Editor:

   Shore Road in Cape Elizabeth is one of the most beautiful and picturesque coastal stretches in all of Maine, yet I believe it is now completely at risk because of the town’s ill-advised plan to carve out a ten-foot swath immediately adjacent to this narrow and intimate stretch of roadway.

    The sheer size of this project will take people’s breath away. It will require almost two miles of significant building, including culvert extensions, long stretch of pavement or stone dust, new guardrails, retaining walls, cutting and moving trees, possible blasting of ledge, a 30-foot bridge, and wetlands mitigation.

    The charge to the committee tasked with making a proposal was to study the possibility of building a path with sensitivity to the character of Shore Road. A path that is stated ideal is five feet wide, plus a five-foot buffer, takes a sledgehammer to the character of Shore Road. I urge residents who value this historic town asset to learn more about the plan, before Shore Road as we know it disappears.

Linda Jacobs

Cape Elizabeth