There’s a lot going on in South Portland and Cape
Elizabeth these days and a lot of compelling stories to follow. In
particular, there are several issues that I’m especially excited to
watch develop over the next few months. Here’s a sampling:

    -Who gets to paint the tanks? The Maine Center for
Creativity is moving ahead with a contest they are holding that will
determine the artist who gets to paint eight of the tanks in the tank
farm adjacent to the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. Jean Maginnis, who
heads the center, says more than 500 artists from all over the world
have expressed interest—some of them quite well known. Over the next
months artists will be called on to submit a holistic design for the
eight tanks, as well as the tops of fifteen tanks. A committee will
then pick five designs to be presented to the public for feedback. And
finally, a design will be chosen, maybe by as early as next fall. What
will it look like? I’m excited to see.

    -What to do with the Armory? Although many question
the city’s decision to purchase the 1940s-era, dilapidated former Army
National Guard center, the process of figuring out what to do with it
now that the city owns it has brought out a range of exciting
proposals. All of the ideas being thrown about–from creating a new
library or city hall to providing a home for an arts center or a
business incubator–appear to have great potential to enhance the
economy and quality of life of the city. Whether or not any of these
bold ideas can be implemented with reasonable costs and city resources
is the big question. Ultimately, the elegant brick building could
become a new landmark of South Portland—like bug light or Mill Creek
park—that creates a more desirable impression on visitors entering the
city than the sprawling Mill Creek shopping area. In a few months the
Armory Committee will make a recommendation to the City Council on what
to do with the structure.

    -What to do with a bunch of extra cash? If the
city’s plan to set up three additional tax increment financing
districts goes forward as planned, South Portland may be able to
harness a substantial amount of money that can be directed towards a
number of dream projects. Most notably, there will likely be money
available to invest in infrastructure that will help a vital downtown
center flourish in the Knightville neighborhood. The city may also be
able to hire a waterfront market director, alleviate major traffic
congestion, make the city more pedestrian-friendly and direct money
towards any other project that meets the state’s requirements for how
TIF funds are spent. And all this could happen without placing any
burden on taxpayers. People who complain about high property taxes and
people interested in investing in the city’s future will want to keep
an eye on the developments of these TIFs.

    -Steps toward sustainability? South Portland’s
announcement last December of a “green” Christmas tree lighting was a
welcome signal that the current city administration takes seriously the
need to reduce energy consumption and find renewable sources of energy.
More recently, at a council workshop, Director of Public Works Dana
Anderson told the council that he was actively looking into using
biodiesel for his department’s vehicles and was already trying to find
good deals on energy-efficient vehicles when the city makes a purchase.
Although there are some members of the Planning Board who seem to
believe that the city would be better off if it were entirely paved
from Scarborough to SMCC, others—including the new chair Rob
Schreiber—appear to understand that they are in a position to encourage
developers to make investments in their properties that will promote
energy-efficiency. South Portland could become a real leader in the
state on this issue—it will be interesting to see if the city is
willing to take the steps needed.

    -Serious school consolidation? The Governor’s school
consolidation plan has been variously called ambitious, vast, extreme
and overdue. The plan would put South Portland and Cape Elizabeth in
the same district along with the schools of other municipalities
ranging from Portland to Cumberland. That’s a fairly odd mixture, with
some of the largest cities in the state and some of the smallest towns,
some of the best schools in the state and some of the most mediocre.
Will the loss of local school board control and separate
superintendents degrade the services offered by schools and lessen
local control? Local officials have been hesitant to take strong
positions so far, but once the plan starts to move forward there is
sure to be dramatic change and significant controversy.