East-west corridor moratorium extended, but vote was closer

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — The Dexter Town Council voted last week to extend a six-month moratorium on construction of the proposed east-west corridor through the community, but the vote was closer than the previous tally in June.

    This time Councilor Fred Banks joined the opposition as the measure passed 4-3. Two councilors who voted against the moratorium in June, Chairman Peter Haskell and Alan Wintle, also opposed extending the measure. Both men were defeated for reelection last month.
    There were also more residents willing to speak out against the ordinance this time, but the proponents outnumbered the opponents by roughly 2-to-1 during the 45 minute public hearing.
    The major reason cited by both proponents and opponents of extending the six-month moratorium was lack of specific details about the limited-access highway, which also may include underground utilities.
    Cianbro Corporation CEO Peter Vigue has repeatedly stated that the exact route of the 200-mile corridor roughly from Calais to Coburn Gore has not been determined and planning is in the very early stages.
    That’s what bothered residents like Linda Tisdale. “We feel it would be a serious mistake for Dexter to open the doors to this enormous project without knowing specific details — like the exact route through Dexter, construction plans and if a pipeline or utility will be included,” Tisdale said.
    Ron Apel, one of the newly-elected town councilors, read an e-mail he received from Darryl Brown of Cianbro, the spokesperson for the east-west corridor. “He doesn’t say anything specific about a time frame or route,” Apel said. “I’m asking you to extend the moratorium. I don’t want to be sitting up there next month (at the councilor’s table) and facing these people out here.”
    Wanda Curtis said that Maine “is known around the world, not just for our rocky coast but our peaceful mountains and lakes where people come to cast off their cares for a few days or weeks of recreation.” She said that no one can assess the potential of “thousands of acres of habitat loss” if the corridor is built through the town.
    But Tony Pomerleau, who once operated a truck repair shop in Dexter, said that he supported the project.  “All I hear is negative ideas, but not what it can do for us,” Pomerleau said. “Has anybody been asked to sell their land? Does anybody know where it’s going?” Pomerleau said that if the moratorium passes, “I would lose my rights … You shouldn’t have a few hundred people decide for 3,800 (Dexter’s population.)”
    Joel Costonis said that “Mr. (Peter) Vigue has had numerous accomplishments and he’s not going to step into something like the corridor without the planning and due diligence he’s done in the past.” He advised councilors not to approve a moratorium “against a plan that we don’t have enough information about.”
    Bill Lovejoy said that if the council passed the moratorium extension, “I’m going to sell my house and move out of town.” He added that “economically, Dexter is in the tank. In the last 30 days, I found 81 houses for sale (in Dexter) … If this passes, you’re sending a pretty negative message to businesses who may want to come to Dexter.”
    Wintle and Banks also spoke briefly about their reasons for opposing the extension before the final council vote.
    In addition to the moratorium ordinance, the town council also approved a $47,888 payout to former Town Manager Linda-Jean Briggs who resigned in late October. The agreement, which included six months’ salary plus accrued benefits, was negotiated by the town and Briggs’ legal counsel.
    Councilors had said previously that the payout would not have an effect on the town’s budget since there was adequate money in the undesignated funds account.