Editor:

I have been reading, going to the meetings, writing letters, writing articles and establishing concrete information in regard to the proposed asphalt plant construction and operation off Route 237 and Mosher Road in a residential neighbor hood(s) of the town of Gorham. 

Being a resident of Gorham does not give me the right to dictate how others may live, what businesses are approved or declined for operation, who my neighbors are or are not, and last but not least Monday morning quarterback a group of hardworking planning officials in there, at times, stressful and politically motivated propositions that fall in their laps on a weekly basis. They have a tough job one that I would not want.  Having said that and being a resident of Gorham  for more than 15 years it is my observation that the planning board needs to define who exactly they are working for in their positions, what is the mission and vision of the planning board, what role should they play and what does this group of individuals mean to the town of Gorham and surrounding communities. Do they understand the impact of their decisions?

Having been to most of the meetings and have been vocal both from a health and well being perspective as well as the location and distraction this operation would cause in the suggested location, I have come to the following conclusion.

 The Gorham Planning Board works for the citizens of the community to protect their best interest and health and well being when major or even minor establishments or projects are proposed. The planning board is a self contained group of layman most of the time ignorant to the proposal on the desk in front of them not because they are not intelligent, they just do not have the background to make a number of the decisions that have been placed in front of them. They rely on experts brought in and residential reaction and common sense as well as financial impacts to the community. This planning board is in a tough spot.  They say no to this they lose tax revenue and tax relief to the town and potentially alienate a long standing good employer of the Gorham area the Shaw Brothers who in all counts is trying to grow their business as any company tries to do, cut expenses and even out their P&L statement. I understand that. I have some advice for all parties involved speaking of the planning board and Shaw Brothers.

 •The location of the proposal is inappropriate and dangerous regardless of what type of monitoring you install or mandate.

 •The long-term impacts outweigh any relief that anybody will receive whether it be expense savings for Shaw, or tax revenue for the town.  

 •Understand the vision and mission of your duties and of your company, ask yourself would you want this 500 feet from your home?

 •Look at the future expenses that will fall out of this when pollution both noise and chemical will occur, or damage to local residential property and law suits start to be submitted for repairs and medical bills start to pile up on the surrounding community.

 •Think of your children or other families children when making such a long-term unknown impact decision that could cost people their lives and quality of life.

 The sad thing about this is the planning board is placing so much emphasis on planning on how to circumvent the issues that are known by monitoring the activity and pollution they forgot what they are supposed to be doing in the first place, protecting the well being of the citizens of this town and the businesses. This operation should have been declined a year ago. 

The planning board has done a poor job of managing this process and knowing the vision and mission of their duties and the Shaw Brothers have been sloppy in preparing quality documents and constantly contradict themselves in every meeting. 

Mud slinging has occurred and the madness needs to stop and decline this poorly planned and poorly thought out operation. One last observation, we all have the right to live where we want, but when the driver of this operation moves from the town of Gorham to Windham on the Sebago Lake basin, a well protected site, but won’t stay in the town where a plant is being built you have to wonder about the motives. Or do you? Decline this now and stop wasting time and money and move onto real things like other businesses that add value, don’t harm the environment and protect the best interest of the town.  

If the Shaw Brothers, as I have heard them say, “I am tired of this we will just move” then move. I am sure another paving and gravel company would be happy to win the bids in this town, I am not only optimistic that they would, I would guarantee it. You all need to do what is right, this is wrong what is taking place now.

David Babino

Gorham