The recent report on the possibility of a theme park is great news for Sanford, but if the city’s leadership is serious about keeping an open mind, I have one for their consideration:

The Route 109 corridor from the turnpike to Sanford is one of the most economically significant roads of the area. Last year’s multi-million dollar upgrade made it wider, newly paved and more commercially viable. Many, myself included, had hoped that one of the results of this upgrade would be restoring the speed limit to a more reasonable level. As we all know, that didn’t happen, and it remains at 35 mph in areas where the building setbacks are no different than the 50 mph zone, and as anyone who travels that road with any frequency knows, it’s heavily enforced by Wells Police.

I realize this is a complex issue with multiple municipalities and state agencies involved, but I believe city officials should consider starting a conversation, if for nothing else, to see if there’s merit in proceeding with some type of study of the pros and cons of raising the 35 mph zone to least 45 mph.

Personally, I think it would show investors and developers ”“ of not just the theme park, but all potential business developments ”“ that we are business friendly in Sanford, and the last thing we want is people getting a speeding ticket on their way here. It tends to dampen the fun of a family outing.

– Bill Thomas, Sanford