By Zack Anchors

Staff Writer

    If a land swap negotiated by the City of South
Portland is finalized, the development of property in Sawyer Marsh that
has riled residents for months will not go forward.

    Instead, the plan would grant the developers Paul
Vose and Larry Lydon a city-owned lot across the street known as a
sandpit for development. The 8.56-acre property that Vose and Lydon had
recently been issued a building permit for would be given to the city
and placed under a conservation easement.

    Assistant City Manager Jim Gailey, who represented
the city in negotiations with the developers, said there would also be
a conservation easement placed on part of the sandpit property in order
to buffer any potential development and provide access for residents to
use trails. Gailey said there would also be a potential benefit from
development on the sandpit property, which he said occasionally served
as a place for people to illegally dump trash.

    “We saw an opportunity to clean up an area that had become somewhat of an eyesore for the city,” he said.

    Gailey, as well as representatives of the South
Portland Land Trust, the Meeting House Hill Neighborhood Association
and various city staff members expressed great satisfaction with the
deal and gratitude for the developers.

    Vose and Lydon will be trading 8.6 acres of property
for less than one acre. The 8.6-acre property had been found to be the
fifth most valuable open space by a city study. Since the study was
complete two other pieces of property in the top five have been
developed, making the Sawyer Marsh property number three.

    Since the controversy over the possible development
of the property began last July Vose has said environmental stewardship
of the land is a main priority of his.

    At their Dec. 12 meeting the Planning Board held a
public hearing on the land swap and in a 5-2 vote approved a
recommendation to the council to go forward with the deal.

    “I think we would be tarred and feathered if we
didn’t wholly support this deal,” said board member Craig Babbidge.

    Despite unanimous support from the developers, SPLT,
MHHA, and city staff, two members of the Planning Board–Judy Carpenter
and Carol Beeman–voted in opposition to the deal.

    “We’re trading a buildable, sellable property for a
marsh–I don’t think that’s such a good deal,” said Carpenter.

    Carpenter, who has repeatedly expressed disdain for
wetlands in previous meetings, also made a swipe at the land trust.

    “I notice the land trust is here congratulating themselves,” she said.