BRUNSWICK

A west Brunswick citizens’ group has signed a public relations firm in its push to block construction of a train layover and maintenance facility near their homes.

In a news release, the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition cited a May 22 letter from U.S. Sen. Angus King — a Brunswick independent — to Joseph C. Szabo, chief of the Federal Railroad Administration, regarding the environmental impact of locating the layover building along the rail corridor between Church Road and Stanwood Street.

In it, King urges the FRA “to conduct a full, fair and transparent Environmental Assessment process” for the proposed facility.

To issue the release, Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition hired Savvy Inc., operated by Dennis Bailey, who served as a spokesman for then-Gov. Angus King in the 1990s.

Scott Ogden, King’s press secretary, confirmed Wednesday that the letter cited by Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition was the same document that was sent to Szabo.

“But Sen. King is not taking a position on construction of the facility,” Ogden told The Times Record. “He’s just asking for the process to be as transparent and open as possible.”

The Federal Railroad Administration has yet to complete the required ecological study.
Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, the Portland-based agency which manages the Brunswick-to-Boston passenger train, proposed construction of the $12.2 million, 60,000-square-foot building to address  train maintenance and overnight storage concerns.

But nearly 300 residents along Cedar and Weymouth streets, Bouchard Drive and Hennessey Avenue — not all of them ascribing to BWNC’s approach — worry that the building will be too large, will drain property values and will not address the issues of noise and air quality.

“On behalf of the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition, I want to thank Sen. King for his letter and his solid support for a fair and open process,” Dan Sullivan, chairman of the coalition, said in the release. “Our members have many concerns about this facility — the excess noise and vibration, the safety of the residents, especially children who live near the site, the increase in toxic air pollution this will cause, as well as lower property values. We don’t feel we’re being listened to and reasonable alternative sites for the facility are being brushed aside in favor of this one that will destroy a good Brunswick neighborhood.

“With the help of Sen. King and especially state Sen. (Stan) Gerzofsky (D-Brunswick), we look forward to participating in a full, fair and transparent process. And we hope other residents of Brunswick will understand that Brunswick West is simply the wrong place for a huge industrial facility like this.”