For those of you who have been looking for it, here is a copy of the actual letter that Patricia Quinn sent to Brunswick Town Manager, Gary Brown: NNEPRA Letter to Brunswick 11/3/11
Proposed Facility
This is a residential area, not an industrial zone.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
One Day until Election Day!
What can you do for your community? VOTE tomorrow!
And while you're at it, why not call a couple friends and let them know why they should vote for Benet Pols tomorrow.
Our neighborhood - and the rest of Brunswick - need an independant, strong voice on the Town Council. Please show Benet your support at the polls tomorrow!
Thank you!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Please get out and VOTE!
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8!
That's THIS TUESDAY!
Our
support for Benet Pols is critical. This is a tight 3-way race for the
Town Councilor At Large seat and Pols needs every vote he can get to
overcome the possibility of a split vote between him and William Dana. The
Town Council needs a strong voice to challenge the methods of Joanne
King/Gary Brown and be more than just a rubber stamp, someone who will
advocate on our behalf and not NNEPRA's. That voice is Benet Pols.
Please get out and VOTE!
Tuesday, November 8
Brunswick Junior High School – 65 Columbia Ave.
7:00 am to 8:00 pm
Town voting website (includes sample ballots): http://www.
Pols
is running for the At Large seat and needs support from across the town
to win. If everyone can pledge to urge support for Benet with at least
two people outside the neighborhood, it will make a big difference.
So first and foremost: please, get out and VOTE!
Urge your family and neighbors to vote.
Spread the word.
This is an important part of our fight – let's have a successful election day!
Thank you!
News! NNEPRA Delays Construction!
Hello Friends and Neighbors!
On Monday, the Times Record will run a piece on the state of the train garage planned for our neighborhood. It will focus on a letter sent from NNEPRA to town manager Gary Brown on November 3. The crux of the letter is the statement that "construction estimates . . . indicate that a facility which maximizes mitigation will exceed the anticipated budget," and that "it is unlikely that a facility could be constructed prior to the commencement of expanded Downeaster service next year." You will be able to read about it on Monday. But, effectively, this means that NNEPRA is delaying construction of the facility for perhaps a year, and possibly even longer.
This is good news for us. The facility has been put on temporary hold. There is still much support on the NNEPRA board for Brunswick West, and Patricia Quinn still intends to build here. But we now have more time to convince everyone that Brunswick East is the best choice. The vagaries of federal funding for rail projects are making it hard for NNEPRA to find the money to build. In addition, we can thank ourselves: our calls, emails, and letters have mattered!
This brings us to three points.
Hopefully this will allow time for everyone to step back and think about what is best for the future of the Mid-Coast. In contrast to the Brunswick East site, Brunswick West offers little opportunity for broader economic development. Brunswick West is too narrow to expand; no one could leverage a transportation hub out of it. At Brunswick East in Cook's Corner, however, it is possible to imagine the train garage was part of a larger hub connecting freight, passengers, and tourists. This means jobs and tax revenue for everyone, instead of a lowered property values for us. We welcome the facility to Brunswick in a location that offers far greater economic potential than does Brunswick West. Rather than being NIMBYs, we are looking out for Brunswick's larger interests. This contrasts us with our town leadership, which seems more interested in giving the town to NNEPRA rather than thinking sensibly about how to grow the local economy.
Second, as you can tell, much of this is about local politics. Frankly, we have been appalled that our town leadership has so casually, and so mercilessly, thrown us "under the train." It is thus vitally important for us to support Benet Pols in his bid for the at-large council seat this Tuesday. Benet is not just an outspoken supporter for our cause. He is one of the few people in this town willing and able to take on the existing town leadership, which has shown that it is more interested in running Brunswick as its own private preserve than in listening to the people who actually live and work here. Because this is a three-way race, Benet cannot win without strong support. His victory is likely shake up the town leadership far more than a victory for Dana would. So, please, if you can, get out the vote. Much more than our neighborhood is at stake.
Finally, the struggle continues. As you know and will read on Monday, NNEPRA is convening an advisory panel to help oversee the construction of the facility. This was a concession to our concerns, and was to include residents of the effected neighborhoods, town officials, and NNEPRA representatives. As expected, though, NNEPRA is trying to make the panel as weak as it can possibly be, by packing it with people supportive of the Brunswick West site. We are working hard to ensure that our view is strongly represented. Similarly, our own Charles Wallace is working hard to make sure that NNEPRA conducts its studies of our site in strict accordance with best professional practices. In short, we are continuing to work hard on all fronts to protect our neighborhood and Brunswick as a whole. This is grass-roots politics at its finest: we have all gotten here together, and your continued support is critical.
