Where, exactly, is "The Prettiest Village in Maine?"

Wiscasset has laid claim to the title for many years, but Tuesday night's public hearing on the proposed Route 1 bypass raised the question of exactly where it begins and ends.

During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, many different sections of U.S. Route 1 were re-built in the midcoast area. The town of Damariscotta got a bypass, and despite the fears of many that the downtown area would shrivel up and die, it has come back stronger than ever.

Bypass talks for Wiscasset are now at the point where there are five proposed routes, all starting near the NAPA auto parts store just south of the village, crossing the Old Bath Road, the Bradford Road, and the Gardiner Road, where there would be access in one direction. The routes then vary, with N8C crossing the bay onto Goose Island and landing on Davis Island in Edgecomb. The so-called N2 routes, four of them, make their way across Clark's Point and come out on the mainland in Edgecomb.

Matthew Corwin of Wiscasset was the first to raise the question of what the state considers "the village" in Wiscasset. Early maps of the village show that the Langdon Road was part of the village, but all of the proposed routes now go across the Langdon Road, taking out a number of houses.

Corwin asked, "What do you consider a reasonable setback from the village?" Corwin urged that the bypass start in Woolwich rather than just before the village.

Wiscasset resident Ann Schneider questioned whether the state's proposed bypass route maps are correct. She said the quality of her life will be negatively affected by the proposed routes.

"There will be all kinds of noise from these proposed routes," she said. All of the routes are about four miles long. Schneider questioned the state's estimate that the number of crashes will be reduced by 9 to 25 crashes a year if a bypass is built. She said most of the crashes that occur now are on the section of Route 1 south of town, before the proposed bypass would start.

Project Manager Ed Hanscom answered a question about why the southern route, which would have crossed Westport Island, was taken off the table. He said the cost of building a 95-foot high bridge across the Sheepscot River was too expensive. The Sheepscot is one of the few, long navigable rivers for big ships in the state, he said, therefore requiring a high bridge.

Wiscasset resident Bill Phinney said the proposed bypass going south is "very unacceptable" and asked if there's a chance this could be changed.

"We welcome comments on this or any other intersection," Hanscom said. "It could result in some changes."

Phinney also asked "Who will answer the draft EIS on behalf of the town."

Town Manager Arthur Faucher said the comments from the meeting would be sent to the selectmen.

Doug Fitts, who has been trying to develop a neighborhood of upscale homes on Clark's Point said if the bypass route across his land does not go forward, the tax income from the completed development would probably supply 10 percent of the town's revenue.

State officials were asked about John VanOrsdell's proposed route across Pottle Cove, with a tunnel.

"Early indications are this will be quite expensive," Hanscom said. Wiscasset resident Sean Rafter read a statement from VanOrsdell saying if the state doesn't give serious consideration to this route, which is far less disruptive than the proposed routes, the displaced homeowners should take the state to court.

Hanscom says if the traffic in Wiscasset continues to grow at the rate it has been growing, Wiscasset could see traffic problems four months a year instead of just two months a year.

"I hope you'll consider full interchanges on Routes 27 and 218," Wiscasset resident George Greene commented. There is presently no plan for an interchange on Route 218.

Later in the meeting, Phinney said, "I don't know what the position of the board of selectmen is."

Noting that selectman David Nichols was shaking his head, facilitator Carol Morris said, "David is shaking his head no. They have no position at this point. I'm sure the selectmen are going to wait until they hear from the Transportation Committee."

"Wiscasset will be bisected if the selectmen don't take a position," former selectman Karl Tarbox said.

"If the Wiscasset selectmen don't come up with a substantive comment in the next 17 days, we are going to look foolish when this thing goes to Washington," Tarbox added, referring to sending the draft EIS to the Federal Highway Administration.

Selectman chairman Duane Goud said the selectmen have made efforts to alleviate the traffic problems in Wiscasset, including asking the state to lower the speed limit to 45.

"This was denied," Goud said. He said the selectmen also looked into getting a rotary at the Route 1-Route 27 intersection and a turning lane for the Birch Point Road.

