Voters in Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth rejected Tuesday a proposed library expansion and the connection of neighborhoods with short-cut streets, respectively.

Although the outcomes of both votes contradict opinions expressed in this space last week, the will of the voters should be heeded.

In Cape Elizabeth, what that means is quite clear. The town should halt the practice of trying to connect dead-end neighborhoods with short-cut streets. That practice might make for better town planning in the eyes of professionals, but that’s not what residents want.

They want quiet streets and few cars passing their homes. They want small neighborhoods, and they want to feel safe allowing their children to play in the streets.

Cape Elizabeth is in the process of revising its comprehensive plan. The revision provides the town with a perfect opportunity to restate its vision for future planning, aligning it with the desires expressed by voters at the polls Tuesday. Once it’s included in the plan, the town should then follow through by avoiding short-cut streets when planning new developments in the future.

The Spurwink Woods housing development should be revised so that it no longer connects Spurwink Avenue and Mitchell Road. The result of the vote, however, should not lead to the rejection of the housing development. It should simply be amended.

In Scarborough, it’s now obvious taxpayers do not want to pay for a $6.75 million expansion of the library. The library will more than likely have to pay for any renovation or expansion largely through private donations. Gleaning much else from this vote, however, is difficult.

Library Director Nancy Crowell said Wednesday doing nothing is not an option. She said the library board will meet Thursday to discuss what steps to take next. Whatever those steps are, Crowell assured, they will include the thoughts and opinions of members of the public. People who care about the future of the library should participate in the process to ensure the library continues to be a vital part of this community.

Ethically overzealous

In Cape Elizabeth, Jennifer Duddy defeated Town Councilor Mike Mowles in the Republican primary by a comfortable margin.

The defeat came a day after the Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics and Election practices issued a ruling against Mowles. In a teleconference on Monday – the day before the election – commissioners ruled Mowles violated state election laws when he sent out a flier that led voters to believe Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe had endorsed him. While the ruling of commissioners might be correct, it seems poorly timed.

Duddy’s margin of victory – 652 votes to 318 – suggests that victory for her was likely assured regardless of the ruling. However, the ruling certainly could have affected the outcome of the election had it been a closer race.

Responding to the campaign tactics of candidates in the days before elections is difficult. Candidates and their supporters are often out trying to capture last minute votes in all sorts of ways – sending out fliers, making phone calls and visiting with potential voters. Sometimes candidates are honorable in the way they go about their campaign, and sometimes they aren’t.

However, the Ethics Commission should refrain from last-minute rulings that could sway the outcome of an election. If they are going to rule on such an infraction, it should only be for the most serious offenses and allow plenty of time for the offending candidate to respond.

Brendan Moran, editor