Stonington - The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Wednesday to discuss a proposed ordinance that would ban peddlers from downtown Mystic and Pawcatuck.

The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. in the police station community room. Voters would have to approve the ordinance at a town meeting for it to go into effect.

In late August, representatives of the Downtown Mystic Merchants Association appeared before selectmen urging them to support the proposed ordinance.

They told the board that a growing number of peddlers selling items such as hot dogs have been coming into the downtown area during prime hours and setting up shop in front of businesses.

They said this not only takes revenues away from merchants but can deter customers from going inside their stores.

The town's existing peddler ordinance was enacted in 1915.

It was amended last year to deal with people soliciting money near the Exit 90 off-ramp of Interstate 95.

- Joe Wojtas