Nobleboro residents gathered at the Nobleboro Central School Oct 26 to hear the first of three presentations on the proposed Gateway 1 plan for the Rt.1 corridor.
Planning Decisions of Hallowell led the discussion that was equal parts town hall meeting, workshop, and forum for the immediate future of the town.
The Gateway 1 plan is a Maine Dept. of Transportation (DOT) initiative to develop and restructure the Rt. 1 corridor from Brunswick to Stockton Springs. Developed in part to address concerns over traffic, sprawl and lane widening, the program aims to create an alternative solution that combines economic development with maintaining the aesthetic values of the Midcoast.
Planning Decisions, a private land use consultant hired by the town through a Gateway 1 grant, started the discussion by highlighting a number of concerns with the current layout of the corridor.
“Speeding, congestion, loss of aesthetics, and a threat to downtowns are the biggest issues facing communities,” explained Planning Solutions’ Frank O’Hara.
Nobleboro resident Bob Beck expressed displeasure over the plan saying, “I’m not concerned about the start of these talks but where they inevitably end up.”
Despite a few objections to the very idea of Gateway 1, the prevailing mood of the evening was collaborative as residents were asked to generate their concerns through small groups.
Taking careful pains to keep the presentation on point, O’Hara and fellow Planning Decisions consultant Sarah Curran asked everyone to think of how Gateway 1 could potentially help Nobleboro grow in the future. Some felt the very idea of change was hard to fathom.
“It’s the fear of the unknown. Nobleboro is an independent town and doesn’t like to be told what to do,” said Nobleboro Selectman Dick Spear.
A lingering suspicion of the DOT dominated the second half of the discussion with concerns over what Gateway 1 could potentially morph into. “I hope this isn’t just a backdoor land grab,” resident Allen Beck said.
The goal of the discussion said O’Hara was to generate feedback and proceed accordingly. He stressed it wasn’t a “yes” or “no” scenario and urged residents to initiate dialogue within the community.
Neighboring towns Warren and Wiscasset have declined to join Gateway 1 though 16 out of the 20 targeted towns were onboard, according to Curran. She explained by adopting the Gateway 1 plan, it would give Nobleboro a “seat at the table” in the coalition.
“The decision-making process is equal regardless of a town’s size. This could give your community a voice in the future of the corridor,” said Curran.
If given the green light by residents, the next phase of the exploratory talks will consist of developing strategies for making Gateway 1 a reality.
“I’m really impressed by the turnout and high level of discussion I heard tonight. We’ll see what happens from here,” said resident and Gateway 1 advocate Al Railsback.
Planning Decisions will conduct its second meeting on Tues., Nov. 16 at the Nobleboro Central School.
