The proposal of a Train Maintenance Layover Garage has hit me in a deeply personal way. During the first spring in our house we should be excited about all of the possibilities of being a homeowner, but we are instead faced with the prospect that our home will lose value and our neighborhood could soon host a noisy, smelly, 40,000-square-foot train garage. Instead of inviting family and friends for a BBQ, we are consulting lawyers and organizing neighborhood meetings. Instead of spending our money at local businesses, we are putting it towards legal costs in an attempt to protect our home.

We are not opposed to passing trains. We bought a house near the tracks with the understanding that trains would pass through. We are opposed to the intended location of this specific facility. It belongs in a commercial or industrial area, not in a residential neighborhood. There are other options that will not impact the quality of life or property values of the residents.

I am personally pleading with Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, the town, and the state officials involved in this process to reconsider this location. Please just take a two minute drive around our well-established, quaint neighborhood and empathize with us. It is obvious that a building of this nature will forever impact the character of our neighborhood.

Anna M. Nelson
Brunswick