As ever, we wish to keep you informed, and we need to hear your voices! Write or call us, or leave comments at our online presences:
You can email us at: NeighborhoodVoice13@gmail.com
And our Facebook page is at: https://www.facebook.com/
Thank you for your support!
On Monday, the Times Record will run a piece on the state of the train garage planned for our neighborhood. It will focus on a letter sent from NNEPRA to town manager Gary Brown on November 3. The crux of the letter is the statement that "construction estimates . . . indicate that a facility which maximizes mitigation will exceed the anticipated budget," and that "it is unlikely that a facility could be constructed prior to the commencement of expanded Downeaster service next year." You will be able to read about it on Monday. But, effectively, this means that NNEPRA is delaying construction of the facility for perhaps a year, and possibly even longer.
This is good news for us. The facility has been put on temporary hold. There is still much support on the NNEPRA board for Brunswick West, and Patricia Quinn still intends to build here. But we now have more time to convince everyone that Brunswick East is the best choice. The vagaries of federal funding for rail projects are making it hard for NNEPRA to find the money to build. In addition, we can thank ourselves: our calls, emails, and letters have mattered!
This brings us to three points.
Hopefully this will allow time for everyone to step back and think about what is best for the future of the Mid-Coast. In contrast to the Brunswick East site, Brunswick West offers little opportunity for broader economic development. Brunswick West is too narrow to expand; no one could leverage a transportation hub out of it. At Brunswick East in Cook's Corner, however, it is possible to imagine the train garage was part of a larger hub connecting freight, passengers, and tourists. This means jobs and tax revenue for everyone, instead of a lowered property values for us. We welcome the facility to Brunswick in a location that offers far greater economic potential than does Brunswick West. Rather than being NIMBYs, we are looking out for Brunswick's larger interests. This contrasts us with our town leadership, which seems more interested in giving the town to NNEPRA rather than thinking sensibly about how to grow the local economy.
Second, as you can tell, much of this is about local politics. Frankly, we have been appalled that our town leadership has so casually, and so mercilessly, thrown us "under the train." It is thus vitally important for us to support Benet Pols in his bid for the at-large council seat this Tuesday. Benet is not just an outspoken supporter for our cause. He is one of the few people in this town willing and able to take on the existing town leadership, which has shown that it is more interested in running Brunswick as its own private preserve than in listening to the people who actually live and work here. Because this is a three-way race, Benet cannot win without strong support. His victory is likely shake up the town leadership far more than a victory for Dana would. So, please, if you can, get out the vote. Much more than our neighborhood is at stake.
Finally, the struggle continues. As you know and will read on Monday, NNEPRA is convening an advisory panel to help oversee the construction of the facility. This was a concession to our concerns, and was to include residents of the effected neighborhoods, town officials, and NNEPRA representatives. As expected, though, NNEPRA is trying to make the panel as weak as it can possibly be, by packing it with people supportive of the Brunswick West site. We are working hard to ensure that our view is strongly represented. Similarly, our own Charles Wallace is working hard to make sure that NNEPRA conducts its studies of our site in strict accordance with best professional practices. In short, we are continuing to work hard on all fronts to protect our neighborhood and Brunswick as a whole. This is grass-roots politics at its finest: we have all gotten here together, and your continued support is critical.
As ever, we wish to keep you informed, and we need to hear your voices! Write or call us, or leave comments at our online presences:
You can email us at: NeighborhoodVoice13@gmail.com
And our Facebook page is at: https://www.facebook.com/
Thank you for your support!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Endorsement for E. Benet Pols
The Board of the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition wishes to express our support for E. Benet Pols in the race for At Large Town Councilor in Brunswick. This is the position being vacated by our supporter and neighbor, Debbie Atwood.
It is important for Brunswick voters to get out in large numbers in support of this worthy candidate. He's got strong, community oriented values and doesn't hide his intentions behind closed doors. He is also willing to stand for what is best for his constituents, and not swayed by the political alignments of the rest of the Town Council.
