Mon, 03/15/2021 - 3:15pm
Dear Editor:
Alna residents will be voting to accept or reject changes to their Shoreland Zoning Ordinance on March 27. Proponents of the changes have yet to persuade many of us that they’re necessary and that they’ll bring improvements, not make matters worse. Fast-tracking amendments without seeking public buy-in isn’t a sound strategy for change.
The amended ordinance would give Alna’s Planning Board broad authority to allow permanent, water-dependent structures in and along the town’s waterways. By not including guidelines, the proposal opens up a host of concerns about what will or won’t be allowed. In addition to docks and ramps, water-dependent structures include those built for extracting irrigation or drinking water, for channeling rainwater runoff; they can include marinas or fish processing plants. Will the citizen-volunteers on the planning board be willing to take on the battles that result from easing these rules?