Letter: Support Intervale Road neighbors on Nov. 6 (Printed Nov. 2, 2007)
Editor:
Kennebunk voters have an extraordinary opportunity on Nov. 6 to gain a riverfront park and to help their neighbors on Intervale Road who suffered extensive damage in the Mousam River floods. As most of you know, on Mother’s Day 2006 and again on Patriot’s Day 2007 the Mousam River flooded its banks and severely damaged homes on Intervale Road and Partridge Lane. Two homes on Intervale Road have been uninhabitable since the 2006 flood, and a number of homes were flooded twice.
Town Manager Barry Tibbetts has worked long and tirelessly with the residents whose homes have been damaged and with state and federal agencies to provide some relief for the residents. The culmination of his considerable effort is a $1.5 million grant proposal to FEMA. With part of this grant, three adjoining lots on the river with damaged homes would be purchased and turned into a public park. The homes would be removed and a boat launching ramp and a parking lot would be built. The rest of the grant would be used to elevate homes that are in danger of being flooded again.
FEMA will provide 75 percent of the grant money if the town will contribute the remaining 25 percent, or $375,000. Tibbetts has noted that the town has been looking for some time for a place to provide public access to the Mousam River, but riverfront property, obviously, is hard to come by.
Town Referendum Question 2 asks voters to approve providing the 25 percent contribution to get the remaining $1,125,00 from FEMA. This money will come from a bond issue, or from the General Fund, or some combination of the two. The selectmen have indicated that it is likely that all the money can come from the general fund.
Voting Yes on Question 2 assumes that you also vote Yes on Question 3, to provide the fiscal backing for the bond issue. Question 3 does NOT mean that the property tax will necessarily be increased. Again, it is likely that the $375,000 can be provided from the general fund.
Please vote Yes on Referendum Questions 2 and 3. My home was not affected by the floods, but I believe that passing these referendums will provide a real benefit to our community.
Philip Walcutt
Kennebumk
Kennebunk voters have an extraordinary opportunity on Nov. 6 to gain a riverfront park and to help their neighbors on Intervale Road who suffered extensive damage in the Mousam River floods. As most of you know, on Mother’s Day 2006 and again on Patriot’s Day 2007 the Mousam River flooded its banks and severely damaged homes on Intervale Road and Partridge Lane. Two homes on Intervale Road have been uninhabitable since the 2006 flood, and a number of homes were flooded twice.
Town Manager Barry Tibbetts has worked long and tirelessly with the residents whose homes have been damaged and with state and federal agencies to provide some relief for the residents. The culmination of his considerable effort is a $1.5 million grant proposal to FEMA. With part of this grant, three adjoining lots on the river with damaged homes would be purchased and turned into a public park. The homes would be removed and a boat launching ramp and a parking lot would be built. The rest of the grant would be used to elevate homes that are in danger of being flooded again.
FEMA will provide 75 percent of the grant money if the town will contribute the remaining 25 percent, or $375,000. Tibbetts has noted that the town has been looking for some time for a place to provide public access to the Mousam River, but riverfront property, obviously, is hard to come by.
Town Referendum Question 2 asks voters to approve providing the 25 percent contribution to get the remaining $1,125,00 from FEMA. This money will come from a bond issue, or from the General Fund, or some combination of the two. The selectmen have indicated that it is likely that all the money can come from the general fund.
Voting Yes on Question 2 assumes that you also vote Yes on Question 3, to provide the fiscal backing for the bond issue. Question 3 does NOT mean that the property tax will necessarily be increased. Again, it is likely that the $375,000 can be provided from the general fund.
Please vote Yes on Referendum Questions 2 and 3. My home was not affected by the floods, but I believe that passing these referendums will provide a real benefit to our community.
Philip Walcutt
Kennebumk
Posted by Post Editor at 11/2/2007 9:20 AM 
Categories: Letters, Opinion, Environment, Kennebunk, Elections
Categories: Letters, Opinion, Environment, Kennebunk, Elections
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