Requesting an MLF EIS: an insightful letter

             

We recently obtained a copy of this letter sent to the Town Council by a very thoughtful resident of the Bouchard Drive neighborhood.

As you read and absorb the thoughts in it, think about what the corner of Stanwood and Pleasant Street looked like before the properties were torn down to provide a location for the new Police Headquarters.  That doesn’t happen over night, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t take long for a neighborhood transitioning to absentee ownership/rental property to see such changes.

                             

‘Pride of ownership’ becomes irrelevant, and decay proceeds on a slippery slope.  We might even ask prominent local real estate professionals to comment on the phenomenon.

                                 

Herewith the letter:

Why the Town Council Should Request an Environmental Impact Statement

My name is J. Maurice L. Bisson, and I have lived in Brunswick for all of my sixty-seven years except for four years during which I served in the U.S. Air Force. I reside at 51 Bouchard Drive.

I am a certified public accountant having been in professional practice for forty years. Additionally, I am a part owner in Pleasant River Lumber Company, a sawmill operation located in four Maine communities employing nearly 200 Maine people with good pay and benefits. I have been involved in public service for many years, beginning as the Treasurer for Angus King’s gubernatorial campaigns, and I now serve as the Treasurer for his senate campaign. I have served as a member of the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) Board. I briefly served on the BDC and resigned because of issues I could not support. I am a founding member of the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition and currently serve as its Treasurer.

I heartily support Amtrak service to Brunswick. My wife and I built our home in 1979 fully expecting train traffic. We did not expect a building that is in excess of two football fields long perverting our neighborhood. So if an MLF is to be constructed in our living room, we’d best be very sure that it’s the right place for all affected stakeholders.

The reason I am writing to you today is that every resident within 1,000 feet of the proposed MLF, and the Blueberry Hill Nursery School (formerly J.A. French Printing), will be adversely affected because of pollution, vibration, noise and reduction in property values.

It is the latter to which the Town of Brunswick should be concerned. The Town of Brunswick is a stakeholder because the proposed MLF has already directly and significantly adversely affected property values and they continue to deteriorate. Accordingly, if the MLF is constructed at the current planned site, there will be collective applications for property tax abatements by many of the affected property owners. The BWNC coalition is already preparing to engage a consultant to assist in this effort.

The Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared by NNEPRA is fundamentally flawed because it does not contain a professional assessment of the socio-economic impacts from the out-of-scale garage and from the project as a whole. It is the equivalent of the fox in the henhouse reporting on the safety and security of the chickens. Rather NNEPRA's socio-economic impact section of the EA is merely an ethnic profiling of only some of the total project impact area. Just the fear of this massive project that violates the Town's Comprehensive Plan and associated zoning standards has already adversely affected nearby property values and has changed the occupancy mix of the nearest residences from owner-occupied to owner-rented properties. Properties for sale have increased and sale prices are depressed. Even some Seller-Brokers do not disclose to prospective buyers details of the MLF project plans for fear of loss of sales and or reduced prices. Rather, the position is that it is the Buyer's and their Buyer-Broker's responsibility to research the area for disclosure of any major plans such as the proposed MLF.

                   

In response to the EA, the BWNC prepared a comprehensive, detailed analysis and commentary submitted to the Federal Rail Administration (FRA). A copy of this document is available for review at Resource Systems Engineering. The document took an enormous amount of time and technical and research expertise and is available for review. An Environmental Impact Statement would provide an objective, impartial analysis of the facts.

The MLF will not provide any new taxable base to offset the devaluation of over 500 homes. Additionally, most of NNEPRA’s major purchases will be from wholesale contractors most likely not located in Brunswick (fuel, cafe car supplies, maintenance parts, waste disposal, etc) and no new jobs as these union contracted services will be imported from the current location in Portland.

The MLF has no relationship to train service to Brunswick. Our detailed analysis of ridership indicates that after fifteen months of operation, ridership exceeds 10% capacity approximately 10% of the time. In other words, ninety percent of the time, ridership is less than 10% capacity. More train trips to Brunswick because of an MLF will not increase ridership.

The MLF should be located closer to the hub than to end of the line if its purpose is to serve the needs of trains going to Brunswick and Lewiston-Auburn.

The FRA is the only remaining federal regulatory agency that can perform an EIS resulting in an objectively developed and established, complete, independent, Socio-Economic Impact Analysis with the full, formal and direct participation of all stakeholders; including The Town of Brunswick and severely impacted residents.

