Final Report - VHB.com

On behalf of the board of the NorthWest Brunswick Neighborhood Association, I am writing to provide some of our
comments and concerns which we hope will be included in the final VHB report. We are naturally concerned with
the aspects of the report’s recommendations that directly impact our neighborhood. Of specific concern is the idea of
widening Mill Street.
The historic NorthWest neighborhood is bordered by Pleasant, Mill and Maine Streets. This area is one of the most
historically significant parts of Brunswick. It includes 2 of the 3 Brunswick homes designed by famed architect John
Calvin Stevens. There are several, well-preserved examples of the original apartment buildings that housed mill
workers in the late 1800s – (the rest were destroyed when the Rt. 1 overpass was constructed). It is home to the
recently restored John Roebling Swinging Bridge, as well as Davis Park – the only accessible in-town green space
besides the mall that is not dedicated to athletic use.
The character of the neighborhood is shaped with an eclectic community of families, students, retirees, artists, and
professionals from a wide range of economic and cultural backgrounds all of whom are interested in the positive
development and revitalization of their neighborhood. The homes that line our streets, many of which are being
lovingly restored, are a direct link to the original development of Brunswick’s downtown. This combination of
active, friendly, and diverse neighbors, historic architecture, and the walkable proximity to the economic and
cultural vibrancy of Topsham, Maine Street Brunswick, and Bowdoin College, provides a rich quality of life and
makes the Northwest Brunswick Neighborhood an ideal location in which to live.
While you have said repeatedly that the report is not a recommendation to do anything without the community’s
blessing, it’s not hard to see how some people are viewing it precisely as a blueprint or foregone conclusion for the
future “necessary” or “inevitable” development of Brunswick.
We believe that the report gives vision to several projects which could be very good for Brunswick’s future. We
are confident that many of the Traffic Demand Management strategies that came to the forefront during the Study, if
implemented, will mitigate any need for or interest in expanding Mill. We support:
- New signage on 295 that appropriately routes traffic to the Coastal Connector
- Expanding the Coastal Connector to a consistent width and grade separating the intersection at Rt. 201
- Better management of Rt. 1 southbound traffic as it passes through Brunswick, including the MDOT
study of the intersection of the Rt. 1 off ramp, allowing a left turn onto Maine St.
- Managing Pleasant Street traffic – including the improvement of the intersection at Pleasant, Mill and
Stanwood Streets
- Creating direct access to the base for rail and cars if further research shows it’s needed and costeffective.
There were a lot of good ideas in the report, but we’d like to say in no uncertain terms that the expansion of Mill
Street would unquestionably threaten the quality of life in this increasingly vital neighborhood, and would
irreversibly sever the downtown from our waterfront. The bank of the Androscoggin River in this neighborhood
offers Brunswick’s only possibility for multi-use, in-town waterfront development. With ongoing upstream
improvements in water quality, wildlife restoration and protection, the river that was the sad inspiration for Senator
Muskie’s Clean Water Act, can be a proud example of the potential for waterfront revival. To widen Mill Street,
thereby increasing traffic, pollution and noise. It would be a travesty if such a precious resource for the whole town
was sacrificed to a four lane highway built to accommodate those whose goal is to leave Brunswick and get
somewhere else as fast as possible.
During the Transportation Study process, you were publicly presented with a petition with 100 signatures
requesting that the feasibility of decking-over Mill Street be considered. No formal response to that petition has been
received. Given that those 100 signatures were easily collected online in a short time frame, we know that thousands
of signatures can be collected with a minimum of effort. An intelligent approach to the long term goal of decking
over Mill Street is a concept that could change the future of Brunswick and the region and the perception of Maine
overall. It deserves to be incorporated into the considerations of the current Study and both short and long term
plans for this area.
It seems that the State now owns, or will soon own, property parcels along much or all of Mill Street. This property
should be protected and landscaped to provide sound and visual barriers between the neighborhood and Mill Street.
The homes on Sage Hill, the end of Cumberland and all along Oak Street are particularly vulnerable.
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