Updates: June 12, 2022 Essential Information on the project

Last week, we attended the Biddeford City Council meeting where the City Manager, Jim Bennett, provided some details on the West Brook development. Though no new information was presented, we want to ensure a few points are clear so you are fully informed on the scope of this project. Based on our conversations with Council members, the following points will help clarify questions that have arisen over the past few weeks.

Regardless of the outcome of this project, Clifford Park is not going away; the land trade involves 4 acres of the park, which does not sound like much, but this is a crucial area as it serves as the sole corridor between Clifford Park and Blandings Park Wildlife Sanctuary.

As specified in the petition, this project will have massive long-term repercussions for wildlife in the area. The West Brook development will add 19 houses covering ~8 acres (= 6 football fields). Following West Brook, the developer has full intention (as per the Letter of Understanding with the City) to extend Parkside Drive, adding an additional 30 homes totaling ~20 acres (= 15 football fields!).

The development parcels are within an area that Maine has declared a Focus Area of Statewide Ecological Significance. We feel that this project should fall under Site Law review—it appears this is being circumvented by proposing the extensions of Winding Creek and Parkside as separate development projects. If they were proposed together, substantial wildlife and environmental study would be required by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, as the total area of the development exceeds 20 acres.

The Letter of Understanding between the City and E & R Development Corporation states that the City of Biddeford will gain 100 acres of privately-owned land, including the waterfall along the Red Trail. We realize this sounds great on the surface, but considering the aforementioned points, please understand that exchanging this particular parcel will have long-term negative impacts on the ecology of Clifford Park. This is why we continue to advocate for putting this acreage into a land trust — so it will be protected in perpetuity.

Attached, you can see precise details on the land swap involved in this trade. We have outlined the development area so the impact on the corridor is more clear.

We once again want to be clear that the Red Trail (which has beautiful waterfalls near Parkside) is not currently owned by the City of Biddeford. That parcel currently belongs to Mr. Mike Eon and he has graciously let the public have access to this part of Clifford Park for years. We emphasize that we can’t take community access to this land for granted. We need to remain respectful to Mr. Eon and Mr. Dube as potential allies to preserve and extend the park for generations to come; without the cost of effectively cleaving it in two.

Finally, should the proposed trade go through final approval against our wishes; there are no guarantees currently that the city will place the acquired land under a conservation easement or similar protections. It’s very possible the City would further develop land conveyed from E & R Development Group and Gervais Dube. Our collective voice matters greatly here in protecting all we can.

We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions. We want everyone on this list to have a full understanding of what this project entails. Some of your Council representatives and Planning Board members will emphasize the 100-acre land swap, but we ask that you look beyond the numbers and recognize how important this fragment of acreage truly is to habitat sustainability.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at future planning board meetings! Your well-informed voice makes a huge difference!