This is a legacy issue for the Town Council. The proposed MLF does not comport with the Town Master Plan¹. If the worst case scenario comes to pass and the town council chooses to remain on the sidelines; it will be remembered for decades.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this matter.

1 Downtown residential neighborhoods are an economic asset to Brunswick, providing tax revenue and pedestrian traffic to downtown businesses and attractions. Housing options are increased, while preserving valued features of neighborhoods. Because of their livability and convenience, downtown neighborhoods are easily marketed and attract new families and individuals.

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You can find the Downtown Master Plan here: http://www.brunswickme.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Adopted-Downtown-Master-Plan.pdf

Make sure you read “Our Downtown Vision” on page 7 of the document, which prioritizes, among other things, “Visual Quality” and “Neighborhoods.”

And don’t forget that when valuations decline in one area of town, the property tax burden shifts to areas where the values have not declined.

        

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,MLF,Amtrak,EIS,valuation

Situation Update on the Amtrak MLF

We’re pleased to bring you this update on the circumstances surrounding NNEPRA’s plan to build an MLF adjacent to the Bouchard Drive neighborhood.  Close enough to smell, hear, feel, and see, and almost touch.  It’s based on work we’ve done for other purposes, so it may sound a bit stiff compared to normal Side stylistics, whatever the hell ‘normal’ means.

So as we sometimes say around here, cut us some slack, and grant us poetic license in this case.

If you need to review prior posts on the subject, you can do so here:

http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/search?q=Amtrak

http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/search?q=MLF

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The circumstances surrounding the construction of an Amtrak Maintenance and Layover Facility (MLF) adjacent to an established, in town Brunswick residential neighborhood are reaching an irreversible and highly troubling stage.

The current plan threatens the domestic tranquility and property values of hundreds of Brunswick families, and precludes larger economic development opportunities that other locations would provide. If unchecked, the plan will be an environmental and socio-economic failure of major proportions.

In brief:

• The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), created by Maine Statute, exhibits all the operational and accountability shortcomings that were exposed at The Maine State Housing Authority and The Maine Turnpike Authority following the most recent gubernatorial election.

  • Juxtaposed in the midst of municipal, state, and federal governments, NNEPRA is leveraging the confusion and muddled roles to avoid responsible oversight, and to effectively skirt around a number of established regulations and processes.

  • They have created a straw-man argument that unless the MLF is constructed as planned, in the in-town neighborhood, Amtrak Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick will necessarily die. Anxious locals, convinced that the Downeaster is a miracle of government investment, are circling the wagons to ensure this plan of record is not jeopardized by opposition of effected citizens and concerned others.

• Notwithstanding the poor business case for Amtrak extension to Brunswick, and the doomsday narrative fabricated by NNEPRA, there is no compelling case, and there are no other imperatives to locate the MLF where currently planned.

  • The rationale put forth about 'historic use,' availability, cost, and proximity to the Brunswick passenger depot are largely untrue, easily countered, and completely devoid of singular merit.

  • Conversely, there is a compelling case for not locating the MLF in the Bouchard Drive neighborhood, and it is a socio-economic and environmental impact case of solid virtue.

  • If one accepts that the MLF should be in Brunswick, two available sites in east Brunswick merit serious consideration. Each is clearly superior to the current plan, and most importantly, offers multi-modal economic growth potential, lower overall cost and complexity, and substantially reduced environmental impact. Neither will disrupt the domestic tranquility of established residential neighborhoods in the heart of town.

• In recent months, the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition, through their attorney, has taken formal steps to address abuse and/or aberration of established processes at state and federal levels. The intent is to ensure that full and open disclosure of all relevant facts occurs, and that determination of the most just and effective course of action results. These steps include:

  • Filing of a formal request to the Federal Railroad Authority (FRA) to terminate the Environmental Assessment (EA) process and initiate the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process because of poor quality, mis-statements, and misrepresentations in the draft EA prepared by NNEPRA.

  • Submission of formal comments (several hundred pages including technical studies) on the final EA to NNEPRA and the FRA.

  • Filing of an 80C Civil Complaint in Cumberland County Superior Court challenging granting of a Stormwater Management Permit by the Maine DEP.

  • Submission of a formal letter of complaint to FRA Administrator Szabo summarizing EA flaws and withholding of vital information by NNEPRA during the review and comment period and the related public hearing.

