SOUTHWEST HARBOR, July 10, 2025 - A second couple has appealed the decision to by the code office to approve what neighbors have called a “monstrosity” of a second dwelling at 72 Clark Point Road, in one of the oldest summer vacation enclaves on the island.
Southwest Harbor holds a very special place in my heart. In the mid-1950s, my parents, Warren and Elizabeth Walsh, built a house on what is now Sail Mountain off Fernald Point Road. The land, for which they paid $750, was in the middle of a large area which had just recently been timbered. The land was stark and quite unattractive, but the view was amazing..
Over time, the blueberry bushes (and some raspberries) attractedlarge numbers of pickers. I was fortunate to be able to spend every summer all summer in our little house on the hill .after. After I started college the time I could spend there shortened, but I went whenever I could for however long I could stay. When my sisters and I inherited the house, one of my sisters and her husband opted to retire there and winterized and altered the house to meet their needs.
All this is a preface to saying that in addition to the natural beauty of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, the town of Southwest Harbor was what we might call charming nowadays: a small town with one policeman, Charlie Foss; generally older and often modest but well tended at homes; and wonderful townspeople.
Of course, things change over time, but the appeal of Southwest was part of what drew people like my family to it. The picture of the new construction appalled and saddened me. Clark Point Road and its surrounds are lovely. They should stay that way.
I say all this in part because my husband and I owned a vacation home on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, which is connected by a short bridge to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague National Seashore. The town of Chincoteague has always reminded us of Southwest Harper: a Main Street, small shops, wonderful towns people, modest homes. No building could be over one and 1/2 stories. We have seen major changes over the past many years. There are now expensive condos that face the marshes between the island and the mainland, a gaudy waterpark, a McDonalds, million dollar plus homes, and other changes to attract more and more visitors. Local families have been forced to sell their homes and move to the mainland because taxes have gotten so high. Schools have been consolidated, making school children commuters.
In other words, Chincoteague is rapidly losing its charm and its way of life. I hope Southwest Harbor’s leadership will not let that happen to their town. Some things are worth keeping.
Please feel free to delete this probably overly long comment. I know that my perspective will offend people, which I do not want to do. I just wanted to put in my two cents worth..
As an aside, I've found that whereas the Post Office's general forwarding service is not reliable, the Priority Forwarding service is almost fail safe. Mail is delivered to your regular post office as normally done, and once a week staff there put in a Priority Mail envelope or box and send it, with emailed tracking information, to your away address. I believe that general forwarding gets handled at the regional level, not at your local office. Plus, they include mail (like a replacement credit card or drivers license) that says "Do not forward" and would normally be returned to the sender. The only downside - it costs about $20 per week.
I wish the second neighbor’s appeal great success. The picture indeed shows a monster of that changes its name willy nilly. I would not like that ugly beast growing next to my home. Zoning laws are passed to protect residents and property owners from egregious development. And Town and Boards , like all of us, are not above the law.
Southwest Harbor holds a very special place in my heart. In the mid-1950s, my parents, Warren and Elizabeth Walsh, built a house on what is now Sail Mountain off Fernald Point Road. The land, for which they paid $750, was in the middle of a large area which had just recently been timbered. The land was stark and quite unattractive, but the view was amazing..
Over time, the blueberry bushes (and some raspberries) attractedlarge numbers of pickers. I was fortunate to be able to spend every summer all summer in our little house on the hill .after. After I started college the time I could spend there shortened, but I went whenever I could for however long I could stay. When my sisters and I inherited the house, one of my sisters and her husband opted to retire there and winterized and altered the house to meet their needs.
All this is a preface to saying that in addition to the natural beauty of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, the town of Southwest Harbor was what we might call charming nowadays: a small town with one policeman, Charlie Foss; generally older and often modest but well tended at homes; and wonderful townspeople.
Of course, things change over time, but the appeal of Southwest was part of what drew people like my family to it. The picture of the new construction appalled and saddened me. Clark Point Road and its surrounds are lovely. They should stay that way.
I say all this in part because my husband and I owned a vacation home on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, which is connected by a short bridge to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague National Seashore. The town of Chincoteague has always reminded us of Southwest Harper: a Main Street, small shops, wonderful towns people, modest homes. No building could be over one and 1/2 stories. We have seen major changes over the past many years. There are now expensive condos that face the marshes between the island and the mainland, a gaudy waterpark, a McDonalds, million dollar plus homes, and other changes to attract more and more visitors. Local families have been forced to sell their homes and move to the mainland because taxes have gotten so high. Schools have been consolidated, making school children commuters.
In other words, Chincoteague is rapidly losing its charm and its way of life. I hope Southwest Harbor’s leadership will not let that happen to their town. Some things are worth keeping.
Please feel free to delete this probably overly long comment. I know that my perspective will offend people, which I do not want to do. I just wanted to put in my two cents worth..
Hopefully the knight in shiny armor can show the confused board members the error of their ways.
As an aside, I've found that whereas the Post Office's general forwarding service is not reliable, the Priority Forwarding service is almost fail safe. Mail is delivered to your regular post office as normally done, and once a week staff there put in a Priority Mail envelope or box and send it, with emailed tracking information, to your away address. I believe that general forwarding gets handled at the regional level, not at your local office. Plus, they include mail (like a replacement credit card or drivers license) that says "Do not forward" and would normally be returned to the sender. The only downside - it costs about $20 per week.
I wish the second neighbor’s appeal great success. The picture indeed shows a monster of that changes its name willy nilly. I would not like that ugly beast growing next to my home. Zoning laws are passed to protect residents and property owners from egregious development. And Town and Boards , like all of us, are not above the law.