Brunswick needs a better direction for growth

The Brunswick Zoning Ordinance states that housing development should be directed to town-designated urban growth areas, and away from rural areas, and should promote the protection and preservation of important open spaces and habitats. Furthermore, we should protect the bay from pollution to maintain it as an important commercial shellfishing region.

The town has not achieved these goals. For the last 20 years, two-thirds of new housing units have been in the rural zone, not the growth zone, pretty much the reverse of what we wanted. We are not close to our 25% target for rural development! Developments in the rural zone are changing the character of our rural community, are choking off wildlife corridors, and inevitably polluting the bay.

Worst of all, none of these developments provide affordable housing.

Policemen, firemen, teachers, restaurant workers, nurses and many others who are essential to our community cannot actually afford to live here. Is this the kind of community we want, where important people have to commute from distant communities?

It is not easy to give up on the possibility of living an easy rural lifestyle four miles from town. But the long-term impact is irreversible. Once you build a house, it will never be a meadow, a forest, a deserted sea coast again. It is a one-way street, with access only to your own family. Is this really what you want for future generations?

The town council has appropriately proposed a moratorium on new development. Their focus is on affordable housing, and I laud them for that. But there is a larger issue, and that is what do you want for Brunswick? Of course, we need affordable housing, but there are larger issues that our zoning ordinances have identified, but not addressed.

Come to the Public Forum Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. to express your opinion about how we need to move forward.

Rol Fessenden,
Brunswick

Support growth moratorium in Brunswick

On Election Day I volunteered at a table with a sign saying “Smart Growth.” It was surprising how many people came over to the table and expressed their concern about the rate of housing growth in Brunswick. The numbers support the concern. Over 300 dwelling units have been permitted for construction with another 896 are in the pipeline. Fasten your seatbelts for a lightning-fast 12% growth in population!

At the same time, none of this housing is affordable housing despite developer intentions early on.

This is why it is good that the town council has proposed a 180-day “moratorium” that would require construction of over 30 units to include 20% affordable housing.

However, there may be the unintended side effect that it pushes sprawl into the town’s rural areas (e.g. Pleasant Hill, Mere Pt, Casco, Hacker, Bunganoc, Woodward Pt, Durham, Thomas Pt, Woodside roads, etc).

To avoid this scenario, the council needs to add language that limits any residential construction in the rural areas to 5 units per project for the next 180 days as well.
A moratorium requiring construction of affordable housing combined with a cap of 5 housing units on development in rural areas will buy a little time until the new Comprehensive Plan is completed in about 15 months, with updated guidance about growth.

Please write the town council at towncouncil@brunswickme.org and support the moratorium. And, if you can, participate in the town hearing next Tuesday, June 21. Now is the time to weigh in with the council for sensible growth!

Marcia Harrington,
Brunswick

Proposed Brunswick mural has troubling blind sports

Susan and Steven Weems note in a June 10 letter that their proposed mural is designed to “inspire and promote quality public art that captures the spirit, values, and visions of our diverse community.” I have no doubt this is their intention, and I appreciate that they have taken time to explain their thinking to me in a separate conversation (“Celebrating community resilience and spirit at Cabot Mill”).

Still, I wonder, when did the people of Brunswick have the chance to share their values? The Weemses claim that “most people in Brunswick have embraced [the mural] enthusiastically,” but at no point have they explained how they actually know this.

At the very least, and as the original June 7 opinion piece (“Proposed Cabot Mill mural misses the mark“) makes clear, some Wabanakis actually oppose the piece. It’s hardly surprising. If the Fort Andross Mill is named after a fort that obstructed Wabanaki access to their homeland, how does the mural capture Wabanaki “spirit, values, and visions”?

I am not from Brunswick, but I do share the Weemses’ desire to celebrate the diversity of Brunswick and Maine more generally. What troubles me is that the Weemses seem to be portraying community without actually engaging with it. Communities are beautiful, messy things, and there is no way to represent them perfectly. No one is calling for perfection. However, if the mural creators’ engagement with Wabanakis is any indication, the mural has some troubling blind spots. These problems raise additional questions about the conversations that its creators have overlooked. Art can represent community, but I hope this work is done in a way that is tied to the people it claims to represent.

Joseph Hall,
Auburn

Candidate thanks supporters

I want to thank everyone who voted in the June 14 District 99 Democratic Primary. I am deeply moved by the expression of confidence from all of you.

I need to thank my core Team for guiding me and being there these past six months. I have heard it said that a team is like a toolset, not one tool can do all the jobs, but together they can. Because of all of you, we will now move toward the general election.

I do not have enough words to thank all who generously contributed their time to our primary campaign. Without all the grass-root efforts and volunteers, I could not be where I am today. A heartfelt thank you to each one of you.

Last but not least, I want to give a great big thank you to my family for giving me their full support to run for the state house seat in District #99. Their support allows me the time and energy needed to run for the state house of representatives.

I will be working as hard as I can to win this election, and with your help and support, I am confident we can be victorious on November 8th.

I am committed to being a representative who listens to your ideas, fights for our community’s needs, and ensures that you always have a voice at the table.

Again, thank you all.

Cheryl Golek,
Harpswell

Protect the environment to protect bees

As an ecological landscape designer with a special focus on habitat design, I highly value native bees and their essential role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. That’s why I’m calling on Congresswoman Pingree to increase funding for the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the FY23 appropriations bill protect species, like the rusty patched bumble bee.

In 2013, I started Larkspur Design, a design firm committed to restoring and supporting biodiversity by incorporating a high percentage of native plants into all of our designs. We believe it’s better to work with nature than against it. Even developed landscapes can provide the food and habitat needed for the survival of struggling pollinator species, including bees that have been hit hard by overuse of pesticides.

Many bee species are found in Maine, over 270 of which are native, and they all provide important ecosystem services. Because they evolved in relationship with the local environment, native bees are particularly beneficial, pollinating plants in both cultivated settings and in the wild. The rusty patched bumble bee, a federally listed endangered species, is native to Maine and was once the state’s most abundant type of bee. Now, it’s possible that it has been eliminated because of pesticide use and disease. When species disappear, the resilient and complex web of life starts to fall apart, and both nature and society suffer.

In my work, I try to enhance bee habitat. But another part of preventing the extinction of species, such as the rusty patched bumblebee, is ensuring they’re getting adequate funding for research and recovery. You can help protect threatened and endangered species too by asking Congresswoman Pingree to boost funding for the ESA in the 2023 federal budget.

Seana Cullinan,
Portland

Money, gun violence and America

When I think of violence in America the phrase “Show me the money” comes to mind. If you insert a politician in Cuba’s place you have normal business in America. And make no mistake it is always about the money. The minority (gun rights groups) donate five times more money to politicians than the majority, gun control advocates. So, if you’re tired of children being murdered its very simple, join a gun control group and donate. Politicians will not talk to you unless your bid is higher than the gun rights advocates. That’s how things get done in America, it has always been this way. If anyone ever tells you it’s not about money, they would be lying to you.

Larry Paul,
Woolwich

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