The Committee has been busy working on a number of issues that many people will be interested in. We will have a PUBLIC MEETING on MAY 10 AT 7:00 PM AT THE HALL for public discussion of:
A proposal to allow food carts on the Island. A more
detailed proposal can be gotten at the Library. The basic proposal
is this: to have an experiment for a year to allow small carts
selling food, at sites on Chebeague owned by the Town such as
Chandler1s Cove Wharf. Two such permits would be granted in the
experimental year. If the experiment is successful, it could
be continued, perhaps at other sites on the Island.
On the LRPC1s survey last year protecting the groundwater
was ranked as the most important of all the issues that people
were asked about. Everyone recognizes how critical the quality
of the groundwater is to life on Chebeague, so several of our
first
efforts havae been concerned with that:
The State is making a grant available to the Town to
replace home heating oil tanks on Chebeague that are a potential
hazard to the groundwater. People who need such replacements
get a new tank and installation, generally free of charge.
We are just beginning to work with the Town and the State on
how the program will actually work on Chebeague. If you have
an interest in being involved, contact Nancy Adams or Beth Howe.
Also we have been working on a proposal to increase
regular pumping of septic tanks. I could either be voluntary
or mandatory, but, in either case would involve having a septic
punper and storage tank on the Island and a pumping cycle of
about every 5 years for year-round residents (10 years for summer).
If it were mandatory it could be paid for by the equivalent of
the mainland1s sewer tax of about $50 per year. If voluntary,
homeowners would pay for each pumpout.
Also of note from the LRPC:
Water Quality Study: At its meeting on April 9 the
Town Council agreed to provide $15,500 to the hydrogeologic firm
of Sevee Maher to update the Chebeague groundwater study that
they had done in 1992. This study will tell us how we are
doing in terms of protecting Chebeague1s groundwater and whether
there are problems that we need to deal with. Sevee Maher will
be sending out a questionnaire to all property owners about wells.
A sample of wells will also be tested directly to see
if there are problems of salt water intrusion or contamination
from septic systems.
Building Cap: At its March 26 meeting the Town council
amended the building cap to allow more building on Chebeague in
two ways. (1) As on the mainland, lots in existing Island subdivisions
are exempt from the cap. Seven people on the
waiting list qualify for permits on this basis. (2) Most of the
other people on the waiting list for growth permits would be given
unused mainland subdivision permits on a one-time basis. Five
permits were given out in April in the order in which
people appear on the list. About the same number each month are
expected for May and June. Once people are notified, they have
30 days to accept or decline the permit. If they accept it, they
have 90 days to convert it to a building permit and start
construction. Since there were 23 people on the list on March
31, most people on the waiting list will probably get a growth
permit. Anyone who is offered a permit and decides not to take
it because they are not ready to build yet may reapply when
they are ready. The Council also asked the Town attorney to develop
a proposal to possibly exempt affordable housing on Chebeague
from the cap.
FROM YOUR TOWN COUNCILLOR - 2000
The Chebeague Long Range Planning Committee (established by the
Cumberland Town Council last Spring) has been working diligently
since June. Meeting biweekly at the Parish House, the Committee
is developing recommendations that can be taken to the Council
for actions the Town might take to manage growth on Chebeague
and to maintain the Island community that we all cherish.
The Committee has been doing in-depth research on a number of
topics. Ultimately these will be brought together into a long
range plan for Chebeague with recommendations to the Council.
The topics we have reviewed in depth this fall have been:
transportation, both on the Island and to the mainland highway
system.
groundwater, including impacts of septic systems, oil tanks, other
petroleum leaks or spills, and other chemicals.
cost of municipal services and the impacts of Maine's property
tax system on the Island.
affordable housing, looking at both land values and the value
and condition of the housing stock.
Thank you to all who have participated in our meetings
so far. We welcome more participation over the next few months.
We will circulate more information as we get closer to formulating
our recommendations. Look for announcements of public meetings.
We need your comments and input before we can finalize these recommendations.
In addition to discussing these various issues, we now have the
results of the survey that was sent out in September. We got 537
responses, a 48 percent response rate, which is veery good. Among
those who answered, 32 percent were year-round residents and 59
percent were summer people.
The results will probably not knock anyone over from surprise.
But they do provide very useful input into our discussions, and
will help to support our ultimate recommendations. One of the
most interesting aspects of the replies is how much different
groups, such as year-round and summer people, agreed on what they
wanted to preserve about Chebeague and what issues they think
we face. Among the things that people want to preserve, the highest-ranked
things were: Chebeague's sense of community (mentioned by 30 %),
beach and shore access for both fishing and recreation (24%),
the Island's rural character (18%), and its fishing economy (13
%). The challenges they mentioned most on their own were growth
and development (48%), transportation to the mainland (40%), taxes
(25%) and ferry parking on both Chebeague and the mainland (25
and 24%). When people were asked about a list of specific possible
problems, the answers were very similar -- preserving the rural
character of the Island, transportation to the mainland, shore
access, taxes -- except that the highest-ranked issue was keeping
the groundwater unpolluted.
Issues such as maintaining the school and providing affordable
housing were emphasized more by year-round residents. Summer people
ranked the Island's natural beauty and tranquility, somewhat higher.
But these differences were marginal. Summer people care about
maintaining the year-round community and year-rounders appreciate
the Island's natural character.
Among other findings: of the Town services that were evaluated
on the survey, the rescue, fire department and library took top
places, while road quality and acquisition of open space took
the booby prizes. Respondents also gave a long and useful list
of places they especially wanted to see preserved.