Slowly changing demographics begin to affect Midcoast character Because it happened little by little, people were surprised at how much the demographics changed in the Midcoast over the past 20 years. Out were many locals who had spent their entire lifetimes living and working along Maine’s coast, displaced by an increasing number of early retirees and affluent, well-educated, middle-aged individuals who clamored for the scenic beauty and quality of life the region had to offer. By 2015, many ousted locals had already moved inland to housing in more affordable areas of Maine, supported by new subsurface water disposal technologies. By then, too, the results of local elections in some towns reflected these demographic shifts. Property taxes remain uncomfortably high With the change in demographics came a continued increase in housing values and real estate costs, especially for those along the coastline. This increase in values kept property taxes flowing to communities, which continued to rely on property tax for their budgets. But the property tax burden, which varied widely across the region, remained uncomfortably high overall. Under pressure to relieve taxes, and in the face of flat school enrollments, a few school districts consolidated to reduce administrative costs. The State also provided some direct relief to property tax payers. However, these merely slowed, rather than reversed, the rise of taxes. Slow sea level rise spurs increase in shoreline regulation And there was another slowly gathering cloud over property values in coastal towns: rising sea levels. While its full effects are decades away, the rate of rise has now reached about two inches per decade, and a new psychology around – and regulation of -- coastal markets was just beginning to emerge. This imposes higher standards on coastal development, which is beginning to alter the character – and to a smaller extent the rate - of coastal growth. Slow but steady economic growth in most industries Economically, the region grew slowly but steadily. Tourism and arts, broadly defined, remained a backbone of the economy, with an average of 1%-plus growth in these jobs annually. The influx of baby boomer retirees kept the construction and health care industries strong, growing at a rate of 2%+ per year. After reducing its workforce by half, BIW stabilized with a next-generation destroyer contract and by retooling to take advantage of increased defense spending for smaller, coastal war ships. It took 20 years, but Brunswick Naval Air Station recovered most of the jobs – including support jobs – that were lost when it was closed as a military base. Some long-standing industries did not fare as well. The region’s credit card and paper industries continued to shrink, and some predict they will be gone altogether by the end of the decade. Ground fishing recovered only slightly from the cod-haddock collapse of the late 1990s, with fishing days, individual quotas, and reduced fleets limiting expansion. Lobster catch dropped from historic highs in the early 2000s, but stabilized at levels that were still above long-term averages. Shrinking working waterfront activities left a vacuum that was filled by residential development, leaving local fishermen to compete for dwindling space and waterfront access. The cargo port at Mack Point in Searsport remains active and at capacity. However, the demand for a container port in that area is growing, with State/local talks just beginning as to possible locations. R&D on the rise Research and development opportunities in the Midcoast, especially in the fields of marine science and industry, composites, and electronics, benefited from a state commitment to leverage industry and federal R&D dollars. In fact, the carbon fiber composites industry became an important part of the BNAS redevelopment. With this growth came an expanded “knowledge-based” workforce. And with the nearly universal availability of high-speed information technology, these disadvantages for business in the mid-coast softened. Energy picture not dramatically changed Despite periodic spikes to $100 per barrel and a gradual increase in energy costs, the energy picture did not cause chaos in the market. In real terms, energy prices were higher than they were 25 years ago, but not high enough to alter driving habits. Given per barrel oil costs in the $70-$80 range (2006 dollars), investments in renewable resources were feasible and slowly becoming mainstream. Transportation system stressed but without real improvement The primary constraints to growth in the region’s economy were the lack of affordable housing for workers in the tourist, construction, health care, and manufacturing sectors, the lengthening commutes required of many service workers, and the transportation disadvantages for businesses dependent on port, rail, or over-the-road shipments. After regional communities came to consensus on a preferred route and funding was eventually secured, the Wiscasset bypass is finally under construction. Once completed, it will dramatically improve travel times through this part of the region. Bus service expanded only marginally in the Bath-Brunswick corridor but, building on Bar Harbor’s success with the Island Explorer, a similar seasonal service was introduced on the Boothbay peninsula. Although the earlier improvements to Rockland Branch railroad allowed more freight capacity, no new operators found it worth establishing business. And while passenger rail service connections from Portland to Brunswick were funded, excursion traffic between Brunswick and Rockland did not expand beyond 2005 levels of operation. Traffic and scenic quality steadily deteriorate Commuters from inland communities increased, and spread-out patterns of development and auto travel continued. The resulting congestion created new choke points and the clamor for limited state and federal construction dollars was huge. Federal transportation dollars lagged behind inflation and weren’t able to keep up with safety and congestion issues; as a result, by 2020 the state began turning to new funding methods such as tolls, public-private partnerships, etc. on selected interstates and major arterials to keep up with the ever-growing funding demand. Route 1, the only regional north-south highway along Maine’s coast, was not among these, and more traffic was deflected to it from I-95. While most in the region continued to regard their quality of life as enviable, residents relying on Route 1 experienced increases in truck traffic, speeding and noise. A few towns received support from MaineDOT to implement traffic calming measures to reduce through–traffic along short cut routes, but these remained the exceptions. Along Route 1 and other regional routes, scenic quality was deteriorating steadily. In 2005, about 11 miles of midcoastal Route 1 were “stripped out.” By 2030, this doubled, spreading out along Routes 3, 17, and 90, as well. The influx of early retirees with deeper pockets and highly focused environmental values combined with local conservation initiatives to accelerate coastal land conservation, but this did not affect Route 1 sprawl. Small-farm agriculture seemed to be holding its own. Nevertheless, many existing transition and “gateway” areas were built out, and low-density development continued to string along rural roads. * indicates a required field |
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