To the editor:
I write in response to Claudia Knox’s March 21 letter (“Five beats two”) regarding passenger trips to Brunswick with and without a maintenance and layover garage. Your explanation is clear and I agree with your reasoning.
If a maintenance and layover garage in Brunswick ups the trips here to town from two to five, it’s a no-brainer to get an end of the line place for the trains to rest and maintain overnight. However, please remember that any trips to Brunswick beyond two also depend on construction of a siding in Yarmouth, a third train-set, and a wye in Portland.
The maintenance and layover garage and the three items noted above all have to exist to allow more than two passenger runs to Brunswick. How we get to five from two is what our town is discussing.
Local residents are working with the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) to mitigate the effects of the increased train activity at the Brunswick West site from the proposed maintenance and layover garage. We’re discussing disturbances not only emanating from inside the building but also outside activities that happen every day at 2:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. (switching cars, switching tracks, horns, bells, whistles, fueling and restocking the train, opening and closing the roll-up doors, etc.).
NNEPRA said they will not be able to mitigate any of the outside noise and vibration. NNEPRA and residents considered options for mitigating the outside noise, but all were ineffective or too expensive. So we ask, “How about another location in Brunswick?”
The answer comes back that Brunswick West is the cheapest site from which to operate.
If a private company used cost as a rationale to build so close to several neighborhoods, would it be looked upon so favorably?
Should Brunswick allow industrial facilities so close to neighborhoods? The Brunswick West site was rezoned from 20,000-to 60,000- square-foot structures to accommodate this garage.
No changes would be necessary in alternate sites like the industrial park and Cook’s Corner, which are viable options for this garage; and even at added cost, should be considered more seriously.
A win-win result looks like this: Maintenance and layover garage at site not so close to neighborhoods; no mitigation costs; one- bay instead of three-bay garage; good press for NNEPRA and Amtrak; Brunswick neighborhoods and downtown businesses shake hands; Town Council and Sen. Stan Gerzofsky facilitate the coming together of NNEPRA, residents, downtown business owners and become our hometown heroes.
Any town can build a train maintenance garage. How we build it will show Brunswick’s character.
Dan Sullivan,
Brunswick
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