Serious Environmental and Cultural Concerns VOTE NO on Town Hill Commercial Zone Expansion Bar Harbor Please Listen to the Comprehensive Plan: Vote NO on Article 3 by Michael J. Good, MS According to a recent Islander editorial (3/7/13), members of the Bar Harbor Planning Board have suggested rezoning the entire length of the Rt. 102 corridor through Town Hill from EBS to the head of the island for commercial development. The zoning change proposed by a Tom Savage, LLC (SWHarbor Resident) that is currently before the Planning Board is to rezone eleven residential properties at the entrance to the island with frontage on Route 3, County Road, and Route 102 to create a second Town Hill business district. The ultimate effect of this proposed ordinance change will be commercial development that takes away the true character of the entrance to Bar Harbor by continuing the Trenton/Ellsworth commercial corridor. Major opposition to changing these properties from residential to commercial zoning was obvious by the representation of Town Hill people at the Planning Board’s Public Hearing on March 6 when 30 local residents came out against the proposal. Allowing additional commercial development in this area is also directly counter to the Comprehensive Plan recommendations. The future land use section of the Comprehensive Plan recommends that this sensitive area be protected as Rural or Critical Rural zoning district, which would allow little or no commercial development. Route 102 already has a business district. That is where we want it to remain, in a localized, already disturbed region of Town Hill – the designated Town Hill Business District. That is where business must remain as stated in the sound strategy of the Comprehensive plan voted on by the majority of Bar Harbor voters. The applicant’s claim that adding a second Town Hill business district will “prevent development sprawl” is wrong. Encouraging economic development within Town Hill’s current business district will guide development in an organized and right direction. The current Comprehensive Plan and business district do not promote sprawl, by keeping the village character and not spreading commercial development away from the existing business district. The head of the island is a gateway to all of Mount Desert Island. Its uniqueness must be preserved as rural residential. If we had a Town Planner this would be obvious. Failure to follow the Comprehensive Plan and the common sense of the voters of Bar Harbor will only lead to more litigation. Recently, in a civil lawsuit filed against the town in December 2010, the Judge ruled against Bar Harbor, saying the town didn’t follow procedure when changing zoning rules. (Bangor Daily News 3/13/2013) If the Town Planning Board continues to plan against the Comprehensive Plan and the will of the people, litigation will be the only option. I have very serious Ecological concerns for this region of Town Hill because the head-of-the-Island is the LARGE and small MAMMAL MIGRATORY CORRIDOR onto MDI but more importantly into Acadia National Park. There are also unique WETLAND HABITATS deemed critical habitats. For these reason, this land must remain CRITICAL RURAL as laid out in the Bar Harbor Comprehensive Plan. Listen to the Comprehensive plan that was laid out with the entire COMMUNITY. VOTE NO ON ARTICLE 3 which is FLAWED to benefit only a small number of individuals NOT THE ISLAND COMMUNITY. Finally, the Mount Desert Islander editorial has threatened the people of Town Hill suggesting “economic development will go off Island”. To which we say… let it go to Town Hill’s existing Business District which has several properties on the market. Do not promote sprawl! I strongly urge BAR HARBOR VOTERS TO VOTE NO ARTICLE 3 to expand Town Hill commercial Zone. There are Serious Ecological, Cultural and litigation CONCERNS lead by a dysfunctional PLANNING BOARD. VOTE NO ON ARTICLE 3…… Michael J. Good, MS Town Hill, Maine
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 06:08:42 +0000