Have you ever noticed how comfortable we can get living in own mess. But go into someone else’s space, and the blemishes jump out at you, leaving a lasting impression. Before we notice, the mess has run away with us, and we’ve hit the slippery slope south. It may require an outsider to open our eyes. Last week I put my outsider, scrutinizing eyeballs on, and discovered a disturbing sight.

Heading south on Route 1 in Scarborough wasn’t pretty. The following emotions struck me: depressed, boring and crying out for help. So much of the landscape is filled with for-lease and for- sale signs. What’s going on here?

Traveling south from the abandoned Burger King that sits at the busy Oak Hill corner, I next encountered the Orion Center, with it’s tipped-back, depressed sign. This entire shopping complex sits empty, crying out for tenants. A little further and there’s the Classic Inn, closed for years as the bannered, covered sign flaps in the wind and the fallen, dead tree decomposes in the front yard. Still heading south, numerous other plots of land have for sale/lease signs.

In that short distance, I’ve had enough. I find my way out at the next light and turn right onto the Haigis Parkway. Scarborough is banking on this emerging economic development area to hold the key to the town’s successful future.

Meanwhile, Scarborough’s comprehensive plan calls for redevelopment of Route 1, identified as the local business corridor. The plan calls for smaller lots to be consolidated into larger lots, buildings to be torn down and rebuilt closer to the road. As Route 1 seemingly transitions, it poses the question: Is Scarborough getting too big for its britches? Are the high ideals shutting out a good mix of business that will make our town a diverse and vibrant community?

Why must Scarborough always tear down and rebuild? Each time we slate a closed business or shopping center for redevelopment we narrow the options for possible new tenants as costs to locate here become cost prohibitive. Our community becomes unbalanced and boring.

I don’t need another bank. Scarborough has nine, and soon, the 10th will arrive. High-end auto dealerships don’t excite my everyday community experience. Do we need another grocery store or drug store? These businesses, though essential parts of our life, are not our whole life.

Variety is what will keep people living, working and shopping in Scarborough. A wide mix of business ensures that each business entity can thrive on its own without concern for redundancy and competition locating on the next corner. A part of me yearns for more of the eclectic, independent shops where the little bells ring and the friendly shop owner welcomes you. But it seems that Scarborough has priced itself out of this market.

And so I ponder: What might we like to see in all these for sale/lease spaces: YMCA, Reny’s, Goodwill, a pub, some more creative independent eateries? Then I stop in my tracks. I realize that the best creative businesses are the ones that we wouldn’t think of on our own. These businesses are truly unique. Their owners are creative, out-of-the-box risk takers driven by passion and purpose. These businesses give our town a distinct character and make it a destination.

Scarborough has some well-established, unique businesses: Beech Ridge Speedway, Scarborough Downs, Maine Indoor Karting and Ruth’s Reusable Resources come to mind. And more recently, the arrival of the Cheese Iron would easily fall in this category. But does the town value their uniqueness?

Ruth’s Reusable Resources desperately seeks a new location. The likelihood of being able to stay in Scarborough appears slim. The business “can’t afford Scarborough,” according to founder Ruth Libby. Ironically, her business is located in the basement of the Bessy School building. Over the years, she has managed to spare $14 million of unwanted office/school supplies from going into the landfill. Instead, school districts across the state pay a modest fee so that teachers can “shop for free” at Ruth’s. This has saved school districts millions of dollars.

There’s nothing glamorous about her business. As trash becomes treasure, Libby has proven that the old and worn out can become valuable to someone else with not a whole lot of expense. Her modestly unique business adds value to our business mix, but this mindset doesn’t seem to resonate in Scarborough.

What I find most ironic about this Route 1 business is that the Bessy School is being re-development into affordable living space. Ruth Libby needs affordable space to operate. A lifelong Scarborough resident, she has managed to run her business in this old space for years. She’s being evicted so that the Bessey School can become subsidized affordable living space for seniors, who can no longer afford to live in Scarborough. Maybe if it was more affordable to do business in Scarborough, residents wouldn’t need subsidized affordable housing in their senior years.

Our community is heading south before our very eyes. Lofty visions have gotten the best of our diverse community. The depressed Route 1 corridor is crying out for help, and I’m not seeing many takers. The cost to redevelop suggests that Scarborough is poised to attract only chain businesses with deep pockets. And that leaves me with one thought: Boring!