Americold’s request to alter zoning restrictions on the western waterfront should send ripples of concern through all Portland property owners.

Property taxpayers rightfully expect established zoning standards to be upheld. If city officials advocate for zoning changes at the whim of every developer or project proposal, we cease to have effective zoning. It is a paradigm of corrupt governance.

Suggesting that neighbors are rallying around their scenic view is an overt attempt to mitigate the real concerns of property taxpayers. Zoning must be applied equally, regardless if the investor is a local private developer or if the heavy hand of the LePage administration backing a corporation out of Atlanta.

Neighbors of the proposal are not anti-development. On the contrary, the neighborhood has long encouraged development of an area long fallow. Their common perspective and desire, however, is that their neighbors be held to the same standards to which they are held. It is the golden rule of building community.

Americold won a contract and, by their own admission, found themselves unable to deliver without changing the zoning parameters. Instead of acknowledging their failure, they are asking neighbors to shoulder the burden. They are asking for the rules not to apply to them. It is difficult to imagine anything less neighborly.

Gary Wagner

Portland

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