• To summarize, the current MLF siting proposal is not good for the town of Brunswick, the region, or the State of Maine, and there are clear and well-known alternatives that would be beneficial to all. Future growth of any sort is not feasible with the current plan. Ridership figures do not support claims that the MLF is driven by the need to expand service to/from Brunswick. Worst of all, the path taken by NNEPRA to arrive at this juncture is fraught with deficiencies, abuse of process, and withholding of crucial information.

In view of these realities, a full FRA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be required before current plans are implemented, irreversible damage is done, and greater benefits are lost forever. This normally mandatory step has been subverted by a highly flawed and much less demanding Environmental Assessment (EA) that was used to gain an earlier exemption from the FRA.

This assault on well established process is at the very heart of neighborhood opposition, and they have copious hard data to substantiate their case. Regrettably, both NNEPRA and Brunswick town officials have done everything in their power to keep this professionally collected and analyzed evidence from seeing the light of day in an open and public forum.

Additionally, all sources of funding to NNEPRA should be immediately frozen and remain suspended until rigorous and independent evaluation of alternate sites has been completed, and the highest and best use of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds can be determined by the State.

NNEPRA monthly board meetings also need to be conducted with full adherence to applicable law, and greater respect for the public trust.

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Just in case you forgot, there are other ways to travel between Brunswick and Portland, and points further south.

And there are other important aspects to this evolution.

Many of which you may already be aware, though if doesn’t matter much when there are local mitigating factors involved.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,Amtrak,MLF

“Just the facts,” please, on NNEPRA and the Amtrak MLF

     

You might recognize that look on Joe Friday’s face….it’s his stony look when he thinks he’s being fed a bill of goods.

And he is.  But that’s why you have us to follow up for you.

What follows is a slightly edited version of an item we composed for use elsewhere; we’d like to think it cuts directly to the chase.

=================================================

Introduction:

The circumstances surrounding the construction of an Amtrak Maintenance and Layover Facility (MLF) adjacent to an established, in town Brunswick residential neighborhood are reaching an irreversible and highly troubling stage. The current plan threatens the domestic tranquility and property values of hundreds of Brunswick families, and precludes larger economic development opportunities that other locations would provide. As such, if unchecked, the plan will be an environmental and socio-economic failure of major proportions.

The Particulars:

• The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), created by Maine Statute, exhibits all the operational & accountability shortcomings that became apparent at the Maine State Housing Authority and the Maine Turnpike Authority after the most recent gubernatorial election.

  • Juxtaposed in the midst of municipal, state, and federal governments, NNEPRA is leveraging the confusion and muddled roles to avoid responsible oversight, and effectively skirt around a number of established regulations and processes.

  • They have created a straw-man argument that unless the MLF is constructed as planned, in the in-town neighborhood, Amtrak Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick will necessarily die. Anxious locals, convinced that the Downeaster is a miracle of government investment, are therefore circling the wagons to ensure that this plan is not jeopardized by citizens opposed to the proposed location.

• Notwithstanding the poor business case for Amtrak extension to Brunswick, and the doomsday narrative fabricated by NNEPRA, there is no compelling case and there are no other imperatives to locate the MLF where currently planned.

  • The rationale put forth about 'historic use,' availability, cost, and proximity to the Brunswick passenger depot are soft, easily countered, and completely devoid of singular merit.

  • Conversely, there is a compelling case for not locating the MLF in the Bouchard Drive neighborhood, and it is a socio-economic and environmental impact case of solid virtue.

  • If one accepts that the MLF should be in Brunswick, two other available sites in east Brunswick are far more suitable, and in fact advantageous. Each is clearly superior to the current plan, and most importantly, offers multi-modal economic growth potential, lower overall cost and complexity, and substantially reduced environmental impact. Neither will disrupt the domestic tranquility of established middle class neighborhoods in the heart of town.  Since trains already travel east of Maine Street Station, grade crossings are in place.

• To summarize, the current MLF siting proposal is not good for the town of Brunswick, the region, or the State of Maine, and there are clear and well-known alternatives that would be beneficial to all. Future growth of any sort is not feasible with the current plan.

Action Needed:

Responsible stewardship of the public trust requires that at the very least, a full FRA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be required before current plans are implemented, irreversible damage is done, and greater benefits are lost forever. This normally mandatory step has been circumvented by a highly flawed and much less demanding Environmental Assessment (EA) that was used to gain an exemption from the FRA (Federal Railroad Authority.)

This abuse of the normal process is at the very heart of neighborhood opposition, and they have copious hard data to substantiate their case. Regrettably, both NNEPRA and Brunswick town officials have done everything in their power to keep this professionally collected and analyzed evidence from seeing the light of day in an open and public forum.

