I think it is time for the Freeport Town Council to stop considering zoning changes to accommodate the proposed indoor-outdoor soccer complex near Hedgehog Mountain. The 62,000-square-foot soccer building would be as large as the Shaw’s supermarket in Freeport, and the proposed location is in the center of the RR1 zone. The Planning Board has voted against the zoning changes, and we have sufficient commercially zoned property to accommodate the project.

The land parcel is adjacent to the town-owned Hedgehog Mountain recreational property. This is a valuable asset to the town and gets considerable use. From the top of Hedgehog Mountain there are views of Bradbury Mountain and Mount Washington. The indoor soccer building would very negatively impact those views and the recreational value of Hedgehog Mountain.

I also ask the Town Council to listen to the pleas of the residents to have stability in their rural neighborhoods. This goal is voiced by people from all regions of Freeport. It is a reasonable expectation that home owners should not need to organize and fight against zoning changes. The Comprehensive Plan provides a framework to make decisions and use the land wisely, such as clustering commercial development together and residential areas together. By maintaining the integrity of the RR1 zone and grouping commercial development in the commercially zoned areas, Freeport will continue to be a location where people desire to live.

Edward Brainard
Freeport