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(NotesforNNEPRAboardmeetingregardinglocationoftrainlayoverfacility)

Goodevening.MynameisBenetPols.IamatowncouncilorinBrunswick

representingDistrict7.TheeasternedgeofmydistricttravelsfromSpringSt,along

thesouthsideofWeymouthStreettoStanwoodandbacktoMcKeenStreet.Sothefringeofmydistrictisaboutahalf-milefromthebuildingyouproposetobuildatBoucharddrive.

ThelasttimewewereallinthismeetingroomtogetherweheardfromagentlemanwholivesoutintheWildwoodneighborhoodofftheGurnetRoad.Hepointedoutthathisneighborhood,andhishome,wouldnotbedirectlyaffectednomatterwhichsiteyouchooseforthelayoverfacility.NonethelesshefeltthatanythingthatwassobadforonepartofBrunswickwasnecessarilybadforthewholetown.

ThisistheperspectivefromwhichIdliketospeaktonight,but,atthesametime,fromperspectiveofsomeonewhohasworkedlongandhardtohelpbringthetrainbacktoBrunswick.

Ifyoucantbuildthislayoverfacilityatthealternatesite,theCrookersite,youshouldntbuilditinBrunswickatall.TheonlybenefitthislayoverfacilityprovidestothetownofBrunswickisastrategicone.Thatis,eveniftrainridershipnumbersdontjustifycontinuingservicetoBrunswickAmtrakwillcontinueitanyway.BecausetherailbarnwillbeherethetrainswillstillruntoBrunswickevenifempty.Attheveryleast,youllstillrunthemorningtrainoutandthelatetrainback.Iguessyoucouldcallthisabenefiteveniftherearenotaxbenefitsand

norealjobcreation.

WehaveworkedhardforyearstobringtrainservicebacktoBrunswick.Manypeoplequestionthevalueandthevalidityofextendingtheservice.Nodoubtyouarefamiliarwiththeasphaltandrubbertireaficionadoswhosaythattheeraofrailisover.Theyresentthemassivetaxpayersubsidiesforpublictransportationingeneral,andforrailinparticular.ThesepeoplemaywellaskwhywillyourunfouremptytrainstoandfromBrunswickwhentwoemptytrainswillcarryallthepassengers.

ButnotBrunswick.Wehavestruggledtoprovideavenueforthereturnof

trainservice,areasonforthetraintocomehere.IthinksomemembersoftheboardwillrememberthatAuburnhopedtheDowneasterwouldbeextendedtheirway,butBrunswickwasready.Brunswickbuiltatrainstationandahotel.Weareapartytoajointdevelopmentagreementwiththedeveloperofthisfacilitywherewesitrightnow.

WhatpeoplemaynotrecallishowhardBrunswickhadtopushthedeveloperofthisfacilitytosetasidespaceinthisfacilityforatrainstation,alobby

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areathatgoesbeyondtheusualplatformandticketvendingmachine.Webasicallysweatedthedeveloperforthatspacedownstairsnexttotheplatformwherethevisitorscenteris.Iwasontheplanningboardthatapprovedthiscomplex.Thedeveloperwantedtomaximizetheavailablerentalspace.Townstaff,theplanningboardandmanyinterestedcitizenspushedbacklongandhardtomakesurespace

wasreservedforarealtrainstationandspacepreservedfortaxis,busesandparking.

Ofcourse,wethenhadtorentthespacetoo.Weused220,000dollarsfromtheBrunswickDevelopmentCorporationtorentthespaceforfiveyears.ThetownofBrunswickispayingrentinthisbuildingsothatwecanhaveatrainstationreadyforyou.

Andfrankly,itwasagoodthingwemuscledthetrainstationspaceoutofthedeveloper.Aspartofthetownsobligationunderthejointdevelopmentagreementweprovidedextensivesitework,environmentalremediationandinfrastructure

workonthissite.Ourfinancialobligationandcommitmentwashigh.AportionoftheenvironmentalcleanupwasmetthroughanEPABrownFieldsgrantbutwewerepreparedtobondanadditional$2mforthisproject.

WealsocountedonapendingEDAgrantwethoughthadbeenapprovedfor

about850,000.

