Planning Growth

Hermon town councilors deserve praise for being forward thinking. While many in this part of Maine deny that sprawl is happening, Hermon has realized it had better plan its growth, with an eye toward maintaining open spaces, before it is too late. Some may see this as radical, but it is simply logical.

Hermon now has a lot of open space, but it is also growing quickly. Between 1990 and 2000, Hermon grew 18 percent, making it the fifth fastest-growing town with a population exceeding 1,000 in Penobscot County, according to the Census Bureau. Controlling that growth now, before sprawl has created a hodgepodge of development, is something the councilors will be thanked for decades from now. They shouldn’t have to wait that long for appreciation.

The idea is simple: Hermon is a semi-rural town that is attractive to families. The town wants to maintain that character. Part of the attraction is the town’s open spaces, including the popular Hermon Pond. Open spaces are important for recreation – both motorized and not – for wildlife and as a place to retreat for peace and quiet. Without planning to preserve such places, they can easily disappear.

Councilors took the concept a step further, understanding that simply setting aside land isn’t the answer. The right land in the right places should be protected. So, the councilors asked the planning board to come up with a proposed ordinance change that would require substantial developments to include parcels of town-owned land designated as open space. The board will work out how much land should be set aside. As one councilor noted, the amount of land must be large enough to be meaningful, not, say, one-tenth of an acre on a four-acre plot, but it should not be too much to discourage development.

Such discussions should be occurring in many more Maine communities. Even towns that are not adding people are spreading out, with open space being gobbled up by houses and stores. Without paying heed to such developments, the land that provides habitat for deer and moose, the trails wandered by local residents and the fields where children play can soon be gone.

Hermon is wise to protect what it has before it is too late.