A ban — or at least some control — on hunting in the Elm Street area has been put on hold by the Brewer City Council because councilors say it is too close to hunting season to change the rules.

An Elm Street homeowner had sparked debate two weeks ago when she expressed concern to City Manager Harold Parks about hunters discharging firearms close to the homes in the area.

Parks, asked by the council to come up with some options, proposed at Tuesday night’s meeting a hunting area bounded by the Orrington town line, to the Brewer Airport runway, to the snowmobile trail, to the landfill. This would take the hunters away from the built-up area of Elm and Mill streets and provide obvious boundaries for the police to enforce.

After Parks described the area he was discussing, by showing it on a wall map, Councilor Michael Maybury said he believed the discussion should be held next March or April. He said he did not believe the council should make changes in hunting regulations with deer hunting season opening on the weekend.

Councilor Larry Doughty suggested they post a public notice for hunters asking them to be careful while hunting in the area of the airport and dump road.