Auburn City Council discussed two important issues at Monday night’s meeting, the fate of Great Falls School and the future of the Vista Drive Christmas display.
Unfortunately, what could have been front-page stories on other days were relegated to the inside of the paper by the pending election.
But both issues deserve close public scrutiny.
Great Falls hasn’t been a school for about 15 years, but the building is home to the Community Little Theatre and the Edward Little High School Drama Club, plus a handful of arts and education groups.
The groups pay a nominal rent that falls far short of covering the city’s costs.
We have often disagreed with Councilor Mike Farrell, but find ourselves agreeing with him on this issue: “We can’t just continue sinking taxpayer dollars into that building,” he said.
Facing another tough budget year, Farrell said the city has spent $250,000 over the last four years to keep the building going. But it receives only $16,663 per year in revenue.
“This year ended spring cleanup to save money on the budget, and then (the city) turned off street lights,” Farrell said.
City Manager Glenn Aho has worked hard to make the city work both smarter and harder, along with making outright cuts in everything from the police department to City Hall staffing.
There have been big hopes for the school over the last 15 years, ranging from a cultural arts center to a community center. None have materialized and, given the current economic climate, may never.
Councilor Dan Herrick compared the building to Bates Mill 5, which received a reprieve from the wrecking ball last year in hopes that a casino could be built on the site.
With the approval Tuesday of a casino in Oxford County, that plan seems very unlikely, and demolishing Mill 5 will eventually be back on the Lewiston Council’s agenda.
The Auburn Council is confronting a similar reality at Great Falls School.
The city should work with the current tenants to find new locations or develop programs to come up with additional sources of revenue for the groups.
But, given the city’s other priorities, it cannot continue pouring money into an outdated building.
The Vista Drive Christmas display, which draws very large drive-by crowds for more than a month to a short cul-de-sac street, is a true conundrum.
The two families putting on the amazing display enjoy sharing with the community, and the community obviously enjoys the display.
Neighbors, however, are stuck with an unreasonable burden — nightly traffic jams — and the the city is stuck with the bill for controlling traffic.
The city’s expense is fairly small, less than $4,000 per year, and it has an obligation, we feel, to accommodate traffic generated by a legal household display.
The other homeowners may never be satisfied, but here’s a suggestion that may ease their burden: Allow homeowners there to approach from the opposite end of Park Avenue and then cut into the line of traffic at the Vista Drive intersection. Their cars could be identified by a easy-to-see windshield sign issued by Auburn police.
This would prevent them from having to wait with the other gawkers in long lines that form on Park Avenue.
Hey, it’s not much, but it’s something.
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