Good deal for Bangor

An unexpected source of funding and a good deal of foresight from the Bangor School Committee have produced an excellent opportunity for the city. The committee’s plan to acquire 42 acres on Griffin Road as a site for a future school should be supported by the City Council and the residents of Bangor.

As Superintendent Jim Doughty pointed out to the committee Monday, it almost certain the city will need a site for a school in the future. The lot on Griffin and Kenduskeag is well-located, with easy access from both sides of the city, and comes at a good price, $400,000. The city’s decision to resell 51 units of former Air Force housing just a mile or two from the site also suggests the lot will be needed in the future.

But at least as important as what the site offers, think of what buying the land now won’t bring when it comes time for building a new school. It won’t bring a scramble to find a suitable site. It won’t bring higher prices that desperate buyers are sometimes forced to pay. It won’t bring construction delays or eminent-domain proceedings. No wonder the site, which is zoned for agriculture but otherwise noncommercial use, was identified in the 1997 revision of the city’s comprehensive plan as a potential spot for a school.

Though there are no immediate plans for building there, the city already is talking about putting in athletic fields — soccer seems to be the popular choice — that will serve the growing neighborhoods in the area. That means the land will be useful now and in the future.

The school committee has money for the site because of a windfall from the federal government. After several years of debate about what services Medicaid would provide for students who qualify, the feds came through with a substantial payment to schools this year. There is no telling whether schools will continue to get similar reimbursements, so Bangor — all school districts, for that matter — would be wise to treat this as one-time money.

The School Committee’s choice for spending the money is prudent and farsighted. The land purchase is likely to serve the city well for generations to come while avoiding the problems that many communities face when it comes time to site a school.