Makeup of road panel questioned

HOLDEN – Members of the public advisory committee charged with helping choose a route for a proposed connector road linking Route 9 and Interstate 395 resumed work Tuesday night with a recap of progress to date and a look at some new information to consider.

After reviewing last month’s public information hearing, which drew an estimated 250 area residents, and a meeting among several state and federal agencies earlier this month, committee members were briefed on traffic impacts, namely travel time and distances for the more than 10 possible corridors that have made it through the winnowing process so far.

Some of the liveliest debate, however, had little to do with the topics listed on the meeting agenda.

During the meeting, the appointment of Hewlett Crawford, a new committee member from Eddington, prompted a debate on fairness led by Holden residents. According to the list of public advisory committee members published on the project’s Web site, Holden has two members on the panel.

Crawford’s appointment brought Eddington’s number of representatives to at least four. Joan Brooks, an Eddington selectman representing her community on the panel, said during the meeting that Crawford sought the appointment from the DOT, which granted him permission to serve.

“This might not be fair representation,” observed Sharon Byras of Holden, who with her husband, Grant, has attended virtually of all of the committee’s meetings and public informational hearings. Byras said that she wanted to serve on the panel but was told she could not because no new members were being accepted.

That, she said, was unfair because Holden stands to experience the most impact from the connector road.

As several town officials see it, some of the proposed routes for the connector road would in effect divide the town in half. Some routes could siphon traffic from businesses along Route 1A, the town’s only commercial corridor. Community leaders have hired a consultant, Michael Waugh of the Surry Institute, to help the town protect its interests during the long process of selecting a route that meets federal and state requirements.

Department of Transportation project manager Ray Faucher briefly recapped the process used last year to appoint members. He said that after the call for candidates went out last year, town officials from Brewer, Eddington and Holden submitted the names of two to four residents they felt would best represent the interests of their respective towns. Other members were drawn from regional transportation entities, such as the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportation System board.

Some original committee members said that they understood no new members would be added unless existing ones dropped out.

While Faucher did not discount the possibility of adding more members, he did say that the public advisory panel’s membership needed to remain at a manageable level.

Holden officials who attended the meeting said they intend to pursue the membership matter.

“This is completely against what we were told from the get-go,” Steve Condon, Holden’s economic development director and code enforcement officer, said after the meeting.

“We’re going to be addressing that,” said Ellen Campbell, a Holden selectman and advisory committee member. “Our town will officially be in contact with the DOT in the near future.”

Another Holden issue was raised Tuesday night by committee member Alan Bromley, a Holden planning board member. On behalf of town officials, he asked that the group consider a route endorsed by selectmen and planning board members last week. Holden’s proposal would involve upgrading a section of Route 1A and either bypassing Route 46 entirely or bypassing sections of it and upgrading others.

Members of the DOT study team assigned to the project said Holden’s proposal would be given equal consideration. When asked if it would be treated as a priority, however, state transportation officials said the proposal would need to be looked at within the confines of the National Environmental Policy Act, the federal law guiding the study process.