Insight - Box store in Windham - By Michelle Libby

At the planning board meeting Monday night, it was put forth that a big box store wanted to build on Route 302 between the rotary and the Big Apple store and gas station. Sights like that are not unusual in North Windham near the shopping center, but that far out, buildings have more character and fit in with the landscape. Lucky for us the planning board and Linda Griffin from the historical society and Pleasant River Properties were paying attention for us and in the end asked the Dollar General to come back to the planning board with a better look for the area of Windham they are building in. 

Other businesses away from North Windham have attractive buildings with sloped roofs, cupolas and decorated with flowers. Mercy Windham has an attractive look, as does Windham Automotive and Hancock Lumber. All are trying to fit in with the pastoral land around them. 

A 9,100 square foot building is going to change the look of that parcel of land that once was slated to be a water park. I understand, and I think most of us get that change happens and progress moves us forward, but as we have heard from the planning office and the 21^st Century Downtown Plan, that wants to fix up the North Windham corridor to make it look more Maine with trees, buildings with character and sidewalks. 

The information on the proposal is available online and most of the planning board meetings have been recorded for future viewing. 

Windham belongs to all of us and we need to speak up if we see things that shouldn’t be happening or development that is not in our best interest. Thank you to Linda and the planning board who were willing to speak up for Windham’s best interest. Will you speak up too?