Public Hearing for the Burnt Jacket Development
The Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) has set a public hearing on the rezoning application for the proposed Burnt Jacket development in Beaver Cove. The public hearing will be held Wednesday and Thursday, February 1st and 2nd in a conference room at the Bangor Motor Inn.

Hank McPherson’s proposal is to rezone 246 acres of land on the Burnt Jacket peninsula for a development that includes 70 house lots (in the first phase). LURC originally planned to hold the hearing closer to the Moosehead Lake region but a facility could not be found that provided the required accommodations.

The town of Beaver Cove sent a letter to LURC stating their disapproval with the hearing site and noting that, since the plan falls entirely within Beaver Cove’s boundaries, LURC should take every step to ensure that local residents can attend the public hearings. The public hearing dates were scheduled this past fall to ensure a time when all the LURC commissioners could meet and will not be rescheduled.

LURC Executive Director Catherine Carroll said their first choice was Oakes Auditorium at Greenville High School but the school could not allow the hearing while students are in school. She also explored the Rockwood Community Center, area churches, the Ready Worker’s Community House, and even the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft, but none of these sites provide the handicap accessibility, sound amplification, parking, lodging and space that will be needed to accommodate attendees of the public hearing.

Carroll also noted that summer residents of Beaver Cove may find it easier to attend a meeting in Bangor during the winter.

The hearing is expected to go until 11:00 p.m. on February 1st, beginning at 1:00 p.m. with a summary of the proposal by the LURC staff, followed by direct testimony from the applicant, cross examination by the LURC commissioners, and testimony from (and cross examination of) government agencies. After a recess, the floor will be opened at 6:00 p.m. for public testimony.

On February 2nd, approved intervenors including the Moosehead Region Futures Committee, Maine RESTORE and the Natural Resource Council of Maine will testify on the matter. Matt Manahan, representing a group of nine Beaver Cove residents, will also act as an intervenor. The intervenors are expected to provide approximately seven hours of testimony, not including cross examination.

At the end of the public hearing, LURC chair Bart Harvey will set a date on which the record will be closed, normally three weeks after the public hearing. The LURC staff will have 90 days after the record is closed to put together a recommendation for the LURC commissioners.

Coalition Co-Chair Mark Scarano reports that representatives of the Coalition will attend both days in Bangor. “We need to become more involved in the LURC process, and this will be an excellent opportunity to observe the LURC dynamics as a precursor to the hearings on the Plum Creek Plan, which will be critical to the future of northern Maine.”

New Coalition Member
Please welcome Alan Duplessis, owner and operator of the Four Seasons Restaurant in Jackman as the newest member of the Coalition to Preserve and Grow Northern Maine. Alan was recently named the Maine Restaurant Association Restaurateur of the Year for 2005.

For more information on the Four Seasons Restaurant, you can call 207-668-7778.

Portland Press Herald Editorial – December 27, 2005

Plum Creek deserves a chance to make development work

Officials from Plum Creek Timber Co. should be applauded for trying to rework their plans for development around Moosehead Lake.

Earlier this year, the company proposed a sweeping development of nearly 1,000 house lots, a large resort, three camp grounds and new hiking and snowmobile trails. The plan also included putting into law a 30-year protection from development for timber lands in the region.

In hearings around the state, the Plum Creek plan came under some fire. It's too big, critics said. It doesn't focus development near existing towns. And, within the context of timberland management and development, a 30-year development moratorium isn't all that significant.

The company says it will come back with a new plan that attempts to address each of these concerns. That's a victory for those who raised those objections, but it also represents a realistic understanding of the politics underlying the controversial proposal.

There are some in the coalition opposing Plum Creek's proposal who want nothing short of a permanent prohibition on new development in the North Woods. No matter what Plum Creek comes up with, those folks will not be satisfied.

But the company's project would bring welcome economic activity to Greenville and the surrounding area, and the goal for regulators should be striking a balance between development and preservation.

Of course, all of this would be easier if the Land Use Regulatory [sic] Commission had completed a comprehensive plan specifically for the Moosehead region as it had planned to do. Such a plan has stalled because of the difficulty in getting the various stakeholders to agree on anything.

It shouldn't be up to Plum Creek, though, to have to navigate those political waters. As a land owner, the company deserves clear guidance on what kind of development will fly in the North Woods.

Your Comments on the Plum Creek Plan
As noted in their letter to the Coalition on December 29th, Plum Creek continues to revise their Plan and there is still opportunity to let them know what Coalition members think about the Plan and to offer any suggestions for changes.

Please email your ideas to: info@preservegrowme.org, or mail them to:

Coalition to Preserve and Grow Northern Maine
P.O. Box 944
Greenville, Maine 04441

Visit the Coalition Web Site
You can find more information about the Coalition at our web site at www.preservegrowme.org.

Coalition Information Center
Location: Community House · 6 Lakeview Street · Greenville · Maine
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 944 · Greenville · Maine · 04441
Telephone: 207-695-2264 (toll free 888-702-7466)
Web Site: www.preservegrowme.org

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. Please forward this to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and organizations you belong to and help us spread the word. Any questions or comments may be directed to Edie Leary eleary@eatonpeabody.com or Will Gardiner wgardiner@eatonpeabody.com or by calling The Coalition Information Center at 1-888-702-7466 or (207) 695-2264.