SUN JOURNAL • February 13, 2022
It was sad to see the article about state Rep. Bruce Bickford’s bill, LD 1884, which would have the Legislature strip away the income requirement in Auburn’s agricultural zone. The zone was established so long ago (1964) with the idea that it would protect farmers from encroaching residential development, and it would also prevent the city from having to extend services to sparsely populated parts of the city. Auburn is the only city in the state with such a far-sighted zoning provision, and it has worked to preserve open space and prevent urban sprawl. The zone has been reviewed multiple times by sincere citizen committees that have always decided to keep it. Rep. Bickford’s bill takes a sledgehammer to these carefully thought-out and discussed citizen decisions about how their community should evolve. ~ Denis Bergeron, Auburn