Maine vs. sprawl
- Login to post comments
Rant on. Driving across Texas today, we wound up on a long stretch of road that skirts the southern edge of the Houston metropolis. After about 20 miles of suburbia, the gentleman riding with me remarked "we've been passing this shopping mall for the last 10 miles". I too had noticed that in every new town we crossed into, the pattern seemed to repeat itself, with the same stores and restaurants appearing to show up at regular intervals. It was almost bizarre, and I realized after about 20 more miles that you couldn't tell one town from the next in that area.
Even in the more widely separated towns/cities elsewhere in the state, they all seemed to have the same look, the same chains, and the same traffic patterns and conditions.
It reminded me of the arguments we have on AMG about this sort of development, and also brought home why I like rural Maine; the towns still have their own individuality, some have pursued the same sort of development I see down here and some have fought it as hard as they can.
If Maine ever gets as "same" as (fill in yoru favorite place here, i.e. Texas, NJ, Mass.,.....), I think we will have lost something truly special.
To those of you who think this is where we should be headed in Maine, please look around the rest of the country, and if you must develop your town with these businesses, at least find a way to make it look different than the town next door.
Rant off.
You two need to get out of Kennebunk and Belfast.
What Bob has described has happened here.
Oh, I know that, Dan - I go to Biddeford whenever I can't completely avoid it.
There just isn't as MUCH of it in Maine, yet.
Dan, I am out of Belfast and on the road nationwide about 125 nights a year. I know it has happened in PARTS of Maine, and I fear it will happen in more of our state, as I have expressed in our arguments about development in Belfast.
Had I never been out of Belfast, I would not understand what is happening elsewhere.
Strange as it may sem it is what people want and utilize in their lives.
Yes, control is neccessary(zoning) but to have it based on fear mongering iswrong!
My favorite example to counter the doom and gloom of sprawl is this.
According to anti-sprawl argument we are doomed.Go to Topsham and drive to Augusta on
Rt. 201. From bridge over Cathance river in Topsham to 295 overpass in Gardiner there is less
housing and businesses today than 40 years ago. And you are still 20 to 25minutes away from coast
well clam flats of bay in Brunswick! Wares corner is a ghost town today!!
Fortunately we will never attract enough population to end up like Texas etc..
Biddeford well actually 5 corners area was a waste land and is now put to a better use.
Dan, I am out of Belfast and on the road nationwide about 125 nights a year.
I've noticed that. Why is that? Are you a drug smuggler? :D
I know it has happened in PARTS of Maine, and I fear it will happen in more of our state, as I have expressed in our arguments about development in Belfast.
I think the lack of development is mainly due to our anti-business regulations and relative poverty.
No, I am not, Dan. Just a travelling salesman.
Bob -
I was Dixmont's first chair of Dixmont's first Comprehensive Planning Committee. Having lived many years on Long Island, NY - I know sprawl, uncontrolled development. And it made sense for residents of Dixmont to have a public discussion about growth 5, 10, 15 years ahead. I fully supported the idea.
Where Maine fails in this, however, is that town Comprehensive Planning Committee's are doing nothing more than collection grunt work for State Planners. There is local control of growth only if it meets State Planner approval. As such, I soured totally on Comprehensive Plans.
The Legislature killed the Comprehensive Plan mandate in the early '90s. It was written back into the Sensible Transportation Policy Act a few years later.
Also, rural Maine has to concern itself with the State government planner mentality that says "no growth" in rural Maine.
skf
I was a leader of the group which opposed the location of Brunswick's high school in 1992. I did because largely on educational grounds.
Then I noticed some promanent realtors would attend all the hearings and debates. I also noticed a lot of expensive houses were for sale, including 'investment' properties in Meadowbrook.
Then I started to pay attention to the fact that the new high school was 'below grade' for sewer and there was no water either. Putting a new high school out there required a major extension of water and sewer lines, and even a sewerage pumping station. High tension power was also brought out.
Once you do that it opened the entire area around the high school to subdivisions.
