Save River Street

To the Editor:

I need the support of the townspeople. An automatic car wash is coming to the parking lot adjacent to the library. They plan to take down part of the tree line at the back of the lot facing River Street for the water and sewer lines. How many trees and how wide a swath is unknown. They plan to put up a 6-foot fence of unknown length and materials, and plant some trees. I won’t go into the land preservation ordinance; instead I want Dover-Foxcroft to see things from my eyes.

In 2007, I bought a home in Milo. I came here to get my then 7-year-old daughter away from the ugliness of Florida. In my family, people come before money. I have home-schooled four children. My youngest wanted to go to public school. She wanted to be with her friends from the Dover-Foxcroft area, so we started paying tuition at Foxcroft Academy. It was hard making the trek from Milo to Dover-Foxcroft. Activities, sports, the bus at the Sebec line did me no good. So we decided to buy a fixer-upper in Dover-Foxcroft.

We came to look at 84 River St. Maybe you have passed by it before. The roof was covered in blue tarps, the windows covered with plyboard, the lovely closed porch collapsing. But when I walked through the door, I didn’t see all that. I didn’t see the falling-in ceilings, the damaged walls, the nearly non-existent kitchen. The house spoke to me. I saw what it was to become. I fell in love. I wanted to save this charming home on the river.

It will be two years in November.

We are still working on it. I have wandered these rooms touching the woodwork, planning its decor and admiring its progress.

I have lost money to unscrupulous workers. I have refused to scrimp. I spent all the Milo house profit on this house and so much more than that. But now, I no longer love this house — the prospect of having a car wash destroys my peace, takes the trees, sound and look of nature away from me. People are not all thoughtful. Will patrons of the new car wash drive up with radios blaring? Will they vacuum on the way home from third shift? Will lights disturb my sleep at night?

They want the building to be surrounded by lights, you know. Will the sound, the smell, the noise cause me to close my windows on cool evenings? Why can’t the car wash be pushed closer to Rt. 15? Why can’t the exit of the car wash face Rt. 15? Why can’t the tree line be left intact and the water and sewer go out to Rt. 15.

Why? Money. They want to save money. They want to save money so badly that they endangered unskilled workers to try and take the existing historic building down. A car wash smack dab in the middle of that parking lot will look less than desirable. The appeal is slated for Sept. 16. I don’t know the time yet. It will be in the The Piscataquis Observer.

I am not sure what good it will do, but will you come? Will you show support to leave a neighborhood in its current use and character? If not, I will stand alone. It won’t be the first time. Today it is my neighborhood.

But what about tomorrow? I am already looking at property elsewhere. I have had a realtor here to possibly sell. What will I do with my daughter if I can’t stand living in front of a car wash? She is a high honors student. She loves her friends. She also has loved this house. Our lives hang on the decision of the appeals board.

4.3 Review Criteria A. Preservation of Landscape: The landscape shall be preserved in its natural state insofar as practicable, by minimizing tree and soil removal, retaining existing vegetation where desirable, and keeping any grade changes in character with the general appearance of neighboring areas.

Hope to see you there.

Nikki Page

Dover-Foxcroft

Editor’s Note: The appeal meeting is scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m.