Dear Editor:

As emergency responders in Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport, it is imperative that we work to make things smoother, safer, and more amenable for our local citizenry and guests from away.

We would like to extend our appreciation and thanks to MDOT, Danielle Betts, Steve Sawyer, Mark Winters, Paul Coulombe and Steve Malcolm for requesting our input involving the proposed changes at Boothbay Center.

Much work went into the study and discussion of the changes, and many positive ideas arose from our meeting.

A portion of our discussions centered on:

• Pedestrian crossings/access and safety for foot traffic in the Boothbay Center
• Traffic flow and re-routing ability into Boothbay Harbor
• Staging areas for fire trucks, ambulances and emergency vehicles
• Emergency vehicle access and movement during events
• Fire hydrant placement and access
• Ease of access for trucks and larger cargo vehicles
• Parking lot placement and issues
• Restroom placement
• Width of streets, directional travel and intersection movement
• Bicycle travel lanes and pedestrian travel safety to Boothbay Harbor and beyond
• Curb placement and access point control for traffic entry onto Route 27
• Issues that occur due to accidents, speeding vehicles, improper parking, disabled vehicles, and weather concerns
• Access to post office services and safety concerns in this area
• Management of large events and public gatherings

The architects and designers were willing to listen, make changes, and take our concerns to heart. They also expressed willingness to continually review these issues with us over time.

As our region continues to grow and prosper, accommodating increased vehicle and bicycle traffic as well as managing room for large events are important topics.

Once again we appreciate the designers of this project reaching out to us for discussion of many small details and finer points from our perspective, and gathering our thoughts on the overall picture.

It is our combined opinion the proposed changes will positively impact traffic flow, pedestrian/bicycle access and safety, emergency vehicle and scene operations and the overall functionality of the area.

Fire Chief Dick Spofford (Boothbay)

Police Chief Robert Hasch (Boothbay Harbor)

Fire Chief Nick Upham (Boothbay Harbor)

Sheriff Todd Brackett (Lincoln County Sheriff's Dept.)

Fire Chief Gerry Gamage (Southport)

Chairman Robert Ham (Boothbay Region Ambulance Service)