Additionally, all sources of funding for NNEPRA MLF activity should be immediately frozen, and remain suspended until rigorous and independent evaluation of alternate sites has been completed.

=====================================================

There’s a whole lot of things about and in Brunswick that we just don’t understand.

 

Why elected officials, and especially the town manager, are so adamantly resisting a full scale evaluation of MLF siting is at the very top of that list.  All the maneuvering, distracting, and downright refusal to openly explore and discuss the details of the current situation clearly suggests that something is very, very wrong here.

We can’t quite put our finger on what it is, but we’re making progress.  And when we reach an inflection point, you’ll be the first to know. 

Until then, remember how much fun it is to watch Brunswick Sausage being made.

            

And be sure to watch tonight’s council meeting, at which a new variety of local sausage may be introduced.

Technorati Tags: Amtrak,MLF,Brunswick,town council,town manager

The Single-Ended Double-Ended BMLF; questions of public trust and public benefit all in one swell foop

Before we get to the main subject of this post, we decided we want to remind you of a recent exchange with NNEPRA, as we attempted to fulfill our responsibility of keeping you well informed.  The text below appeared in a post dated June 9th of this year, which you can find here:  https://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2017/06/downeaster-economic-benefits-and-other.html

We think it’s appropriate to remind you as well that the entity that operates the Downeaster was unable to document “Economic and Public Benefits” associated with the service.  Which is a lovely addition to the fact that Brunswick’s Town Council refused to even discuss the subject of local economic benefit when we proposed doing so in 2015.

Dear Mr. Schaeffer:

This is in response to your electronic request to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority dated­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ May 31, 2017 requesting documents pursuant to Maine’s Freedom of Access Act, 1 M.R.S.A. § 400 et seq.

Any and all materials produced in response to the FY17 Draft Action Plan item to “Identify and Promote Economic and Public Benefits associated with the Downeaster”.

“There are no documents responsive to this request.”

How’s that for an outcome?  The very organization that operates the Downeaster, pursuing the goal for 11 months, could not come up with any constructive benefits to share with us.

Now that you’re in the proper frame of mind to hear more good news about Downeaster operations, lets see how you react to the new information we have for you today.

Side believes that unelected government bureaucrats, working with OPM (other peoples money) can always be counted on to do a far better, more efficient, and economical job than can their counterparts in the private sector.  Especially those who have Carte Blanche for their efforts, and who operate with essential autonomy from the marginal oversight and accountability practices inherent in the main branches of State Government.  </sarcasm>

           

Which, surprise surprise, brings us to the Brunswick Maintenance and Layover Facility (BMLF) constructed under the management of and with funding from the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA.)  All with the attentive admiration of the train ladies of Brunswick, known as AAB.  (We’re wondering how they feel about the new Metro-Breez bus service coming to town.)

The MLF is designed with three identical garage doors at both ends -- East and West; three tracks inside the building; and switched "ladder tracks" at each end to route train sets between the MLF interior and the main-line track.

In theory, this is a "drive through" facility like the modern Fire Station facility east of Cooks Corner.  No backing in or out should be required.  Trains coming up from the south for storage should enter the MLF on the west side.  Trains heading from the MLF to the Brunswick station should exit on the east end and head directly to the station.  Trains heading from the Brunswick station to the MLF should enter on the east side.  Etc,

However, our observers have witnessed train sets regularly backing out of the west end of the MLF via the ladder tracks, and across Church Road (which is blocked during the maneuver) beyond a switch adjacent to the BIW CROF building.  The switch is then thrown, and the train enters the main-line and heads east to the Brunswick Station for the 11:00am southbound departure.  We’ve seen it multiple times ourself.

       

In other words, in the observed cases, the east end MLF access doors and the east end ladder tracks/switches are not used at all.

This raises concerns that the tracks/switches at the east end of the MLF have design and/or construction flaws that make them unsuitable for maneuvering the Downeaster train sets, and there could be other problems as well.  Design and construction must be well engineered and constructed to avoid damaging train set operating components or exceeding design limits.

                                         

This situation merits investigation, since the east end access doors, switches, and tracks could easily have added millions to the project cost.  That they are not part of operation of the facility as originally planned is highly suspicious.  The workaround adds additional closings of the Church Road gates, and additional noise and pollution impacts to adjacent areas.