Over 12 years later; the new high school is surrounded by subdivisions. What a surprise!
Now Brunswick's compreh. planners want another industrial park near a proposed access point to I 295. Hmmmm.
It sounds as if many oppose development of chain businesses but would not oppose local mom & pop businesses. These busiensses are successful because they get people in the door. If people didnt spend money there, there wouldnt be a chain restaurant or store in every major city. People want to shop and eat at these places.
Two basd BNAS is closing old rt 1 property for park would once again make a nice
airport for small planes! Like it used to be.
Bruce Libby imagines. "Yes, control is neccessary(zoning) but to have it based on fear mongering iswrong!"
No comprehensive plan ever created has increased freedom. Every single comprehensive plan has reduced the freedom of citizens in that town. Of course comprehensive plans are to be feared. They are promoted by elitists who would be most comfortable in gated and guarded refuges away from real life. Such government controlled communities lead to urban blight and flight from those communities by anyone who loves freedom.
I attended the Maine Land Use Summit last August where somebody from Concord, Mass and dressed in his pajamas advocated like Bruce Libby that "Yes, control is necessary". I think that Maine has too much control after three decades of liberal control. We need less control if we are to recover from Augusta's orgy of control. We need freedom and liberty again in Maine.
We need Chandler Woodcock and TABOR in 2006.
You're RIGHT Bob,it's working really good in Belfast ain't it ?Without the evil bigboxes and chains Befast is booming. I mean Belfast only has more apartments for rent in the paper than Rockland,Camden,Rockport and others COMBINED. That's a good thing right? You would think people would be lined up to live in the new Utopia. Huh,maybe they are just picky who they let in. Has Belfast decided who the lucky business will be in the hundreds who lined up will get to have the old IGA building vacant for a LONG time? Maybe after they get through that long list of applicants they can start on the long list of businesses waiting in line for the MBNA building. And what's up with the investers pulling out of the condo development on the waterfront? Oh well,who's next in line? Things are going so good in Belfast they are having a big grand opening of their new million dollar footbridge to nowhere that swings open to allow access to the mudflaps on the other side complete with a 7000 dollar fireworks display. Belfast is indeed booming without SPRAWL. :lol: :lol:
I look forward to our weekly trip to Rockland as Home Depot is my new favorite place atleast untill Lowes opens in Thomaston. (home reno in progress)There is also 2 new restaraunts to try out. I think I'll try the new Oriental place first. :D
Well, Earl, no one says you can't have all that in Belmont or Searsmont and save yourself the drive to Rockland. I still don't understamd why our neighboring towns don't try to lure some businesses in to help lower their tax burdens and provide all those shopping opportunities they so desperately crave.
R.E. I somewhat agree with you but my position is that I see some zoning as
legitamate in some contexts. Example,I feelif you wereto move next door to me on your 50x100
lot next to mine and decided to raise pigs that would infringe on my freedom!
In this context I agree with its control elements above and beyond is whereI have similiatr
problems as you do! And in end if you choose to live in an area less populated and all
so more power to you.
All to often all sides of an issue whoever wins appears top feel their freedom is infringed upon!
Don't drag the pig farm red herring into this. There have always been nuisance laws against pig farms, barking dogs and other public nuisances. If there had been a conservation easement on the pig farm in South Portland it would still be there today instead of the Maine Mall. Don't take any more freedom from Maine citizens. Vote for Chandler Woodcock this November.
Roger, when I vote for CW this fall,what will I see him do that will address this issue?
What laws will he propose to eliminate or modify that will change things from present!
And quite to the contrary the owner of the pig farm saw the future and excersized is freedom
to do what he chose with his land.
- Login to post comments
Rant away, all you like. You won't get any arguments from me.
Been there - in many states, the same thing is happening. Cookie-cutter cities and towns, each with its very own Applebee's, Walmart, Chili's, Bed and Bath, Borders, McDonalds', etc. etc. Yucky deluxe.
Give me uniqueness, quaintness, and character any day.