Navigating by Jack Sparrow's Compass

As one of my posters gloated, the results are in and a narrow (120 votes) majority of Gray citizens voted to endorse the creation of Area 8 commercial district to accommodate a new Hannaford shopping complex.

While the voter turnout of 2300 was an encouraging display of civic participation, the results yielded some disturbing implications. Not that the nays lost (which I find to be unfortunate) but that the voter margin for the yeas was so small. A land use decision of this magnitude should have solicited a clear mandate: 65% or better, not a mere 120 votes.

What this election highlighted was the painful reality that Gray is still a divided community. As a town, we have no communal sense as to what kind of town we are and how we want to develop in the future. We could blame our collective dysfunction on the Council, who have cultivated the fine art of lousy salesmanship. Witness the number of citizen-led referendums in the past two years seeking to overturn Council decisions. Contrary to the conspiratorial theories, these referendums are spawned from all points of the political landscape and from the feeling of disenfranchisement that arises from a common perception that Council acts rashly and without forethought. Council needs to measure success not in the speed of its decisions but in the effectiveness of its public consensus-building.

Council may be a convenient target, but the citizens aren’t off the hook either. It appears that the good people of Gray are navigating by Captain Jack Sparrow’s compass. Rather than pointing north, the needle of this compass points in the direction of that thing your heart desires most. Like Wicked Jack, Gray residents are indecisive as to what kind of Town they want to live in. Indecision causes the compass needle to vacillate wildly, leading us on an irrational and tortuous course.

One moment we pledge to preserve the “rural character” of Gray (Gray Comprehensive Plan, 2003 ), but then we encourage sprawl , strip protective measures from our subdivision ordinances, and vilify our planning board. We talk about the sanctity of our existing residential neighborhoods, but then rezone them to commercial districts so we don’t have to drive an additional 15 minutes to get double coupons on Tide. We ache over the physical and economic denigration of our Village Center, but we site new commercial development far away from the Village Center and fail to provide the financial support to continue downtown revitalization. We all complain about traffic congestion, but we appaud traffic control strategies that will require us to install as many traffic lights as serve the North Windham strip.

Imagine what the future will bring. Where Hannaford goes, so goes Shaws ( and banks, and Supercuts, and Burger King, and etc). Since our existing residential neighborhoods are no longer sacrosanct, where will the new Shaws plaza be sited? How about Birchwood and Egypt Road?Great capture of the lake people, Raymond, and the commuters. Or how about Yarmouth Road where Mike Liberty wanted to build the new community? Lots of space for expansion, major traffic artery, close to the Village. Then there is always Lawrence Road or Dutton Hill Road- many new subdivisions there, and immediate if not deadly access to all major arteries. Coley Hill Road. Weymouth Road, Beaver Brook Road, the possibilities are endless.

Unlike our neighbors New Gloucester, Raymond, North Yarmouth, Cumberland we have no idea what kind of community we want to be when we grow up.

Unless we as a community make a solid decision on this issue, it will be made for us. And it will be irreversible.

Hello Beastie.

The Windhamization of Gray

I want to be excited about Hannaford coming to town, I really do.
But the more I look at this deal the more its beginning to look like a pig in a poke.

First question I have is why do we have to zone yet another area of strip commercial development in Gray? Do we not have strip commercial extending the entire length of Rte 100. First step in the Windhamization of Gray. In the rush to chase commercial tax dollars, we are selling ourselves short. Remember that Hannaford is a big prefab box that does not have a high taxable value, with most of the value in inventory that escapes the personal property tax. So where's the big payoff?

Second consideration: Hannaford does not wish to build on 26 to capture the Gray-New Gloucester market, the intent is to snag dollars from the touristas and the Oxford County commuters who have long plagued our town with choking traffic. After suffering for so long and paying so much to get the bypass in, now we'll shoot it in the foot by welcoming in a new logjam…yes there will be traffic lights and traffic at the very throat of the bypass Shaker Road intersection.

Why did we spend all that money to install a water line down Portland Road, if we are not going to funnel new business in that area? If we encourage business to locate anywhere but in the TIF district then, 1) tax dollars will have to be used to pay off the bonds rather than captured value, and 2) any resulting tax revenue will NOT be sheltered from the school funding formula for ten years. Talk about an uncoordinated and costly plan.

Why did we also spend all that money and time to do a Comprehensive Plan that specifically discouraged strip commercial from that portion of the Route 26 corridor, only to ignore the contractual wishes of the townspeople 2 years later. Did we not have over a year of Town meetings to solicit the wishes of the people? To blatantly override these wishes after pummeling everyone incessantly to participate negates the creditability of the Town government..dare I say it borders on tyranny. Tea anyone?

Afraid that we'll never get a date for the prom, Gray is willing to promise its virtue to the first bozo who asks. Is this the way we want our town to be?

I don't and that is why I am voting a resounding NO on July 31st.