                      

We expect responsible authorities to come forward with an explanation, and when they do, we’ll publish it here so you’ll know there’s nothing to see here, and you should just move along.

Technorati Tags: NNEPRA,MLF,design,construction

Of Pawns and Coming Clean: Reality, Conflicts & Other Priorities

We’ve been wandering in the thicket a bit since first coming up with the idea for this post, and it’s time to get back on track and get it off our list.  Our first working title had been “MLF EIS, etc: separating the wheat from the bloviation,” but we don’t need to tell you that we revised it.

              

You know us; we’re all about the details.   We like to keep the facts straight on things.  It’s one of the curses of growing up an engineer. 

So we’re following up on a few things from the town council meeting of Monday, April 7th, at which the subject of sending a town council letter to the FRA to request a full EIS was debated and voted upon, and went down to defeat at a vote of 4 supporting, 5 opposed.

      

Sending the motion down to defeat was as easy as “1-2-3”  you might say.

Along these lines, the other day we reported that unless councilor Johnny Protocols can hurl a rock more than a mile, his assertion that he lives ‘a stone’s throw from the tracks’ is so much Brunswick Sausage.  He admittedly has a reputation for slinging BS with the best of them, but we’re not buying it in this case.

A Conflict with Reality?

In his comments on the subject, first district councilor Dave Watson mentioned that “Congress has directed that the train is not to cross Maine Street,” thereby rendering MLF location at any Brunswick East location impossible.  This was the first we’d heard of such an edict from our benefactors in Washington.

                                

So we followed up with this email to Councilor Watson (and the rest of the town council:)

At Monday night's town council meeting (April 7) you made a statement to the effect that Congress has limited the travel of the Downeaster to the west side of Maine Street; that by their direction, the train could not cross the street.

Please provide substantiation for that limitation.  An electronic copy of the document would be appreciated.

We sent it along last Friday.  As of this posting, we have heard nothing in response.  Perhaps Watson’s people are researching the issue and digging up the evidence.

                         

At the same meeting, Ms. Emily Boocheever spoke in opposition to the requested letter.  Ms. Boochever, an officer of the court we understand (as are JP1 & JP2, along with council chair Pols), has been a devoted opponent to all things associated with the Brunswick West neighborhood centered around Bouchard Drive.

                     

We take her to be a spokesperson for TrainRiders/Northeast, since she traveled to Augusta to strenuously object to the Governor’s nomination of Bob McEvoy to the NNEPRA Board of Directors.  While their Chairman, Saint Wayne, was there, he chose not to speak, allowing two members of the bar and one extra-planetary spokesman to do so in his stead.

Davis did not attend the council meeting on the 7th, nor did Patricia Quinn, ED of NNEPRA.  It’s our belief they were advised to stay away to avoid creating an adversarial atmosphere that might have swayed public sympathies.

At the council meeting, Boocheever used numeric figures to make her concerted case against the Brunswick West Neighborhood position.  We thought some of these were in error, and see it as our obligation to set things straight.  Some examples:

• Emily asserts the proposed MLF has a footprint of 45,850 sq ft.  We don’t know where that figure comes from.  The original waiver request to the Zoning Board of Appeals proposed a building of 39,560 sq ft.  The building estimate grew to 65,000 sq ft, and was later revised to 55,000 sq ft.  The latest figure we’ve seen is approx 52,000 sq ft, from the engineering drawings associated with the storm water permit process..
• Emily pointed out that a professional football field is 57,600 sq ft, and thus the MLF is 12,000 sq ft smaller in size.  At the moment, the building is just 5,000 sq ft smaller in footprint.

This is not the main point, however.  The football field analogy was first invoked to show that the building, at over 650 ft in length, is nearly as long as two football fields.  That’s the dimension that will project itself along the Bouchard Drive neighborhood, along with the height of nearly 40 ft.

However, the total project area for the MLF is approximately 371,000 sq ft, or the equivalent of more than 6 professional football fields.  You can see this footprint overlaid on the downtown Maine Street area here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/219043312/Amtrak-MLF-Project-overlaid-on-Brunswick-s-Maine-Street-downtown-area.

Pawns and Coming Clean

                               

Our procrastination in getting this post published, as Chance would have it, provided another insight into Ms. Boochever’s place in the grand scheme of things.

It so happens that the Portland newspaper and the Coastal Journal ran a shared item yesterday (Friday, April 18) suggesting a conflict associated with the technical work done for and by the Brunswick West Neighborhood Coalition, particularly regarding the sound measurements.

