to complete this project.”
DEAR SUN SPOTS: The second season of the Turner Farmers Market has begun. Join us every Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. at 442 Turner Center Road in Turner now through the end of August.
Each week, you’ll find over 15 local vendors offering an array of locally grown and produced goods, including fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants, meats, canned goods, specialty foods, dairy products, baked goods, crafts, and more. Enjoy delicious bites from our featured food truck and bring the kids for free craft and activities. We invite you to come and experience Turner’s special community atmosphere and support your neighbors. — Madison, Turner
ANSWER: This is a lovely market with such a feel-good vibe. The town is so fortunate to have this fine group of farmers and makers. Be sure to get over there at least once this summer!
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