Hansom said the rotary idea was explored, but there is too much traffic for it to work.

Edgecomb selectman Jo Cameron started off the town's second informational meeting on the bypass Saturday morning saying, "Keep it under four minutes, and if you can avoid ranting, please do so."

Not to be outdone, publicist Carol Morris noted the rather cool temperature inside the old town hall building, advising, "Talk as much as possible - we clearly need a lot of hot air in here." Saturday morning's 25 to 30 mile an hour winds might have kept a few people away (there were about 30) but the first meeting on Thursday night drew about 70 people.

Information on the Route 1 bypass in the towns of Wiscasset and Edgecomb has been funded, compiled, studied, evaluated, reviewed, re-written, re-studied, and commented on for over 50 years - but this current round has gotten further than any of the others.

At issue now is whether the state's Department of Transportation has gotten all the pertinent information together that would affect the construction of five proposed bypass routes and the no-build option. The state has had a round of meetings to get input from residents on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Public comment ends on Friday, December 21, after which a final EIS will be released.

Cameron pointed out that none of the state's maps show the neighborhood of houses on the Englebrekt Road; nor is there any mention in the DEIS of the results of archaeological studies the state has done in that area.

She questioned the state's decision to use traffic data that was gathered in 2002. Wiscasset Police Officer John Allen, who has worked for the town for 20 years, says the worst of the traffic through Wiscasset came in 2005, and congestion has lessened since that time.

Cameron also questioned why the state maps do not show the apartment buildings now under construction on Davis Island. There may also be an assisted living complex on the same site, she said. She noted that both of these developments will generate more traffic on Route 1.

Cameron also raised concerns about increased traffic on the narrow, winding Eddy Road, saying, "This road cannot be widened, and it should not be stressed any more."

In a presentation before the public comment period, Project Manager Ed Hanscom said the state originally started with over 60 proposed bypass routes. The advantages of the remaining five routes are a reduction in traffic of between 50 percent and 90 percent, depending upon the route chosen. Crashes are projected to be reduced by nine to 15 a year. Costs range from $68 to $79 million.

Morris said the state hopes to made a final decision on the route by the middle of 2008.

"There is no way to know when construction will begin," she said. "Getting funding could go a lot more quickly if there is broad support from all the communities," she added.

All of the comments made at the public hearing will be recorded and analyzed. A stenographer was present to record the entire meeting.

A McKay Road resident said landing on Davis Island, the N8C route, "doesn't make sense because there's a lot of building going on there."

A Boothbay resident asked why the bypass couldn't go across Westport Island to Edgecomb. Morris said the state would not be able to get a permit to build a bridge across the Sheepscot River.

Wiscasset resident Brett Benway said he lives within view of the Davey Bridge between Wiscasset and Edgcomb, and has seen a reduction in traffic in the last few years.

"This is not a year round problem," Benway said. "Traffic management and signage would greatly reduce the traffic problems in the summer." Benway and his partner, Doug Fitts began construction of a new neighborhood of homes on Clark's Point last year, and have put in roads and two houses. However, until they know which bypass will be selected, they are holding off on building any more houses.

Another Edgecomb resident criticized the state for not responding to a request he made several years ago to lower the speed limit on the Davey Bridge.

Edgecomb resident Amanda Russell asked if it would be possible to build a new Route 27-Route 1 intersection even if no bypass is built.

"It may be worthwhile to build that anyway," Hanscom said. Russell is a former planning board member and a member of the Midcoast Bypass Task Force which will meet to review all the comments after the public comment period ends.

A Wiscasset bypass has been a subject debated for the last 50 years, and it appears that it will be another 10 years, at least, before construction begins, if a bypass is built. That was the message given to about 70 people at the Wiscasset Senior Center last week.

The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) representatives enjoyed a dinner of meatloaf, mash potatoes, string beans, gravy, rolls, and dessert before conducting the second informational meeting on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Wiscasset Route 1 bypass.

Carol Morris, a public relations facilitator for MDOT, opened the meeting explaining the review process of the DEIS, with the public comment period ending December 21, 2007. She told the group the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the choice of a bypass route would not be announced until mid 2008.

