It was sad for me to see the article about state Rep. Bruce Bickford’s bill, LD 1884, which would have the Legislature strip away the income requirement in Auburn’s agricultural zone.
It’s sad because the zone was established so long ago (1964) with the idea that it would protect farmers from encroaching residential development, and it would also prevent the city from having to extend services to sparsely populated parts of the city.
Auburn is the only city in the state with such a far-sighted zoning provision, and it has worked to preserve open space and prevent urban sprawl. The zone itself, and the income requirement in particular, have been reviewed multiple times by sincere citizen committees that have always decided to keep it because there does not seem to be another way to protect agriculture and prevent sprawl.
Rep. Bickford’s bill aims to take a sledgehammer to these carefully thought-out and discussed citizen decisions about how their community should evolve.
His bill is an insult to all Auburn people who spent their time working hard to reach the compromise that is Auburn’s agricultural zone.
Denis Bergeron, Auburn
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