Inthespringof2009,thisgrantwasinjeopardy.Thoughwedbeenledtobelievethegrantwasasurething,lastminuteproblemsappearedintheapplication.

TheregionaldirectoroftheEDAbelievedtheprojecttobesimplyaretailand

hotelprojectandthusnotqualifyforthegrant.IwaswithourtownmanagerduringconferencecallswithfolksattheEDAinWashingtonandPhiladelphiaaswere-emphasizedthemulti-modaltransitaspectofthisproject.Andmostimportantre-emphasizedthetownscommitmenttotheprojectasamulti-modalfacility.Uponourrepresentationthatthetownwascommittedtocompletingtheproject,andthatitwasinamulti-modaltransitprojectwithassociatedretailandhotelprojects,thegrantwasfinallyapproved.($902,500.00)

Wedidallthisforyou,sothatNNEPRAcouldextenditsservicetotown.

Itsfairtosaythatourcommitmenttothisprojectjustifiedthegrantsyou

folkshavereceivedtorehabilitatethetracksfromPortlandnorthandextendtheservicehere.WithoutBrunswickscommitment,youwouldnotbeabletoextendAmtrakservicehere.YoumightinsteadhavebeenlookingatAuburn.

ThatissomethingyoushouldconsiderasyoudecidewhetherornottodrivethissquarepegintotheroundholeoftheBouchardStreetneighborhood.OneofmyfellowcouncilorswasquotedassayingthatthetowncouncilhadtostayoutofthisdisputeinordertoavoidsouringourrelationshipwithNNEPRA.

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Ithinkthatisbackwards.Youshouldbeworriedaboutsouringyour

relationshipwithus.YoushouldbeconsideringthelastimpressionyouregoingtobemakingonthepeopleofthetownofBrunswick.

Wevebeenadvocatingthisprojectforyearsandnowitseemsthatyouarewillingtoforcethislayoverfacilityonussimplybecauseyoucan.Federalpre-emptionisapowerfulweapon,itshouldbeusedsparinglybecauseitistheimageyouwillleavebehind:thatofanaggressivebully.

ThisiswhatwellrememberwhenRockland,orAugustaorBangorasksusaboutthetraincomingtoBrunswick.Rememberalsothatourprofessionalstaffersaremainlyjustheretodoajob.Theycamefromsomewhereelseseekingprofessionaladvancement;theyllmoveonsoonenough.DaveMarkovchick,withwhomMs.QuinnfirstmadethisdealfortheBouchardsite,hasalreadymovedontopracticehisbureaucraticartelsewhere.ButCouncilorsPerreaultandAtwoodwho

representtheBoucharddrivefolksandCouncilorWatsonwhorepresentstheCrookersitewillbeherealong,longtime.SowillI,andsowillalltheothercitizensyouseehere.

Last,FederalPre-emptionisacreatureofthelaw;itallowsyoutosubvertlocalcontrolandlocallaws.Idliketotakeaminutetotalkaboutthedifferencebetweenacomprehensiveplanandazoningordinance.Thisisanargumentthatmayappealtoonlythelawyersamongyou.

Acomprehensiveplanismerelyaguide,aroadmap,asitwere,tohelpguidefuturedevelopment.Itdoesnothavetheforceoflaw,evenonlocalissues.Itswhat

wehopefor,notwhatisrequired.

Azoningordinancehowever,isdifferent.Itisalaw,asetofregulationsadoptedbythelocallegislativebody.Ithastheforceoflaw.Itisarequirement.

Townstaffhastoldyou,thattheCrookersiteisinconsistentwithourcomprehensiveplan,whiletheBouchardsiteisnot.Perhapsthisopinionismeanttoserveasabalmofsortstoassuageanybadfeelingsyoumayhaveasyoucramthisthinginwhereitisnotwelcome.

WhatismissingisthefactthatyouruseoftheCrookersiteis,infact,

consistentwithlocallaw---thezoningcode,whiletheBouchardsiteisnot.

YouwouldnotevenneedavariancetobuildontheCrookersite.Youcouldbuilda250,000squarefootbuildingontheCrookersitewithoutsomuchasarequestforavariance.YouwouldnotevenneedtobreaththewordsFederalPre-emptionmuchlessswingthatcudgelthroughanoldanestablishedneighborhood.Soyoushouldnotdoit.Thankyou.