Letters to the editor, April 30

Town going through too much growth

To the editor,

I have watched first hand the explosion of our town’s growth over many years but in the last few years it has been totally out of control. The major changes in volume of traffic caused by the high density developments are forever changing the towns character, burdening it’s infrastructure and creating problems of access to our open spaces and natural resources.

We need to slow down this process and really take a look at what building more of this high density housing will do to the future of Scarborough. I am very worried at what this growth will mean in terms of impacting the schools, the public library, roads and traffic, budget and real estate taxes.

I am vehemently against the proposed changes in the Growth Management Ordinance at this time.

Thank you,

Eileen Fahey
Scarborough

Public needs more opportunity to understand proposed changes to growth ordinance

To the editor,

I am writing to express some of my concerns regarding the proposed Amendments to the Town’s Growth Management Ordinance (GMO) as documented in the recent April 2021 draft of the amended GMO. I understand that these amendments were discussed during the Town Council’s April 21, 2021 meeting.

I am a 20-year resident of Scarborough and current president of the Friends of Scarborough Marsh. While I applaud the Town for its historical approaches to expanding public open space (e.g., through support of the Scarborough Land Trust) and its support for maintaining a vibrant natural environment (e.g., the Marsh and its tributaries, its beaches), I am worried that the proposed amendments to the GMO will have adverse impacts to these resources and our capacity to accommodate the increased pressures on our roads and schools. I have several concerns about the amendments, but my primary concern focuses on inadequate public vetting of these changes, especially considering their great potential for adversely impacting our Town’s built and natural environments and its citizens.

Unveiling these proposed amendments via Town Council meetings does not appear adequate, considering the scope and magnitude of the intended changes. I believe the citizens should be allowed more time to comment on the amendments, and the Town should provide additional information (written and in workshops) so its inhabitants can understand the technical and policy rationale for recommending these. I list a few examples of my concerns that additional public discussion might address:

Since they are exempted from the growth permitting system caps, is there a projection on the numbers of town-wide, single-bedroom apartment buildings and multi-family units in the Crossroads Planned Development District that may be built over the next year, five years or decade? What are the potential building locations, and how might these buildings and their inhabitants affect traffic infrastructure and storm water discharge? Please note that Friends of Scarborough Marsh is conducting ongoing research which suggests that storm water discharges directly into numerous areas of the Marsh reduce the salinity of the shallow groundwater in these areas. The lower salinity promotes dense growths of invasive plants (e.g., Phragmites). Addition of more roadways to accommodate heavier traffic and increase of impervious surfaces associated with the additional buildings will generate more storm water, exacerbating what I view as an already overburdened storm water management system.

What parameters will guide the Town Council for its determination of how many single-family detached house permits will be allotted for a particular year? I presume the Planning Department will provide guidance for this increase, but what data will the Department consider when making its evaluation/recommendation? As proposed in the draft amendments, there is no cap stipulated for this permit allotment. Therefore, what prevents the Town Council from doubling the allotment every three years, or even tripling it? The citizens have a right to understand how these growth recommendations will be made.

I sincerely hope the Town Council will decide to allow additional time for citizen comment on these proposed amendments. We, the citizens of Scarborough, deserve more opportunity to understand the rationale for these changes, their potential impacts and benefits. We also require detailed information to help us understand the additional tax burdens we will face as the Town grapples to increase traffic and school capacity to address what may be viewed as unfettered growth.