2013 has been a year full of change, and as 2014 begins, we should all remember the good and make note of how to learn from the not so good.
Biddeford’s renaissance is well under way, according to Mayor Alan Casavant, who was elected to a second term and recently inaugurated. Under his leadership ”“ along with city staff and the city council ”“ Biddeford purchased the Maine Energy Recovery Company, the trash incinerator that has been in the middle of the downtown for more than 25 years. The incinerator made for unpleasant smells wafting through the city in the summer and earned Biddeford the moniker “trash town.”
But MERC is no more.
All that remains is the smoke stack, due to the location of cellphone company antennas, for which the city now owns the contracts.
We agree with Casavant that Biddeford’s renaissance is well on its way. The Pepperell Mill campus is the prime example ”“ with dozen upon dozens of flourishing businesses, luxury loft and market-rate one- and two-bedroom apartments ”“ all with views of Saco River and the Saco mills that have been redeveloped to match.
The city will need to deal with parking in the new year, and we hope councilors will have the foresight to move ahead with a parking garage. Despite the naysayers’ calls to stay stagnant, the city will not fully realize its potential without forward-thinking decisions, and jobs will not be created in a city that does not support what job creators are seeking.
The City of Portland faced the same issues decades ago, and now it has a flourishing waterfront scene, downtown, and other areas of city are making their niches known as well. People gladly pay for parking for the chance to patronize one of the hundreds of award-winning restaurants and stroll around visiting the shops.
Biddeford ”“ and Saco ”“ has the chance to do the same, but it will take decisions by leadership that may not be popular or win them re-election. We hope those leaders will support the cities’ bright futures.
Across the county, Sanford is making changes of its own. The city also saw its first mill redevelopment this year in the Sanford Mill, which houses apartments, and a hair salon and spa. There is room for more commercial tenants, and those spaces will likely fill up when business owners see the beautiful spaces available.
In Springvale, a beautification project came together thanks to the hard work and foresight of local business owners and residents. Thanks to the leadership of developer Lionel Sevigny, more than 50 Springvale business people and residents saw through the installation of new, energy-efficient streetlights; replacing an old chain link fence with a more decorative alternative; and installing handicapped-accessible sidewalks and bump outs that make the area more pedestrian-friendly by slowing traffic.
These projects are hopefully just the tip of the iceberg. As York County continues to grow and become a destination to live and work, we hope the cities and towns that make up Maine’s southern-most county will have the courage and vision to move into the future and evolve with changing times.
Happy New Year!
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham Rousseau on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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