Letters to the Editor
Portland Press Herald

To the Editor:

Anyone who has been down the long rocky road, both literal and figurative,
between the Blanchard Parking Lot and the Cousins Island Wharf knows that
the time has come for state ownership of the wharf, lot and the road to get
there.

Your recent editorial completely ignores forty years of task forces,
committees and resolution teams who have repeatedly tried and failed to
reach the mythical "compromise" that comes so easily to those who haven't
grappled with this monster.

One thing on which all problem-solving groups agree (including MDOT) is
that parking on Cousins is essential to sustain the existence of one of the
few island communities left in Maine.

My calculations indicate that if Nancy Blanchard were to live another
twenty years she would have to triple the cost of parking to realize the
same $600,000 she has already received from the State. And after she's
gone, the lot goes to Yarmouth who has (1) called for the town to take the
lot by eminent domain for a picnic area, (2) sought to close the lot
altogether, (3) attempted to levy landing fees on the ferry, (4)
effectively rejected a CMP solution with unreasonable conditions, (5)
proposed a gate to bar wharf access and (6) continues enforcing ordinances
impeding access to Chebeague.

The history of this dispute shows that every alternative has been
considered and discarded leaving the current action as the last resort that
will ensure Chebeague's survival. Thank you, MDOT, for not letting another
island community die.

Sincerely,

 

David R. Hill
Cousins Island, Yarmouth
846-4664