ROCKLAND – Some Route 90 business owners are asking city officials to take a closer look at a proposed zone change that would allow more business use, including construction and automobile services, in the area.

The zone change was proposed after a request by businessman Dwight L. Overlock, who owns D.L. Overlock Construction in Owls Head.

The business owners are asking the City Council to delay the change until it can be reviewed by Rockland’s comprehensive plan committee. That panel will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, in council chambers.

According to Code Enforcement Officer John Root Jr., Overlock recently bought the 7-acre parcel and is interested in moving his office there, as well as being able to open a retail operation that would involve the sale of materials such as gravel and loam.

The land, which is on the north side of Route 90, is in a zone that does not permit construction services.

Only a small stretch of Route 90, which runs from Route 1 in Warren and back to Route 1 in Rockport, is in Rockland. Root estimated the length to be 1,600 feet, or about one-quarter mile on each side of the road.

On Friday, Peter Overlock, who works for his father’s business, described the plans for the site, which has 900 feet of frontage on Route 90. The land was purchased recently for $50,000, he said, and is assessed by the city at $280,000.

The only part of the operation that could be seen from the road would be a combination office and garage building, he said.

He said the site would be buffered with trees. The building would be 80 feet by 120 feet and would include a garage-workshop for repair of company equipment, he said.

An area of the property would have stockpiles of loam, gravel, sand and salt and bark mulch, which would be covered, Peter Overlock said. Retail sales would be to residential customers.

According to Peter Overlock, no crushing operations would occur on site. The only crushing that might be done would be in the initial development of the land, he said.

The proposed zone change would allow construction services and automobile service stations. The change would also allow uses that involve gatherings of large numbers of people.

Overlock spoke Friday with several Route 90 residents about the company’s proposal.

Business owners contacted after the presentation had varying reactions.

“I don’t think I’m as concerned as I was,” said Ed LaFlamme, owner of Swift’s Storage.

Charlene Mazzeo of Mazzeo’s Chimney & Stoves said the concern is “seeing a decision we’re going to be proud of in 20 years.”

According to Mazzeo, the comprehensive plan has not fully addressed the Route 90 area since it was considered rural. It has been commercial for 12 to 15 years, she said.

With only 1,600 feet of Route 90 in Rockland, 900 feet is “a big chunk of who we are,” she said.

Mazzeo said several of the newer businesses on the Rockland strip, such as a motor vehicle repair business and boat storage operation, required a “special exception” to set up business there. She said that Route 90 property owners did not know about those requests.

Mazzeo stressed that she is not opposed to Dwight Overlock’s business, but that there would be no assurances of what might be there were he to sell the property.

The businesses want to work with city officials in planning, she said.

“We want to be proudly part of Rockland, not its stepchild,” she said.

Like Mazzeo, Dennis Fenton, owner of 17-90 Lighting, said that his concerns are about construction services being allowed in a retail space. Mazzeo had pointed out that 25 percent of Overlock’s land would be construction services.

The public will have a chance to comment at Thursday’s comprehensive plan committee meeting, or letters may be submitted to the committee through the code enforcement office.