The Edgewood Road dispute, pitting neighbor against
neighbor, has been a long time in the making. It seems the South
Portland City Council is intent to keep it going, with more litigation
and more acrimony. Before those councilors risk awarding their Cape
neighbors more money in order to deny them quick access to Cottage
Road, they ought to step back and decide whether this move is being
driven by concerns over public safety or the desire to save face and
satisfy egos.

    There is little doubt plenty of blame exists to
divide between the two municipalities– Cape Elizabeth's high-handedness
in the planning of Blueberry Ridge certainly wasn't neighborly. In
their desire to steer development toward a targeted growth area may
have lead them to steam roll the development's future neighbors.

    It is ironic that the Blueberry Ridge development
actually embraces good design and smart growth principals– principles
intended to bring neighborhoods together; not tear them apart. One
wonders if everyone would be better served if that Planning Board way
back when could have adhered to the spirit as much as the methods of
those principals.

    But now the ball is in South Portland's court. It's
original plan, to close the street as a public way and declare all
those who pass an invisible barrier trespassers has failed miserably
and expensively. As I personally experienced on one occasion, a form of
low-grade vigilantism has gripped some neighbors on the South Portland
side who act as self-appointed border guards.

    At this point, the most sensible course of action
would be to once again declare Edgewood Road a public street, erect
some speed tables or other traffic-calming measure and move on. It is
unclear whether such an option is impossible after abandoning its
right-of-way several years ago– or whether some egos would allow it to
happen.         
        –Ward Peck