CAMDEN, Maine — Preservation of the quality of life in town is the greatest hope expressed by townspeople who responded to a survey that will be used to develop a downtown master plan.
The number of responses was very good, said Camden Development Director Brian Hodges, noting 332 people filled out and returned the survey.
One question asked of townspeople was what they hoped would be achieved by the master plan. There were 219 people who said that preserving the quality of life in town was very important with another 66 people saying that was important. Seventeen people said it was somewhat important and seven said it was not important.
Creation of more jobs downtown received the second most votes. One hundred sixty-two people said job creation was very important, 98 said it was important, 41 said it was somewhat important and eight said it was not important.
The next most important item for the people who responded was to have more “regular” shops downtown, with 143 people who said it was very important, 91 important, 47 somewhat important, and 28 not important.
A majority of people also said a movie theater would be an important goal for the town.
The type of retail businesses sought by residents were varied and numerous. They included a kitchen store, hardware store, a restaurant that serves organic or locally grown food, a bakery and ethnic restaurants.
Making the downtown more pedestrian-friendly was the next most important goal, with getting more local people involved in planning decisions and creating a river/harbor walk next on the list.
The consultants hired by the town to work on the master plan, along with town advisory panels and municipal government officials will use the results and comments from a pair of public forums to come up with a recommended master plan, Hodges said. The recommended package is likely to be presented formally to the Camden Select Board at its April 17 meeting.
Hodges said he expects the board then will hold a public hearing before it is voted on by the board.
Once that it is done, he said he and the town officials will work to implement the recommendations.
Most residents also stated that Camden’s downtown had enough parking. There were 65 people who said there was plenty of parking if you knew where to look, 165 said there was enough except maybe in the middle of the summer, and 55 people said there was not enough parking.
Townspeople were split on the need for a parking garage. There were 122 people who said maybe it would be helpful to have a parking garage, 103 said it would not be helpful and 83 said it would be helpful.
Hopefully preserving the quality of life in Camden will include the police stopping loud motorcycles and writing tickets. Maine does have laws that the police can enforce if sufficiently motivated. And enacting easier to enforce motorcycle laws is one of the goals of Quiet Maine which has a Facebook page.
welcome to the soviet states of america.
Actually, I believe some call it the Peoples Republic of Camden. But you were close!
Pedestrians in Camden are a hazard to everyone! Cars park right up to the marked crosswalk so you cannot see when someone is making their move to cross the street. Consequently you will be (slowly) driving through downtown, 2 feet from the line of parked cars to your right, and some pedestrian fool who insists on demanding their right of way steps out in front of you. Many without even looking to verify that you see them and have stopped. It is a wonder there are not more casualties here. Want to improve downtown Camden? Stop on-street parking along route 1.
Last time I counted, I think there were 11(!) marked crosswalks across Route 1 in downtown Camden and only one stoplight on the southern end of town, so any one person can legally stop Route 1 traffic almost anywhere along the downtown roadway. During the summer, all day long, most of these crosswalks has several cars or trucks idling, pumping out air pollution while getting ZERO miles per gallon just because ONE tourist or local “lifestyle loving” Camdenite decided to walk across the road! The obvious answer is a series of sequenced stop lights to regulate traffic/pedestrian flow so vehicles passing through town spend less time idling at crosswalks and pedestrians cross in groups instead of individually, but the local lefties who run the town choose their own convenience (lifestyle) over reducing air pollution, which is pretty amazing considering that they all purport to be environmentalists. But that’s Camden…..
How about a by-pass for thru traffic? I know, you can weasel your way around the downtown area but that is a nightmare too. There is 173 in Lincolnville but that route takes you all over the place and is too long. Nope, what we need is a 45 mph route that does a tight radius just around the outside of downtown. Take the land by eminent domain. That’ll please folks.
“regular shops” – kind of vague. “ethnic resturants” – not real sure about that either, at least by Camden standards. But I know one thing: Whatever they mean, they don’t include Dunkin Donuts.
In other words . . . no one else is welcome! Which is why Rockland has flown by Camden as a tourist destination in the past few years.
Last weekend had a chance to go to Belfast or Camden for lunch on Sunday. Equidistant from our starting point. After some discussion, we chose Belfast. Why? Group felt that Camden was a bit off putting and not real friendly for Mainers from the hills. So Belfast it was…
How uncouth!
This “unfriendliness” in Camden began way back. I used to work in Rockland and stayed their for my full four day shift. I would get off Sunday morning about 8AM. In those days nothing in Rockland was open on Sunday, so I drove to Camden for my breakfast. I went to the same place week after week, and although L left 20% tips the people got less and less hospitable. Finally one Sunday the waitress met me at the door, she said I was not dressed correctly (This was a diner, and I had on a clean work uniform) and that they couldn’t give me a table because I was a single person, and their smallest table sat four people. The restaurant was half empty.
After that I went to Dick’s in Ellsworth. The wait was worth it. The people there were friendly, and the food was better….maybe because I didn’t have that bad taste in my mouth.
Camden sucks.
Sorry for your unpleasant experience in Camden. I enjoy the Town, spend time there regularly and have always have been well treated, no matter how I am dressed.
Why are you sorry? Where you affiliated with the restaurant? This incident occurred in 1981, and I haven’t been in Camden since.
Surveys like this are typically flawed as by in large a certain type of person is far more likely to respond than others. Many working class people tend to be disillusioned with town, state and federal government to the point they don’t believe responding will do any good, while those who come from away make it their mission to ensure nothing changes their idyllic retirement community.
Preserve quality of life? Sure who’d not say that’s important, but does that mean not make any changes or ensure jobs and growth to ensure our children will be able to afford to live there too? I’m betting the haves and the have-nots don’t agree.
That was very well put!