One group says the question is whether the town wants to move forward into the 21st century, while the other wants to continue a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Transportation.
In the works for two years now, the Maine Department of Transportation has proposed a plan — dubbed Option 2 — that would remove on-street parking along Route 1 in Wiscasset. The parking would be replaced by two lots to serve both northbound and southbound traffic, one of which would be created by demolishing the building at 36 Water St. As part of Option 2, traffic lights will be installed and sidewalk areas will also be expanded and improved to allow greater foot traffic.
According to the department, the plan would reduce traffic queues downtown, result in nine fewer crashes during a 10-year period and allow up to 300 more cars per area to travel through that section of Route 1.
Selectmen voted in favor of the plan in 2016, but last fall decided to file suit to stop it from moving forward. The action was spurred by some Route 1 business owners saying that eliminating on-street parking would be detrimental to their businesses. One business owner has even offered to pay for part of the legal fees moving forward, though selectmen have not voted to accept that funding yet.
Faced with mounting legal fees, uncertain prospects and mixed feelings among community members, selectmen voted in February to hold a referendum for voters to decide whether to continue with the lawsuit.
Wiscasset Thinks Forward is urging to the town to drop the suit, saying the state’s plan is an important step in the right direction for the town.
“We’re a group of area residents and business owners from surrounding communities that are looking to move Wiscasset forward and work with the DOT to move this project forward,” said Lonnie Kennedy-Patterson, a spokesperson for the group. “We’re against the lawsuit that was filed because it is divisive, it’s wasteful, and even our own town lawyer said we probably can’t win it.”
Moreover, said Kennedy- Patterson, Wiscasset’s sidewalks are in desperate need of an update, and the town does not have the resources to pay for it without raising taxes. Currently, the town’s narrow sidewalks in the downtown are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under Option 2, those sidewalks will be widened in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at no cost to the town.
“This project is about moving Wiscasset into the 21st century,” said Kennedy- Patterson. “Right now it’s dying on the vine.”
Voting will take place Tuesday at the Wiscasset Community Center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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