WISCASSET NEWSPAPER • November 16, 2020
Last week, a petition to change Alna’s Shoreland Zoning Ordinance was made public at the Alna Select Board meeting. The proposed change would allow “permanent structures” in the shoreland zone, including below the high water line on the Sheepscot River, which are currently not permitted. The timing of this proposed change makes it obvious that its primary purpose is to allow Jeff Spinney’s proposal for a permanent motor boat launch on the Sheepscot River, a proposal that has been denied twice by the Alna Planning Board and by the Alna Board of Appeals. A major change to the river’s character deserves full and deliberate consideration, including the public hearing required for amendments to the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, rather than a quick rubber stamp. ~ Tom Aldrich, Alna