Edward Hanscom, from MDOT's Bureau of Planning, explained the DEIS is a 200 page document that contains an in-depth analysis of the five alterative bypass routes and the no-build option. The options range in estimated cost from $68 million to $79 million, in today's dollars. The cost is expected to increase within the next decade before construction could begin, according to Hanscom.

The options could displace up to 33 homes, and 15 businesses, depending on the option selection.

One Wiscasset resident asked, "Is it worth spending $79 million for a two-month problem?"

Two proposed intersections, one in Wiscasset and one in Edgecomb, raised some concerns: the intersection on Route 1, south of Wiscasset where the bypass will begin for drivers going north; and the intersection in Edgecomb where the bypass will come back onto Route 1, either on Davis Island or near Route 27, depending on the bypass route selected.

Several people expressed concern that the proposed Edgecomb exit and entrance might be even more dangerous than the existing intersection in Edgecomb on Route 27 and Rt. 1.

Others said the intersection of Route 1 and the bypass entrance in Wiscasset will make it more difficult for people going to work every day.

"It will no longer be a straight shot for them," former selectman Mike Blagdon said. "Is this the best you can do?"

John Blagdon pointed out the bypass options come very close to two of the town's schools and the community center. "We say we have to look out for our children. Is this the way we do it, by bringing a bypass by their school?" He said the bypass should start in Woolwich near the town line.

There was considerable time spent on what will happen to families and businesses that will be displaced by the bypass, regardless of which route is taken.

"I think MDOT should offer the displaced residents zero interest rates; I am concerned about the people that will lose their homes. We need to work to help them," Mike Blagdon said.

Mike Danforth, an appraiser with MDOT's Urban and Arterial Highway Program, explained the compensation process to property owners who will be displaced. When the MDOT acquires a private property right by eminent domain the owner must receive "just compensation," based on fair market value, which is the price that a willing buyer would pay.

"MDOT can not offer less than the appraisal," Danforth said. "Maine law also provides compensation to tenants living in buildings located on the land taken for the project."

Prior to construction, a representative from the MDOT may attempt to visit the property owners, or a questionnaire may be delivered through the mail. After the offer of compensation has been made based on the appraisal, and the property owner is satisfied with the offer, the planned sale goes forward. If the property owner doesn't agree with the offer, he or she can, within 60 days of the state's offer, appeal to the State Claims Commission. Both the state and the property owner have the right to appeal to the Maine Superior Court. If the case is appealed it will be tried by Superior Court as a civil case, either by jury or if all parties agree, by a judge.

If a person is displaced by the project, they are also entitled to relocation assistance from MDOT's relocation assistance service. Some of the benefits they may be eligible for are: assistance in finding a replacement place to live; payment for moving costs and expenses related to property transfer; replacement housing allowances; and adjustments for mortgage interest increases. Tenants of properties affected may be eligible for rental assistance payments.

However, in order to be eligible for these benefits, the applicant must be living on the property at the time of the acquisition of the property by MDOT, according to Danforth.

The Wiscasset bypass is the largest project the MDOT has undertaken in the last 30 years, according to MDOT representatives. The final EIS will be issued once public comments are received. After a 30-day waiting period a Record of Decision is issued and made public. If the decision is made to build a bypass, MDOT will begin buying property as it becomes available on the market.

A series of public meetings and public hearings ends with the last one on Thursday, December 6, at 6 p.m. on Westport Island at the historic town hall on Route 144.

Editor's Note: excerpts from Sue Mello's story on the first MDOT meeting, held on November 15 in Boothbay Harbor, and printed in the November 22 issue of the Boothbay Register, offer a glimpse of how people at that meeting feel about the proposed bypass routes.

Tom Woodin, Boothbay Harbor Town Manager and member of the Midcoast Bypass Task Force, explained that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the alternate routes being considered and their impacts, and to facilitate public comment. Carol Morris, a public relations facilitator for MDOT, explained the DEIS process and reviewed the project alternatives. Morris said that the public comment period for the DEIS extends until December 21. MDOT will be working with the Midcoast Task Force to interpret public comments. A final Environmental Impact Statement and record of decision could come as early as mid-2008. Morris noted that it could take as long as 10 years after the record of decision to obtain project funding.

