BOSTON GLOBE • March 19, 2023
What would become of the picturesque community of Columbia Falls, Maine, if a powerful local family’s proposal to turn hundreds of acres of wilderness into a billion-dollar patriotic theme park — complete with a flagpole that, if built, would rival the height of the third tallest building in America — moves ahead? The nearly 500 residents have been grappling with that question since the Flagpole of Freedom Park, a business venture, was unveiled last year. Concerned about the scale of the plans, residents of this enclave are preparing to hit pause on the attraction, arguably the most eccentric project ever pitched for the Downeast region. On Tuesday, residents will vote on whether to pass a 180-day moratorium on large-scale developments in town, a move that could stall the flagpole plan. Critics have dismissed the Worcesters’ aspirations as fanciful and over the top. But for residents of Washington County, the state’s poorest, it’s a prospect that some say deserves serious consideration.