Following two meetings this past winter, local planners are set to unveil a set of concept plans that would guide development and traffic planning on routes 114 and 22 in North Scarborough and South Gorham.
A community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the North Scarborough Grange to get reaction to the plans, which are designed to address congestion issues in this highly traveled commuter corridor.
In joint meetings with residents and area business owners, town officials and others noted that the first step in addressing congestion is to create a plan that can manage future growth and that sends a clear signal to transportation officials about the kind of neighborhoods and development residents want to see.
Both Dan Bacon and Tom Poirier, planners respectively for Scarborough and Gorham, have said that supporting the development of neighborhoods and village centers instead of commercial strip development often proves to have a positive effect on property values and is more in keeping with the rural character of the area.
“Growth is inevitable here, especially on the Gorham side, and residents need to have a say in what that growth will look like,” said Poirier.
Based on public comments, proposed concept plans for the area show a series of smaller, more compact neighborhoods off routes 22 and 114, with safe pedestrian and bicycle access to new commercial development along the main road.
This planning effort is part of a Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System-funded Land Use and Transit Technical Assistance Study.
The upcoming community meeting to unveil the concept plans is open to the public. Contact Carol Morris at cmorris@morriscomm.net for more information.
– Kate Irish Collins
Traveling westbound along County Road (Route 22) in North Scarborough, this tractor-trailer truck heads into South Gorham about 5 p.m. Tuesday on the highway heavily used by commuters.Staff photo by Robert LowellSend questions/comments to the editors.
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