Letters to the Editor

Little League plans clean-up days

To the editor,

A note to our neighbors near the Pine Street and Wilkinson Park Little League fields:

The South Portland Little League is organizing field clean-up days on April 1 (Pine Street fields) and April 8 (Wilkinson Park fields), starting at 9 a.m. both days. Anyone interested in helping out is invited to lend a hand.

In addition, we have recently decided to lock the gates at the Pine Street fields due to ongoing problems with dog waste on the fields. We have previously posted signs asking to keep dogs off the fields but, unfortunately, those signs did not resolve the problem.

In addition, there is a lot of dog waste outside the fields on the grassy areas where families sit to watch games. Many of us are dog lovers and would really appreciate it if all dog owners could clean up after their pets.

Registration is still open for younger players at www.southportlandlittleleague.com. In addition, board president Jana Grant is available to provide more information about volunteer opportunities with South Portland Little League. She can be reached at janagrant1013@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to a fun baseball and softball season and invite the whole community to come enjoy a game later this spring.

Ben Jenkins

South Portland Little League Executive Board

Yard South development is wrong for South Portland

To the editor,

If the South Portland Planning Board approves a rezoning request for the 30-acre property adjacent to Bug Light Park, the resulting residential development, called Yard South, would include four 18-story (180 foot) towers that would be home to as many as 2,400 households and their cars. The towers would be two-and-a-half times the height of the Betsy Ross House; 86 feet is the current maximum allowed in South Portland. Further, the towers would sit on contaminated soil near a 13-tank farm that emits high levels of benzene.

Current zoning in the shipyard area does not permit residential housing. The rezoning plan also calls for lifting restrictions for on-street parking, as there will be minimal parking onsite for the towers. This will force cars from 1,200 housing units onto the streets and into spaces around the Bug Light Park neighborhood, where parking is scarce. The vehicular burden would compound the already heavy traffic.

Such intense residential development is not appropriate here. Development of these 30 acres will occur, but must be kept on a reasonable scale. Existing zoning allows for a large range of money-making businesses on the property.

The city council needs to hear from residents this development will affect. Contact your council members to express support for current zoning and opposition to the proposed Yard South development. Attend council workshops and meetings on the issue to tell them this is not the sort of development South Portland needs.

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