The Edgewood Road dispute, pitting neighbor against neighbor, has been a long time in the making. It seems the South Portland City Council is intent to keep it going, with more litigation and more acrimony. Before those councilors risk awarding their Cape neighbors more money in order to deny them quick access to Cottage Road, they ought to step back and decide whether this move is being driven by concerns over public safety or the desire to save face and satisfy egos.
    There is little doubt plenty of blame exists to divide between the two municipalities– Cape Elizabeth's high-handedness in the planning of Blueberry Ridge certainly wasn't neighborly. In their desire to steer development toward a targeted growth area may have lead them to steam roll the development's future neighbors.
    It is ironic that the Blueberry Ridge development actually embraces good design and smart growth principals– principles intended to bring neighborhoods together; not tear them apart. One wonders if everyone would be better served if that Planning Board way back when could have adhered to the spirit as much as the methods of those principals.
    But now the ball is in South Portland's court. It's original plan, to close the street as a public way and declare all those who pass an invisible barrier trespassers has failed miserably and expensively. As I personally experienced on one occasion, a form of low-grade vigilantism has gripped some neighbors on the South Portland side who act as self-appointed border guards.
    At this point, the most sensible course of action would be to once again declare Edgewood Road a public street, erect some speed tables or other traffic-calming measure and move on. It is unclear whether such an option is impossible after abandoning its right-of-way several years ago– or whether some egos would allow it to happen.                  –Ward Peck