It’s well known the Portland paper is owned by billionaire hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman, husband of Congresswoman Rochelle Pingree.  What might not be so well known is that Ms. Boochever is a major player in Democrat Party politics, and along with the House of Sartoris, in recent months hosted a reception for Gubernatorial Candidate Mike Michaud, clearly the preferred candidate of the MaineToday Media empire owned by Sussman-Pingree. 

Since the article parallels the story line advanced by Boochever at the April 7th council meeting, we see dots connecting her and the published news item that likely go well beyond serendipity.  Any time you find dots connecting, you begin to suspect other dots could well appear if your eyes are open and your nose is open to things that don’t smell right.  We’re not there yet, but we’re being extra attentive.  There’s more than one person involved here who would be governor, so this isn’t beanbag.

As long as the reporter was detailed to explore the possibility of a conflict, others have asked why he didn’t look into the conflict represented by NNEPRA purchasing the Brunswick West property before their consultant was employed to do an analysis of possible locations for the MLF.  And another has observed:

The bias issue is now being raised by people who were opposed to the Town Council asking for an EIS.  If in fact the bias issue exists, what better way than an EIS to objectively resolve the issue?  

Here’s a tip for the reporter to pursue as long as he’s looking for ‘conflicts.’  How, why, and through whom did Brunswick Taxi end up with a lucrative long term contract to transport crews between the site and Portland twice a day all year round?  Why not pursue the details of that arrangement?

Or perhaps Ms. Boochever could show as much interest in that subject as she’s shown in Charlie Wallace’s filings with the Brunswick Planning Department.  She likes bringing ‘facts’ before the council relevant to the site selection process and an EIS; we suspect the Taxi contract is all that and more.

                                   

Shortly after the articles appeared, TrainRiders Northeast, the non-profit NNEPRA subsidiary and mouthpiece, commented on the articles with this note, which we’re certain was written by Saint Wayne:

How do your define 'conflict of interest?' The Portland Press Herald reports that the West Brunswick engineer who determined that the proposed Downeaster Layover Facility would exceed federal noise regulations, quietly filed plans to build a 9-home subdivision next to the land. That's a clear financial 'conflict of interest.' Or, to put it another way, "Not in my backyard unless it's my subdivision."

        

We’re not sure what the difference is between ‘quietly filed plans,’ ‘noisily filed plans,’ or for that matter ‘ambient matching filed plans.’  You’d probably have to have a qualified noise measurement expert there at the moment of filing to document the actual levels.

The facts, regardless of any pawn’s characterization, are that Charles Wallace first complied with the full town planning process for his development proposal, including meetings with neighbors, in 2005.  That’s when the sketch plan was submitted, well before a Brunswick train run and MLF were contemplated by NNEPRA or TRN.

In fact, in an Environmental Assessment in 2009, associated with a $34.5 million stimulus grant, NNEPRA/TRN stated the MLF would remain in Portland. They then splintered the project and amended the FRA contract for another $3.4 million to install ‘ladder tracks’ in Brunswick to support moving the MLF to town.  They received a categorical exclusion for the track extension project, and then filed for additional grants for further track/siding/wye improvements and to construct the MLF.

Eventually, the Federal Railroad Authority recognized that project splintering had occurred, and required NNEPRA to prepare an EA before proceeding with the rail work and MLF construction.  So the history of the Downeaster extension to Brunswick has been one of NNEPRA trying to finagle their way out of full compliance with the NEPA Process and an EIS at every step along the way.  (We’ve appended the flow chart for the process at the end of this post.)

Diversions; eggs and chickens unsure of which came first; carts before horses; politically motivated pawns.  As we’ve suggested before, things worthy of a new musical.  But not civic responsibility and transparent governance.  Not that anyone cares at this point.

Wallace reports that he first announced and disclosed his inherent conflict at Senator Gerzofsky’s initial informational meeting in 2011; has stated his relationships openly at every public meeting; has affirmed his ownership interests in the acknowledgement page of his technical report; and showed the reporter involved here a copy of his disclosure statement at an interview for a prior article roughly a year ago.  All are verifiable.

Given all that has transpired to date, and the one-sidedness of the transparency and disclosures, it seems all the more appropriate to ask why NNEPRA and TRN are so opposed to the integrity an EIS would bring to the process.  And instead, are intent on seeding a friendly press with personal allegations that don’t hold water.

            

Technorati Tags: Amtrak,NNEPRA,TRN,Wallace,MLF,Brunswick