Moose, rather than the proliferation of roads and cars, are being blamed for those accidents. Moose/vehicle accidents are a symptom and, as Peter Cox, co-chair of Eco/Eco says in The Paradox of Sprawl, "Even though those who do not recognize sprawl as a problem are beginning to see the symptoms, even though they don't relate those symptoms to sprawl."

Cox explains, "Take the person who says, 'Wait a minute, I used to be able to go hunting 15 minutes from where I live, now I have to go two hours.' Maybe he's going to realize the reason the land is posted is there's not the open space.--Or it may be the person who has lost that vista he or she used to ride by. Now there's a big boxy store there.--Or it may be that old farm that was so beautiful, with dairy cows grazing, and now it's a housing development.--Or it may be the sad fact of, 'Gee my asthma's worse.' There may be traffic congestion where there was none before."

Those are but a few of the far-reaching consequences of sprawl.

Because sprawl progresses so slowly as to be nearly imperceptible, and because the issue is so contentious and complex, it is easier to look the other way than to face it. But for the future of Maine and "the way life should be" it needs to be discussed openly.

What is sprawl and how is it perceived by town officials in the Lakes Region? The American Heritage Dictionary defines sprawl as: "...To spread out in straggling or disoriented fashion· Haphazard growth or extension outward that results from new housing..." Evan Richert, Director of Maine State Planning Office, takes it a step further: "Sprawl is the leapfrogging of development beyond the reach of existing municipal services, consuming relatively large amounts of land in the process and prematurely converting rural lands to urban or suburban uses."

Buried unseen in these sprawl definitions are significant economic, environmental, social, and fiscal consequences.

Conversations with some Lakes Region town officials reveal different levels of concern over sprawl, depending, roughly, on the town's proximity to Portland-Westbrook. Much of Gorham is still rural, but they are experiencing considerable residential growth. Town Manager David Cole says, "We're averaging over 80 new residences per year over the past five years, and last calendar year we accepted ten new roads as public roads. All the candidates running for the council this year talked about rapid residential growth as an issue and a problem. So, yes, we do see sprawl as a problem. Traffic problems, which we already have a lot of, are increasing, and property taxes are being driven higher."

Down the road, Standish and Buxton are also seeing rapid residential development. According to Town Manager Scott Cole, Standish saw 65 to 70 homes per year built in the first half of the "90s bump up to 90 to 100. But Cole is philosophical about sprawl: "What's happening in Southern Maine, if you look at it from the widest view, is inevitable. I don't see it as embracing it, but being resigned to it. Development (in Standish) is being done in a thoughtful manner, according to the town's comprehensive plan. It's consistent with the values that are in place today. Fifty years from now, who knows? We may be looked back on as the butchers of the land."

Windham Planning Administrator, George Dycio says housing starts have been over 100 per year during the past few years, and over 150 this year, and he says, "There is a consensus that the influx of new residents has caused a demand for additional services in the town, and that drives up some of the property taxes to pay for those services."

Continuing down the road, Raymond, Naples and Casco officials share a similar view expressed by Naples Town Planner John Thompson: "I don't think we're seeing sprawl right now, but we're anticipating it. It's going to come."

Raymond is averaging about 30 new housing starts per year and Town Manager, Nathan Poore says, "We're ripe for sprawl. People are used to, "Hey, I want my two or three acre house lot, and if I can't afford to get it in Falmouth or Scarborough anymore, I'm going to get it in Windham. And once I can't get any more in Windham, I'm going to Raymond." And, Poore says he is seeing some undercurrents of concern "a little bit of feeling in this community now that, "Hmm, I continually see new houses being built as I drive down the road. We're growing. School population is growing, budgets are increasing. We ought to start thinking about some things here in this community.'"

Casco Town Manager Dave Morton says, "We don't really have a problem with sprawl now. But the potential is there, and certainly, now is the time for communities like Casco address the issue. But it's a difficult one to address. People can't see it, and people resent towns trying to address it, control it, because it involves limitations and control over property. It's a real tough issue."

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