Congratulations to the BDN for its editorial of Sept. 28, “Castine Truce.” It was a clear and concise outline of the situation faced here in Castine by both the Maine Maritime Academy and Castine residents.
The short-term issue that has divided the community — the purchase of residential property outside of the academy’s institutional zone — has been resolved by the courts in favor of the academy. But the long-term issues remain.
As the editorial points out, Castine is “essentially an island, and a small one at that,” which means that the usual “town-grown” issues involving institutional creep, impacts on the town’s infrastructure, student parking, speeding in residential areas, excessive underage drinking and nighttime noise levels have to be handled with more than the usual tact in such situations. Many Castiners believe that the academy’s leadership and its board of trustees have not always done this.
At the same time, those same Castiners need to recognize not only that the academy is here to stay, but also that its success is vital to the town’s success. There is nothing to be gained by looking at it suspiciously as an adversary that has to be confronted at every turn, lest the town suffer.
Before my retirement a little more than four years ago, I spent 40 years in public higher education, with both academic and administrative responsibilities. I am well aware of the pressures brought to bear on public institutions like the academy — from state legislatures, from students, from alumni and from the public at large. At the same time, as a member of the town’s Comprehensive Planning Committee, I am also aware of the enormous pressures brought to bear upon the town, some of which are directly connected to the academy’s presence.
The academy uses almost 50 percent of the town’s water and sewage systems. Further expansion will trigger serious problems. At certain times of the day and week, student parking in the “downtown” area makes access to the few village shops and businesses almost impossible. And perhaps most significant, while the town’s total assessed valuation is approximately $400 million, approximately $50 million, or 12 percent, belongs to the academy and is therefore tax-exempt.
None of the above would be a problem if the town were not “essentially an island,” but as it is, our commercial district is hemmed in, and opportunities for residential growth — and therefore additional tax revenue — are limited, at least for the present.
None of the problems listed above is insoluble, but it will take new approaches by both the town and the academy to solve them. The Education Committee of the state Legislature has suggested the creation of an advisory committee consisting of residents and academy officials to work on these and other matters. The academy has responded by suggesting the placement of town representatives on some trustee committees. This is a step in the right direction, but it may not be enough to deal with day-to-day issues. As the editorial points out, there is a need for regular, not sporadic, communication.
The revenue situation is most critical, and has been solved in similar situations by payments in lieu of taxes. I suspect the town leadership would be most happy to work with the academy to persuade the Legislature that this is needed. Finally, both the academy and the town can benefit through the creation of affordable housing that can allow more middle-income families — and therefore more junior faculty — to live in Castine and become part of its community.
Two years ago Castine was hit by an extraordinary atmospheric “microburst,” which in only 30 minutes destroyed hundreds of trees, knocked out power, cut off most communication with the outside and created a dangerous situation with downed power lines lying in the streets. The next day, in almost no time at all, the academy officials organized groups of students to help direct traffic, remove fallen trees and isolate the most dangerous spots from potential accidents. Thanks to the academy, the town recovered much sooner than it would have otherwise.
The incident remains as an example of how the town and the academy can work together to meet a crisis. The issues that confront Castine and the academy are not as spectacular a microburst, but in the long run are equally critical.
Lynn Hudson Parsons lives in Castine. He is professor emeritus of American history at the State University of New York, College at Brockport.