Damariscotta: A 35,000 square foot size cap on retail development is now part of the town land use ordinance, thanks to a strong victory in the March 21 secret ballot election. For Information contact Our Town at admin@ourtowndamariscotta.com.

Newcastle: A 35,000 square foot size cap on retail development is now part of the town land use ordinance after a record turnout and nearly unanimous support at the March 27 Annual Town Meeting. For Information contact Our Town at admin@ourtowndamariscotta.com.

Nobleboro: With record turnout and a landslide YES vote, Nobleboro voters passed a 6-month moratorium to give the town time to complete its comprehensive plan and consider a 35,000 square foot size cap. These measures will be voted on in the fall. For more information about Nobleboro contact Marty Welt at: backlog@tidewater.net

Edgecomb: On May 20, the Town of Edgecomb will vote on a 35,000 sq. ft. size cap at the Annual Town Meeting, which begins at 10:00 am at the Edgecomb Eddy School on Route 27. The Planning Board, which is unanimous in its support for the size cap, has held two informational meetings and a formal public hearing. There has been no opposition to the size cap, and many people have spoken in support of it. For more information on the Edgecomb effort contact Kathleen Halm at kmc@lincoln.midcoast.com

Waldoboro: On June 13 the town of Waldoboro will vote on a 45,000 square foot size cap by secret ballot at the Waldoboro Town office. Our Town Waldoboro has been running a strong pro-size cap campaign, countered by Don’t Box our Future, the self-proclaimed opposition to the Size Cap. The vote promises to be a cliffhanger. For more information go to www.ourtownwaldoboro.com. To recieve updates on Waldoboro send an email to ourtown@midcoast.com.

Wiscasset:  Citizens in Wiscasset are currently circulating a petition for a moratorium on retail development to protect that town from out-of-scale retail development until their Comprehensive Plan can be finalized.  To be included in future Wiscasset emails please email Bill Phinney at: phinland2003@yahoo.com.

Warren: The newly formed Our Town Warren is currently circulating a petition for a 6-month moratorium on retail development to give town residents time to put into place a 35,000 square foot size cap. To sign the petition or for more information about the Warren effort contact Steve Burke at: stevbee@midcoast.com.

Thomaston: Thomaston will vote on competing size cap proposals at their May 16 town meeting. One proposed cap is 70,000 square feet, and the other is 150,000 square feet. Our Town Thomaston is campaigning to pass the smaller size cap, which members say is more in scale with Thomaston’s current size.

Hello Our Town!
We have not stopped working on issues of Big Box development and citizens’ rights to control their future. Here are some updates. We need your help.

Waldoboro Update: Waldoboro will have a size cap on their June Warrant. Details of language and size are still being worked out, but there will be a warrant item for sure. Our Town Waldoboro held their inaugural meeting on Wednesday April 5, and volunteers are working on various aspects of the campaign to pass the Waldoboro size cap. If you live in Waldoboro and would like to be involved in this effort, please email ourtown@midcoast.com. This is the official email address for Our Town Waldoboro, maintained by Bill Hinkley.

Wiscasset Update: Citizens in Wiscasset will circulate a petition for a moratorium on retail development to protect that town until their Comprehensive Plan can be finalized. They will have petitions available for signatures on Saturday, April 8 on the Wiscasset Town Common. Please pass this word around to your Wiscasset friends and neighbors. To be included in future Wiscasset emails please email
Bill Phinney at: phinland2003@yahoo.com

LD1481: Finally, LD 1481, the bill limiting the reach of citizen action to stop development, passed in the Maine Senate by a wide margin. We are extremely disappointed in this result, and feel it to be a real victory for the suits over the citizens.

If 1481 becomes law it will make it MUCH EASIER for Wal-Mart and other Big Box developers to force their way into small towns across Maine. We would like our recent local victories to be the first of many success stories, not the last.

We are happy to report that Dana Dow was a champion for the rights of citizens, and fought hard to defeat this bill. His impassioned speech on the Senate floor and his NO vote were not enough, however, and the bill passed 24-10.

Now we move on to the Maine House of Representatives, where our chances to defeat it may be better. The House will probably vote sometime next week, so please act TODAY (details and contact information below). Jonathan McKane and David Trahan have both committed to vote against the bill, in part because so many of their consitituents have already contacted them about Big Box development in the Midcoast. Both feel it is essential to keep local control in the hands of citizens. People who live in other districts should make every effort to contact their representatives. Everyone should contact the Governor’s office. Please forward the information below widely.

Signing off,
Jenny and Eleanor