As a resident of Cape Elizabeth who supports affordable housing, I was persuaded by the July 1 Press Herald editorial to support the proposed Town Center apartment development (“Our View: Every Maine community has to pitch in on affordable housing”). However, after reading several letters in our local Cape Courier, I realized it’s not so simple. Several concerns and issues need to be worked out before this project goes ahead:

• The complex will bring more traffic to our busiest intersection, which will require a new traffic light. The estimated cost in 2005 was $1.2 million. Who will pay for this?

• The town is forgoing $515,000 in local taxes through Tax Increment Financing, while the complex will benefit from town services. What will the net cost to the town be?

• The town will relinquish parking spaces from Town Hall to the complex. Will we be compensated for them?

Forty-one of the 49 units are one-bedroom units. Will this appeal to the families with kids we want to attract?

• Four ordinances in the 2019 Comprehensive Plan would have to be amended. What are the implications for the consistency and integrity of the plan?

I still support affordable housing, but first I want answers to these questions.

Just as this issue is more complicated than it originally appeared to be, your characterization of Cape Elizabeth residents as snobs and NIMBYs in your editorial and Greg Kearney’s editorial cartoon (July 11, Page D3) are simplistic and uninformed.

Susan Payne
Cape Elizabeth

Related Headlines


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: