Kennebunk residents will have a unique opportunity to take a prime vacant commercial building in the center of downtown, clean up an environmental hazard with state and federal funds and find a new owner as soon as the site is deemed clean by Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Why should the town get into the real estate transaction you ask? Because no bank or private investor will take on this risk knowing there is a petroleum hazard underground. If the town does not act, the property will remain vacant for years, slowly disintegrating from the lack of maintenance, adversely affecting the value of the properties surrounding it, slowly diminishing our tax revenues and all the while potentially allowing underground contamination to spread.

 This property is a central point of Main Street and I urge voters to support this purchase. If there is someone or entity who thinks they can do this and make money at it, they didn’t come forward during the year this property has been vacant. Do we want to debate this six or 10 years from now, when there may be no state or federal funds to pay?

The time to act is now and we should do it quickly and return this property to a taxable, vibrant commercial use in the middle of our downtown’s Main Street. Please vote “yes” June 8 on Article 21 Referendum Question No. 19 to support selectmen’s purchase and clean up plan for the C.N. Brown site.

Robert Georgitis

Kennebunk