SCARBOROUGH, Maine — The town of Scarborough has officially withdrawn its support for the proposed Gorham connector project.
After pushback from residents, town councilors voted six to one at a meeting Wednesday to formally withdraw support for the project.
The project, which is proposed by the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA), would create a four-and-a-half mile highway connector from I-295 in South Portland, through Scarobough, to Gorham. The project is intended to alleviate rush hour traffic.
Opponents packed council chambers to voice their concerns.
"We need some kind of public transportation—something environmentally sound—to handle not only this growth, but all the growth we've allowed going forward with absolutely no plan," Scarborough resident Maureen Desveaux said during Wednesday's meeting.
Many argued that there is not evidence that the road is necessary. Others claimed there would be a negative impact on the environment, noting that the plan would claim 45 acres of hay field from property owned by Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook.
Scarborough town leaders acknowledged that there is a need for a solution, but say they heard the residents' concerns.
"I'm also heartened to see all of you out here again and again, and there is a message to the bureaucracy, and that is that this process is about you," Scarborough Town Councilor Don Cushing said during Wednesday night's meeting.
MTA spokesperson Erin Courtney previously told NEWS CENTER Maine the project is not set in stone, and the agency is reviewing other options it had listed as alternatives.
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