Benet has been vocal in his support of our fight against locating the NNEPRA Maintenance Layover Facility in our neighborhood.
http://benetpols.org/downeaster-extension/
Please consider casting your vote for Benet!
Thank you!
It is important for Brunswick voters to get out in large numbers in support of this worthy candidate. He's got strong, community oriented values and doesn't hide his intentions behind closed doors. He is also willing to stand for what is best for his constituents, and not swayed by the political alignments of the rest of the Town Council.
Benet has been vocal in his support of our fight against locating the NNEPRA Maintenance Layover Facility in our neighborhood.
http://benetpols.org/downeaster-extension/
Please consider casting your vote for Benet!
Thank you!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thank you!
The Neighborhood wishes to send a heart-felt Thank You to Councilor Debbie Atwood. At the last Town Council meeting, she spoke out on our behalf regarding the appointment of Councilor Joanne King to the NNEPRA Layover Facility Advisory Board, and it is MUCH appreciated.
What more can you really ask for from a Town Councilor? She is honest and dedicated, and we are please to have her as out representative and neighbor!
Further, Debbie was right! Councilor King does not have the confidence of the neighborhood most negatively impacted should this facility should it be constructed in NNEPRA's proposed site. NNEPRA should not be allowed to dictate who represents Brunswick. We need a Councilor on this Board who will fight for us and knows the basics of construction. For those reasons and more, we support the appointment of Councilor John Perreault to the NNEPRA Layover Advisory Board.
What more can you really ask for from a Town Councilor? She is honest and dedicated, and we are please to have her as out representative and neighbor!
Further, Debbie was right! Councilor King does not have the confidence of the neighborhood most negatively impacted should this facility should it be constructed in NNEPRA's proposed site. NNEPRA should not be allowed to dictate who represents Brunswick. We need a Councilor on this Board who will fight for us and knows the basics of construction. For those reasons and more, we support the appointment of Councilor John Perreault to the NNEPRA Layover Advisory Board.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Update:
Hello, Neighbors and Supporters!
We are pleased to start updating the blog more frequently now that the busy summer is over. Thank you so much for all of your continued support. Please contact us at NeighborhoodVoice13@gmail.com if you have information or would like to assist us in this fight for our Neighborhood and with the responsible development of Mid-Coast Maine.
For a multitude of reasons, we do not feel we can trust that NNEPRA (or the Town Government) will do
the right thing at any point in this process. Our goal is to relentlessly hold them accountable at every opportunity. We will do this with our letters to the press, conversations with other Mid-Coast residents, and pleas to our elected officials. We encourage you to join us!
~The Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition
The following letter was recently sent to our local and state politicians:
Greetings:
We represent approximately one hundred homes in Brunswick neighborhoods on either side of the railroad track that runs between Church Road and Stanwood Street. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), after a flawed and short-sighted selection process, has chosen this site ("Brunswick West") for the construction of a proposed Amtrak maintenance and layover facility.
We are committed to appropriate economic development that serves not only Brunswick but the greater Midcoast Maine region. We are convinced that Brunswick West is the wrong site for this facility, and that this is the wrong way to bring healthy development to Brunswick. We base our assessment on a review of NNEPRA’s Request for Engineering Qualifications, site selection reports, public and private meetings with NNEPRA and their engineering consultant Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB), meetings with Town Manager Gary Brown and Town Planner Anna Breinich, discussions with Brunswick Town Councilors, consultation with Maine DEP Staff, and our own technical analyses of the pros and cons of each candidate site.
NNEPRA’s planning for the site has ignored repeated legitimate technical and cost questions. It has dismissed the technical analyses of several critically important issues, such as noise, vibration, and contaminated soils remediation associated with the Brunswick West site. It has not addressed groundwater contamination, on-site buried pipelines that may have served underground petroleum storage tanks, storm water runoff impacts, a 50% increase in the size of the originally planned building, and the likely major increases in project costs necessary to deal with these issues. According to public presentations, the NNEPRA/PB site selection report did not objectively weigh these considerations when evaluating alternatives to the Brunswick West site.
The Brunswick West site is inappropriate for the proposed facility. At 60,000 square feet, the structure will radically transform an attractive residential neighborhood, introducing noise, vibration, and pollution hazards that constitute threats to our families, quality of life, and home values. The facility as proposed enacts a poor vision of transportation and economic development.
