Maine Street sidewalk needs to be reconfigured
To the editor,
Since my letter of Oct. 25 to the Post, regarding the newly installed sidewalk just past the Tamaracks on Maine Street in the Port, I have heard from many people who share my concerns about safety in this area. A plow driver commented that it will be an obstacle to those responsible for clearing snow all winter. Also note that there are already multiple tire scuffs along the curbing where drivers have tried to hug the right side of the road while passing another vehicle.
This area needs maximum road width, not a 5-foot wide sidewalk and narrowed driving lanes. A painted white line at road level is all that is needed to mark a pedestrian/bike lane and to allow cars to pass safely.
The town has made many wonderful improvements to our streets and roads. This isn’t one of them. Please reconfigure this section of Maine Street for the safety of drivers, road crews, bicyclists and pedestrians. Thank you.
Rita Brown
Kennebunkport
How will taxpayers get their money back
To the editor,
In 2014 the town of Kennebunkport purchased an 8-acre parcel of land known as the “McCabe lot” (Map 9 Block 4, Lot 50), just off School Street, as I recall, it was supposed to be a site for a future town hall, the purchased was $385,000 and it has access to public water and sewer. The lot is accessed at $191,800.
The lot abuts a subdivision named Pine Tree Acre” (Magnolia Drive and others) where the average lot size is about 10,000 square feet. A quick drive through shows a very nice residential neighborhood within walking distance to the center of town and Consolidated School, a perfect location for affordable, elderly and low income housing.
The town also just donated the “Skating Ring lot” (Map 22 Black 9 Lot 21) to the Kennebunkport Heritage Housing Trust even though they had someone potentially interested in purchasing it. The lot is accessed at $165,200 and has public water available but no public sewer.
Let’s do some math:
The Wallace Woods parcel on North Street is about 12 acres and sold for $540,000 or about $45,000/acre.
The McCabe lot is about 8 acres and sold for $385,000 or about $48,000/acre.
The Village Parcel lot was purchased by the town of $10,000,000 or about $120,000/acre.
As a real estate developer for almost 40 years something doesn’t add up.
The town owns a parcel of land in a suitable location, with access to public water and sewer, that would be perfect for affordable, elderly and low income housing so they purchase another property for 2½ times as much/acre and only about half of the 85 acres is developable so the net developable acreage cost is almost $250,000/acre and they want to develop affordable, elderly and low income housing?
Is there a crying need for a new town office? Is there a crying need for a central fire station, especially when we just build one a few years ago?
My biggest questions are how and when are taxpayers going to get their $10,000,000 back and when will the town stop spending money foolishly?
Bill Case
Kennebunkport
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