We did it!!!

We are thrilled to announce that after more than a year of community organizing, months of challenging the subdivision proposal, weeks of negotiations, many donor conversations, and hours of Zoom meetings, Save the Salt Pond Blueberry Barrens and our fiscal sponsor, Blue Hill Community Development (BHCD) reached a deal to purchase the property.

The turning point was connecting with a Foundation willing to provide an interest-free loan so that we could agree to the developer's terms at a greatly reduced risk to donors. We can finally receive donations with full confidence that the land will be purchased and safe from development while we complete our fundraising campaign.

Instead of becoming a subdivision of upscale houses, the barrens are on track to becoming a managed nature preserve that will benefit the surrounding community for generations to come.

BHCD has agreed to purchase the property for $1.8 million and hold the land temporarily to allow supporters of the preservation project to raise the funds needed to repay the loan. BHCD will then transfer the land to Blue Hill Heritage Trust to steward the 38-acre site in perpetuity as a public preserve.

Read the full press release here.

Many thanks to all of you who have helped us get here -- writing letters, attending Planning Board Meetings, speaking to reporters, talking with friends and neighbors about the importance of this property, sending in donations, making pledges -- all of it was crucial to our getting this land under contract.

Now we need your help to raise the money so that the barrens can be preserved as an important resource for the entire peninsula for generations to come.

Save the Salt Pond Blueberry Barrens!

A developer from Kennebunk is proposing to turn the blueberry barrens along Route 172 (Salt Pond Rd) that overlook the Salt Pond as you drive south out of Blue Hill into a 9-house subdivision.

The construction would destroy a unique landscape, potentially limit access to Carleton Stream for commercial elver fishermen and women who have fished it for generations, and potentially endanger local wildlife and aquaculture in and around the Salt Pond.

We want to work with local organizations to see the land preserved and maintained for future generations to enjoy.

A big win!

Planning Board Rejects Salt Pond Subdivision

On Wednesday, April 9 after carefully reviewing each of the 20 criteria of the Maine subdivision law, the Blue Hill Planning Board voted to reject the developer's application. (Yay!) The Board voted unanimously against the development on items #8 and #9. All other points passed. An application must satisfy all 20 criteria in order to be approved:

8. Aesthetic, cultural and natural values. The proposed subdivision will not have an undue adverse effect on the scenic or natural beauty of the area, aesthetics, historic sites, significant wildlife habitat identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the municipality, or rare and irreplaceable natural areas or any public rights for physical or visual access to the shoreline;

9. Conformity with local ordinances and plans. The proposed subdivision conforms with a duly adopted subdivision regulation or ordinance, comprehensive plan, development plan or land use plan, if any. In making this determination, the municipal reviewing authority may interpret these ordinances and plans;

We are grateful to the Planning Board for their fair and deliberate approach to this process.

This is big. This is GREAT news. This is a huge relief. It took each one of you to make this happen. Your letters, attending meetings, speaking up at hearings, talking with neighbors, sharing the updates, sending in donations, pledging support, and insisting that the Community should be who gets to decide what is precious and worth protecting. It was all important. It all mattered. THANK YOU!!!

NEXT STEPS

We did it! But....we still have work to do.

Help us purchase the property.

Find out how to donate here.