Editor,
This letter is in response to your “Town manager’s a citizen, too” (Feb. 17, 2006) editorial.
I do not believe anyone suggested the Billington’s do not have the right to subdivide lands, but without questions. Appropriateness has been suggested, but this is subjective to one’s personal level of ethics.
The problem is differences between the subdivision plan on Sebago Technics’ drawings 99.4 acres and the application to the Planning Board 109-110 acres. The 10-acre parcel the Billington’s home is located on seems to be getting used twice. First, to increase the number of bonus lots the cluster subdivision allows with the 10 acre parcel in it, and then reconfigure the shape of the same 10-acre parcel to give more road frontage. Secondly, after being approved by the Planning Board and at some time in the future to remove the reconfigured 10-acre parcel from the cluster subdivision and subdivide it yet again. (See Standish Code 181-27 Cluster development)
The problem with all Cluster development is the tax revenue they generate does not cover expenses they create. This cost is spread over the existing taxpayer base in perpetuity in an effort for someone to make a quick buck, which is matched many times with tax dollars in succeeding years. The town budget does not include these expenses, nor do the voters have the chance to vote on them before they are accepted.
There are no real advantages to Cluster development except to spot zone. The same amount of land is used generally and it just changes the zoning they are inserted into as residential, taking away rights that would be allowed, when the land is in a rural residential zone. These rights are then further restricted by the developer with mandatory Home Owner Association restrictions placed on the land. With wood lots used as developments there will be no rural character left. The land still has the same use after it has been stripped of the trees that the taxpayers have subsidize to have them exist as wood lots. To make a quick buck it requires change of use, instead of waiting for the land to regenerate.
If these Clustered subdivisions helped the tax burden, your taxes should go down, but have you seen that happen? More importantly, vote at the June referendum and Town Meeting to express your views.
William Orr
Standish
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