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V O L . X X I I I N O. X V I I J U LY 2 4 , 2 0 1 7 20 M ary Davis is leading a drive to give Portland neighbor- hoods a greater voice in rezoning proposals, including a con- troversial one near where she lives. A longtime resident of the city's Stroudwater neighborhood, she opposes a planned 100-home development on the old 45-acre Camelot Farm and 10 adjacent acres. Davis and other home- owners are fi ghting to hold onto what they see as Portland's last remaining open space. It still retains much of its village feel, a real-life Camelot in a city with frequent fl are-ups between devel- opers and citizens often referred to as NIMBYists (for Not in My Backyard), though not everyone likes the term. "It's a meaningless label," says Davis, an attorney who has set out to change how all Portland zoning deci- sions are made. Davis has drafted a measure that would essentially give neighborhoods veto rights over proposed zoning changes. It says that if 25% of regis- tered voters who live or own property within 500 feet of a proposed change object to it, they can stop it from hap- pening. A developer could override the objection with 51% of registered voters within 1,000 feet. Davis has until Aug. 7 to collect 1,500 signatures for a city-wide June 2018 referendum on the measure, which if passed would apply retroactively from May 2017. " e referendum is not an anti- development referendum," Davis says, but rather a way to ensure that citizens' concerns are not ignored in the plan- ning process, currently in the hands of the Portland Planning Board, which gives a recommendation, and the City Council. Eva Polin, who has been helping Davis gather signatures, says she would rather see the farmland used as a community resource, like for skiing or Portland Trails. "I think it's a real jewel in Portland," she says. Site Work & Excavating Contractor in Southern Maine. Since 1987. www.gsgravel.com 1987 Worked their first job as GSG — garage foundation on Files Road in Gorham 1997 Ashmont Street Reconstruction Portland 1999 Route 35 Windham Watermain 2001 Heartwood Subdivision Gorham 2002 Rte 11 Reconstruction MDOT Limerick 2003 Atlantic Heights Saco 2004 Woodmont St Portland 2005 Gorham Savings Bank Operations Center Gorham 2006 Cinemagic Westbrook 2007 USM Commons (207) 839-2442 markcurtis@gsgravel.com To get your next project on our timeline, call or email us today! P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S Jim Brady, a developer and partner with CPB2 LLC, worked closely with neighbors and critics of his plan to redevelop 58 Fore St. in Portland. Today, he says CPB2 would have been wise to engage with local residents before buying the site, which is on the waterfront at the foot of Munjoy Hill. Arrested development Neighborhoods test veto power on zoning decisions B y R e n e e C o r d e s

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