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As reported in the April 17 BDN, the Belfast City Council voted on April 16 to rescind the eminent domain action it had taken on behalf of the controversial $500 million Nordic Aquafarms industrial fish farm project. That was the right thing to do, but more is needed.
On April 2, the council appropriated $5,000 to revisit the Belfast-Northport town line, in an apparent attempt to salvage that same eminent domain action, which would have spilled over into Northport. The council should now rescind that appropriation and save taxpayers that $5,000.
The council should also reaffirm the permanent covenants placed by the State of Maine on 12.5 acres of land the city sold to Nordic. The restrictions were designed to protect the land’s watershed, and the city’s assertion that it could vacate those restrictions is being challenged in court. The city of Belfast is already hemorrhaging funds in Nordic-related legal bills — it doesn’t need more.
Finally, the city should revoke the 2018 zoning change that allowed the Nordic project to move forward in the first place. The original zoning designation was there for a reason, and the change was rushed through despite public comment that ran overwhelmingly against it. It is now time to return the land to its original and rightful purpose.
On April 16 the Belfast City Council did the right thing. Now it’s time to finish the job.
Lawrence Reichard
Belfast
