VASSALBORO, ME — A controversial proposal to open a topless coffee shop in a commercial building that has been vacant for four years received unanimous approval Tuesday.The Vassalboro, ME, Planning Board determined the proposal complied with all of the relevant city codes regarding traffic, parking and lighting, and therefore the five board members had no choice but to vote for the project.

Vassalboro has no adult business ordinance, and the Planning Board is not authorized to regulate employees’ attire.

The log-cabin-looking structure on busy Route 3 in the rural community once housed the Grand View Motel. Over the years it also has served as home to bars and restaurants, but none of the businesses have been able to remain open for long, even though one bar occasionally featured exotic dancers. A new venture at the spot could provide the town with much-needed jobs and tax revenue, some local residents feel.

“I say bring the money in,” Kevin Goodrich told WMTW-TV. “People need jobs and it’s a good place to go. The economy’s not very good right now, so why not do it?”

Others are steamed.

“It’s not going to bring in a good crowd, and we’ve had those kinds of things in the past with it being a bar and it can get very loud,” Debbie Jordan, who takes pride in Vassalboro’s rustic, homespun atmosphere, told WMTW-TV.