As residents of Scarborough, we love our town for its sense of community and the connection we have to our incredible landscape—the iconic Scarborough Marsh, our five rivers, spectacular beaches and scenic corridors, fertile farmland, and forests and meadows which provide crucial wildlife habitat. These natural areas offer us clean water, recreation opportunities, and local food sources. For generations, they’ve been part of what makes Scarborough special.

If you ask residents now about the biggest issues facing Scarborough (which the town did in its fall 2023 survey), 77% say it’s the pace of community growth and expansion. Managing that growth in the future must be a priority for the town, and a key component of that strategy needs to be protecting our waterways and open spaces in the face of continued development. We need the ability to preserve Scarborough’s natural beauty and quality of life for our families, friends and neighbors for generations to come.

Since 2000, Scarborough has effectively used its land bonds to conserve and protect parcels in the town for the benefit of residents and Question 3 on the town ballot would ensure these efforts can continue, protecting our land and water for the future. The Town Council has endorsed Question 3, saying it serves as an important part of Scarborough’s growth management strategy and aligns with its comprehensive plan. The town has used land bonds for this purpose because they provide specific advantages. They act as a line of credit that can be used over time and are only “bonded” and spent when worthy projects are recommended by the Parks and Conservation Land Board and approved by the Town Council after public hearings. This approach also reflects the reality of a real estate market that moves rapidly. If a parcel of land is deemed critical or attractive to Scarborough and its residents, the town already has voter-approved conservation funds to act on the purchase, rather than losing the opportunity to preserve that land because of a delay until the next election cycle.

Scarborough’s land bond grants have helped protect important areas around our marsh and rivers, establish multiple preserves that offer public access to trails and recreation activities while supporting wildlife, save working farms and historical places to keep us connected to local food and our community’s history, and even expand access to Higgins Beach. Importantly, the majority of these projects have been partnerships with outside organizations who have been able to attract nearly an equal amount of funding in that timeframe from federal, state and private sources thanks in part to the town’s financial contribution.

As Scarborough grows and available land becomes scarce, the land bond is more important now than ever so the town can continue to preserve our natural areas, rivers, beaches and Scarborough Marsh for the future. If these special places are lost to development, they are gone forever, so we urge Scarborough residents to vote “yes” on Question 3.

Submitted by Christine Labaree on behalf of Yes on 3 Scarborough, a coalition of local residents, businesses and 18 area nonprofits and organizations who support referendum Question 3 to protect water and natural areas while helping to balance responsible growth.

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