PI bypass issue down to the short rows

PI bypass issue down to the short rows

To the editor:
    On Jan. 13, 2009, Walt Elish, executive director of Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development (LEAD), reported to Board members “it was a critical time for the north south highway and it’s going to be necessary for LEAD to take a more supportive role if the project is to move forward. At a recent public meeting concerning the Presque Isle Bypass [Dec. 10, 2008], the majority of the attendees were in opposition to the Bypass.” The same result occurred at the overflow public hearing Aug. 15, 2006 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. 

    Mr. Elish advised the LEAD Board to write a letter of reaffirmation of support to Maine DOT. According to the Caribou-based organization’s minutes, the Board obliged. Mr. Elish is also a member of the Presque Isle City Council.
    On March 3, 2008, the Presque Isle City Council resolved, in part, that the easterly alignment Option 7, as presented by MDOT, as the city’s preferred option. This would require a second bridge crossing of the Aroostook River and the damage it might cause, and ultimately impact over 200 acres of top-quality farmland. However, the consensus of Presque Isle’s Planning Board is that the resolve supporting a full bypass on the city’s east side is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan the Council adopted Dec. 17, 2007.
    The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, in a March 31, 2009 memo to City Council, recommended, in part, that the Council urge MDOT to reconsider the westerly bypass route(s), with design considerations to better serve the Airport and Industrial Park. A westerly alignment would not require a second bridge, and farmland impact would be minor. Please note that at 6 p.m. on March 23, 2010, the Presque Isle City Council will conduct a joint meeting in Council Chambers (third floor City Hall) with the Presque Isle Planning Board and LEAD representatives. The meeting is to discuss the reasonableness of constructing a one-mile connector road (partial bypass) from the Fort Fairfield Road (Rt. 167) to the Conant Road (the so-called Kneeland Connector), and the various full (10-mile) bypass routes being considered.
    Although not a formal public hearing, the public is welcome. I urge you to attend. This meeting may be the last discussion of this issue before a decision is made on the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative (LEDPA) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.