Hal Wheeler’s column on Bangor’s planning process (BDN, July 8) leaves me with a couple of questions. He says, “Bangor is also the retail and service hub for all of northeastern Maine, which assures us that the traditional commercial areas of the city must be augmented by new areas in which services can be provided and goods can be sold.”

Does he claim that Bangor presently fails to meet the commercial needs of northeastern Maine? If so, where’s the evidence? Certainly northeastern Maine has had little or no population growth for more than a decade. Whether this is good or bad, it hardly suggests that we need whole new commercial areas in this city.

Wheeler also says, “A city must grow. Without growth, its vital services cannot be supported.” I see no reason to accept these statements, but if you believe them, they sound like a prescription for endless, unlimited growth. After all, the more a city grows, the more vital services it needs, so, according to Wheeler, the more it must grow to support them. We don’t need unlimited growth. Why not aim for a steady state?

Karl K. Norton

Bangor