Lily Bay Deserves Special Treatment ; The Most Sensitive Part of the Moosehead Development Plan Should Get Extra Attention.

By Anonymous

A three-year struggle over the biggest subdivision ever proposed in Maine is coming to a close.

And the most controversial element at the end of the process was also the most controversial element at the start: What to do with Lily Bay?

To protect against a loss of wildlife habitat, especially for the Canada lynx, classified as threatened by the federal government, the Land Use Regulation Commission could reasonably consider excluding that part of the development from the total rezoning package.

If not willing to go that far, the commission should at least permit Lily Bay development only under tight conditions, including a gradual phase-in of permitting and requiring extensive studies and mitigation measures at each stage to ensure that the development would not cause undue harm.

The Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber Co., has proposed a resort with a golf course and 400 housing and hotel units at Lily Bay as part of its rezoning petition for the Moosehead area.

That piece of the proposal has drawn fire for its potential impact on the lynx and other wildlife.

Some environmentalists have called for putting development in the sensitive area completely off limits. LURC staff has recommended scaling back the plan at Lily Bay. Plum Creek has agreed to shrink the footprint of the proposed development, but insists on seeking approval for all 400 units.

LURC is expected to vote on the whole development later this year, and when it does, what it decides about Lily Bay will be critical to the future character of the whole Moosehead region.

Lily Bay is clearly too sensitive to be taken lightly. The evidence collected by the commission, including the overwhelming majority of written comments received during a month-long comment period that ended July 11, raises serious questions about the wisdom of developing the area.

Plum Creek has claimed that a Lily Bay resort is crucial to financial success of the whole project.

While Lily Bay is important for both sides in the debate, it’s clear that the massive rezoning offers a unique opportunity for conservation.

In addition creating 975 house lots and two resorts, the Plum Creek proposal would also conserve more than 400,000 acres that would limit future development but allow logging to continue.

A planned development is preferable to an unplanned one, so all sides have an interest in making this one work. But Lily Bay should be protected as part of this proposal.

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