Westbrook, Maine’s Smiling Hill Farm VS New Maine Turnpike Connector

Part of the very popular Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook, Maine, is right in the way of the proposed Maine Turnpike's new Gorham connector.

When the Maine Turnpike announced plans to build a turnpike connector that would relieve the insane amount of traffic in the Gorham, Westbrook, and Scarborough areas, it was a sigh of relief for anyone who has to take that area to and from work.

But as News Center Maine pointed out, the welcome news came with some not-so-welcome news. Part of the new route would have to take part of Smiling Hill Farm, a beloved 300-year-old 550-acre family-run farm. As co-owner, Michael Knight told News Center Maine,

I always knew trying to retain and keep this much land in this area, somebody would be sooner or later knocking on the door wanting a piece of it. Fair enough, it was the Maine Turnpike Authority wanting a piece of it.

How much land of Smiling Hill Farm does the Maine Turnpike Authority want?

The route would take 45 acres of farmland and woodlands along the western section of the farm. The whole purpose of this connector is to have traffic use the turnpike to get to and from Gorham without having to go through Westbrook. It's something that's been in the works for decades.

Of course, Knight realizes that this reduction of traffic congestion is needed; he's just wondering if the MTA can do it without taking his land. His thought is that the land is a field, and if you take a house, you can get another house, but he has no option to get another field.

The Maine Turnpike Authority would not disrupt the wood or ice cream business of Smiling Hill Farm.

The MTA thinks they can work this out because the land they want does not affect Smiling Hill Farm's wood or ice cream business. The MTA is working with property owners throughout the connectors route. They do not want to resort to eminent domain (the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use if they provide just compensation to the property owners) because they usually can work out a deal.

How do you feel about this?