Good Evening, Neighbors!
I just wanted to take a moment to point out that Senator
Stan Gerzofsky will be having a forum tomorrow night (June 13th) from
6-8pm at Curtis Memorial Library. If you are available, please attend.
You can take this time to ask questions about the issues that concern
you most in the community, to thank the Senator for giving the
Neighborhood a voice in the public process, or simply to hear what other
members of the community are concerned about.
Thank you!
Let's get this right while we can! We oppose NNEPRA's plan to build a 60,000 square foot maintenance and personnel facility in a residential neighborhood.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
We Need Your Help! Here's What You Can Do:
- Send letters to the local media to express your concern and wishes.
- Talk to at least three of your friends and neighbors - the facts are on our side! Refer them to this blog for more info.
- Volunteer to serve on the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition by sending an email to us at NeighborhoodVoice13@gmail.com. We need help with the following:
- Communication
- Letter/Blog/Newsletter writing
- Distributing Literature
- Attend Town Meetings and read letters to the Council
- Visit local organizations to talk about the issue and present the facts
- Research
- Professional Legal Advice
- Fundraising
- Call and Email ALL of Brunswick's Town Councilors to let them know how you feel. Their contact information can be found at http://www.brunswickme.org/council/counlist.htm.
- Contact your elected officials:
Click on an official's name
to visit her/his individual web site.
United States Senate
- Susan Collins (R)
461 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
www.collins.senate.gov - Olympia Snowe (R)
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1903
(202) 224-5344
olympia@snowe.senate.gov
United States House of Representatives
- Chellie Pingree (D)
District 1
1037 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6116
https://forms.house.gov/pingree/contact-form.shtml
Governor
- Paul R. LePage (R)
1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0001
(207) 287-3531
governor@maine.gov
Maine Senate
- Stanley Gerzofsky (D-Cumberland)
District 10
3 Federal St.
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 373-1328
SenStan.Gerzofsky@legislature.maine.gov
Maine House of Representatives
- Alexander Cornell du Houx (D-Brunswick)
District 66
15 Page Street #1
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 319-4511
RepAlex.Cornell@legislature.maine.gov
- Contact NNEPRA. Remember, they are funded by your tax dollars!NNEPRA Administrative Office Address:
Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA)
75 West Commercial Street, Suite 104
Portland, ME 04101Telephone: 207-780-1000Facsimile: 207-780-1001Email: info@nnepra.comWeb: www.AmtrakDowneaster.com
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The TRUTH about the Maintenance and Layover Facility
Some are trying to tie the
construction of the Downeaster Maintenance and Layover Facility to the
Train Service that will be starting in November. They say that Brunswick
will not get the train if they can't have the facility. That is a lie.
Here are the facts:
Here are the facts:
- The layover facility was never required to bring the Downeaster to Brunswick. The train will be coming to Brunswick no matter where the maintenance facility is located. Train Service to Brunswick and the Maintenance and Layover Facility are two completely separate issues.
- In order to get the five to seven daily runs (as NNEPRA keeps mentioning), NNEPRA would need to get funding for an additional siding track at Royal Junction north of Portland. In fact, in order to reach some of those ridership numbers we have seen (between 30,000 - 60,000 passengers) NNEPRA will need to add a new wye in Portland so that trains can turn around AND add a siding at Royal Junction AND add an enclosed maintenance and layover facility AND increase the speed on the tracks. On top of that, careful study of the proposed schedules show that NNEPRA's existing 2 train sets will not be enough to allow for 5 trips, and would likely need another train set in order to reach 5-7 runs. These improvements will cost more than $20.5 million according to NNEPRA's TIGER application - tough to justify in this troubled economy.
- NNEPRA
has not done a proper Environmental Impact Study of the site. The
study that they cite in their TIGER III application places the
maintenance facility in Portland.
- NNEPRA has stated that they CANNOT and WILL NOT mitigate the outside noise and vibrations from train activity related to the facility. Yet, their TIGER application states (on page 13) that, "This Project not only delivers transportation benefits, but will preserve the quality of life we treasure so much in Maine". The Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition rejects the thought that increasing night-time noise to unhealthy levels will "preserve the quality of life we treasure so much in Maine".
- The noise
directly resulting from the facility will impact an area much larger
than previously thought. Because of track-switching needed to get the
train into the building, there will be an area over 1,000 feet on either
side of the tracks between Union Street to Church Road impacted by the
facility. The heart of Brunswick will be treated to the late-night
sounds of wheels screeching on the tracks as the train turns into the
building and the banging of trains coupling together at 4 miles per
hour.
- The noise and vibrations associated with the facility will exceed state and local limits, and cause sleep disturbances in the area impacted by the facility.
- If NNEPRA is allowed to use the standard they have chosen, that area will be subject to noise in excess of what is scientifically determined to be healthy for humans - and that is excluding the noise from the bells and whistles!
- The town
will get no tax revenue from the facility, but could stand to lose tax
revenue as property values plummet in the neighborhoods surrounding the
facility. This is a lose-lose situation!
- There are
Six representatives from Brunswick on NNEPRA's Layover Advisory Board (2
Councilors, 3 Residents, and the Town Planner). This group has studied
the information provided by NNEPRA's engineers and have many serious
questions that have yet to be answered. Five out of those six have gone
on record and asked NNEPRA to agree to follow the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection Site Law Process and meet the ME DEP
standards. To date, a majority of Brunswick's Town Council refuses to
support this request.
- Any other industrial facility would be required to follow the ME DEP Site Law Process. NNEPRA is claiming exemption.
- The Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition firmly believes that a facility that cannot meet basic ME DEP Standards should not be built in ANYONE's back yard.
- NNEPRA is funded by YOU - Maine's tax-payers. The service serves Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, but NH and MA legislators refuse to fund any part of the service. Passenger fares do not even cover half of the cost of running the Downeaster line. The rest comes from your tax dollars. NNEPRA may claim exemption, but you do have a voice about how your taxes are spent. Call your federal, state, and local representatives! Write letters to the papers! Call NNEPRA!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)