Mid-Coast Maine deserves better.
This project is about much more than simply servicing trains. It is about sensible transportation development in Mid-Coast Maine. By placing the facility at Brunswick West, opportunities will be lost to leverage its use into a more viable model of transportation development that serves the broader goals of regional economic development – especially as related to Brunswick Landing’s on-going successful development. The site itself is simply too small, and too poorly situated, to offer opportunities for further expansion.
There is a realistic alternative site that is far superior when consideration is given to both short term and long range economic development opportunities. If placed in a more suitable location, such as the “Brunswick East” site identified in the Cook’s Corner area, the facility could contribute to a thriving transportation hub for freight, passengers, and tourists. It would act as a lightening rod to attract development, jobs, and revenue for Brunswick, the Midcoast area, and the Lewiston-Auburn freight (rail) intermodal hub. The “knowledge corridor” between Boston and Bowdoin College would be well served by such a placement. If, on the other hand, the facility is placed on a small, tight site in the midst of the Brunswick West residential neighborhood, the facility will do nothing other than hurt families, diminish
the residential tax base, and play a limited role in the economic development of this region.
We appreciate the opportunity that has been afforded us to publicly comment on plans for the facility. We now openly request all of our public officials to assist us in thinking through alternatives to the Brunswick West site that offer clear advantages for the development of Brunswick and the region.
We look forward to your help going forward. Let's get transportation and economic development right in Mid-Coast Maine!
We are committed to appropriate economic development that serves not only Brunswick but the greater Midcoast Maine region. We are convinced that Brunswick West is the wrong site for this facility, and that this is the wrong way to bring healthy development to Brunswick. We base our assessment on a review of NNEPRA’s Request for Engineering Qualifications, site selection reports, public and private meetings with NNEPRA and their engineering consultant Parsons Brinkerhoff (PB), meetings with Town Manager Gary Brown and Town Planner Anna Breinich, discussions with Brunswick Town Councilors, consultation with Maine DEP Staff, and our own technical analyses of the pros and cons of each candidate site.
NNEPRA’s planning for the site has ignored repeated legitimate technical and cost questions. It has dismissed the technical analyses of several critically important issues, such as noise, vibration, and contaminated soils remediation associated with the Brunswick West site. It has not addressed groundwater contamination, on-site buried pipelines that may have served underground petroleum storage tanks, storm water runoff impacts, a 50% increase in the size of the originally planned building, and the likely major increases in project costs necessary to deal with these issues. According to public presentations, the NNEPRA/PB site selection report did not objectively weigh these considerations when evaluating alternatives to the Brunswick West site.
The Brunswick West site is inappropriate for the proposed facility. At 60,000 square feet, the structure will radically transform an attractive residential neighborhood, introducing noise, vibration, and pollution hazards that constitute threats to our families, quality of life, and home values. The facility as proposed enacts a poor vision of transportation and economic development.
Mid-Coast Maine deserves better.
This project is about much more than simply servicing trains. It is about sensible transportation development in Mid-Coast Maine. By placing the facility at Brunswick West, opportunities will be lost to leverage its use into a more viable model of transportation development that serves the broader goals of regional economic development – especially as related to Brunswick Landing’s on-going successful development. The site itself is simply too small, and too poorly situated, to offer opportunities for further expansion.
There is a realistic alternative site that is far superior when consideration is given to both short term and long range economic development opportunities. If placed in a more suitable location, such as the “Brunswick East” site identified in the Cook’s Corner area, the facility could contribute to a thriving transportation hub for freight, passengers, and tourists. It would act as a lightening rod to attract development, jobs, and revenue for Brunswick, the Midcoast area, and the Lewiston-Auburn freight (rail) intermodal hub. The “knowledge corridor” between Boston and Bowdoin College would be well served by such a placement. If, on the other hand, the facility is placed on a small, tight site in the midst of the Brunswick West residential neighborhood, the facility will do nothing other than hurt families, diminish
the residential tax base, and play a limited role in the economic development of this region.
We appreciate the opportunity that has been afforded us to publicly comment on plans for the facility. We now openly request all of our public officials to assist us in thinking through alternatives to the Brunswick West site that offer clear advantages for the development of Brunswick and the region.
We look forward to your help going forward. Let's get transportation and economic development right in Mid-Coast Maine!
Respectfully,
The Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition
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