An individual who owns the Edgecomb Post Office building asked if an effort could be made to save the post office since, if lost, the federal government may not replace it. MDOT's Ed Hanscom said that the department never intended to take the post office building and although the land may be impacted, they would try to save the building itself.

Representative Bruce MacDonald said that there was overwhelming support for a bypass solution by the people he represents in District 61 for safety, economic development, and tourism. "Businesses here are worried about the reputation that we are beginning to get as a bottleneck. The no-build option is just as tough on people as the build options. On balance, I believe it has to be done. There's a lot of support - we need this for a whole bunch of reasons," he said.

David Dudley from the Boothbay Information Center expressed concern that the recent residential developments on Davis Island in Edgecomb and the planned Point East Maritime Village will exacerbate traffic problems on Route 1.

"We wonder how these could have been approved without a need to study the impacts of these developments," he said in a prepared statement.

A woman from Edgecomb who did not wish to be identified responded, "I'm impacted directly in my home, my property and my future. Taking homes from people shouldn't be done lightly for the convenience of two months. We're not talking about a problem that lasts 12 months, we're talking about spending $70 million for a problem that lasts two months."

Bev Risell from Wiscasset echoed her comments, saying she is very concerned about how the bypass will affect her Wiscasset business.

Norm Pierce, of Boothbay Harbor, responded, "A major portion of the businesses in this region, all the way to Rockland, have two months to make a living and that's where we're coming from. My customers are all going to Rockland. It's killing us, it really is killing us. It's not just here; it's everything east of Thomaston. The whole area is being stifled."

Dudley added, "I strongly disagree that it's a two month problem. It's a year round problem."

Angelo DiGiulian, of Boothbay Harbor, agreed that the problem is bigger than a two-month slowdown. "Over this year, four restaurants closed and a number of retailers left because there are no more day trippers coming down here. They are bypassing Boothbay. AAA is telling people to stay away, you can't get to this town… We are on the verge of losing a way of life, if we don't get this fixed."

DiGiulian said that he has to budget $50,000 a year to offset traffic-related problems for his guests. In polling his guests, he said a consistent comment is that "it is too difficult to get down here."

A resident of Engelbrekt Road in Edgecomb said he agrees that there are significant financial and economic impacts, but stressed, "I ask that the folks who look at this consider the people who are impacted from a residential standpoint. There are some alternatives that would impact people the least."

Lindy Bragg, of Boothbay, said, "I'm sitting here, hearing these people in Edgecomb, and it is going to totally affect their life. It sounds really awful for a business owner to say my business is more important than your home. But if my business doesn't make it here, I've got to leave, too. I have the utmost respect and sympathy for what's going on, but it's going to affect us in the same way."

Pierce added, "We don't care which route you take. That's up to the people who are going to be directly impacted. Not too many years ago, we built the bypass around Damariscotta. Damariscotta has thrived. Wiscasset will do the same."

Ida Deker, Edgecomb, said that land bought by her father, and where she, her mother, and six siblings make their homes would be affected by some of the build alternatives. She said MDOT needs to consider the effects of displacing this group of people who have lived together on this land their whole lives.

"All seven kids, all their families, and their long-time neighbors… it's not just some isolated houses. There's a lot there," she said.

Jaimie Logan, of the Boothbay Harbor Chamber of Commerce, said, "We have been trying to diversify our economy. The congestion impacts our ability to attract new businesses because they have trouble attracting employees. They have difficulty with suppliers. It's not just a tourism problem, it's not just a seasonal problem."

Boothbay selectman Ross Edwards, added, "Wiscasset is putting a stranglehold on the entire region. Almost everything we get comes over that bridge. Imagine emergency services trying to get through that bridge on a summer day. There are a lot of things that affect everybody."

Copies of the DEIS are available at the town offices of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Newcastle, Westport Island, Wiscasset, and Woolwich.