A proposal to build the ‘world’s tallest flagpole’ looms over a small community in Maine

COLUMBIA FALLS, MAINE — Each morning, fantasy creator Sheri Murphy wakes up and updates her Fb pals on life within the quaint Downeast Maine neighborhood she’s known as residence for practically 20 years.

She extolls the attraction of the river speeding by means of downtown, the towering balsam fir exterior her window, the huge forests in all instructions, and the realm’s seclusion from the bustle of metropolis life.

“I all the time inform them how stunning it’s right here,” mentioned Murphy, resting her hand on her Maine Coon cat, Child Basil, purring softly in her lap. “This isn’t a spot for customers. It’s a spot for artists and writers.”

However what would turn out to be of this picturesque neighborhood if a strong native household’s proposal to show a whole lot of acres of wilderness right into a billion-dollar patriotic theme park — full with a flagpole that, if constructed, can be the third tallest constructing in America — strikes forward?

Murphy and the practically 500 residents of Columbia Falls have been grappling with that query because the Flagpole of Freedom Park, a enterprise enterprise to “unite America,” was unveiled final yr.

Involved in regards to the scale of the plans, residents of this enclave are getting ready to hit pause on the attraction, arguably the most important and most eccentric venture ever pitched for the Downeast area.

On Tuesday, residents will vote on whether or not to move a 180-day moratorium on all large-scale developments on the town, a transfer that would stall the record-setting flagpole plan and its surrounding facilities. Enacting the measure would purchase them time to weigh the financial boon the park would possibly present in opposition to the disruptions it may convey to the scenic panorama.

The park is the fervour venture of the Worcester household, finest identified for its nonprofit Wreaths Throughout America, which locations garlands largely grown on their land in and round Columbia Falls at veterans’ graves nationwide each Christmas.

The venture has lagged, and the household mentioned Friday that it might return funds despatched by donors over the previous yr to kickstart its building.

But when constructed, the Flagpole of Freedom Park would take the household’s mission to honor veterans to new heights. Its namesake flagpole would soar 1,461 toes excessive (precisely 1,776 toes above sea stage), and turn out to be the tallest on the planet by a number of hundred toes. It could fly an American flag the scale of one-and-a-half soccer fields.

The pole itself can be a multistory constructing topped by an statement deck with views of Maine in all instructions.

Renderings courtesy Flagpole of Freedom Park/Break the Ice Media; composite picture by The Maine Monitor.

The encompassing park, as envisioned by the Worcesters, would characteristic theaters, eating places, a lodge, shops, mountaineering trails, museum displays, and ticketed rides and academic sights just like the “Halls of Historical past” and “Village of Previous Glory,” that inform the story of the nation’s wars. Guests can be ferried on gondolas criss-crossing above the bushes.

In an space free to the general public, “Remembrance Partitions” 9 miles lengthy would listing the names of each US veteran who has died, an exhibit that might be up to date every year.

“This will likely be a spot that’s often called probably the most patriotic place there may be,” Rob Worcester, the venture’s cofounder and managing director, mentioned in a promotional video final yr.

Critics have dismissed the Worcesters’ aspirations as fanciful and excessive. However for residents of the state’s poorest county, it’s a prospect that some say deserves severe consideration.

A rendering of what a portion of Foremost Road in Freedom Park would appear to be at dawn. Courtesy: Flagpole of Freedom Park/Break the Ice Media.

The median family earnings in Columbia Falls is roughly $47,000. Jobs are scarce, the closest hospital is half-an-hour away, and going out to dinner is a 45-minute drive in each instructions.

The area has lengthy struggled to draw staff, and out-of-state traders who flocked right here through the pandemic have worsened an already devastating housing scarcity.

Nancy Bailey, who raised two youngsters in Columbia Falls, has seen the toll a scarcity of alternative has taken on her neighborhood. For a lot of, the one strategy to make a residing is to go away.

“We want one thing right here — we desperately want one thing,” mentioned Bailey.

She mentioned she loves the realm’s evergreen vistas and vivid stars as a lot as different residents, however welcoming a vacationer attraction of this dimension may assist the neighborhood keep afloat.

Plus, she trusts that Morrill Worcester, the household’s patriarch, has Columbia Falls’ finest pursuits in thoughts.

“He’s a Columbia Falls man by means of and thru,” Bailey mentioned. “He desires the city to be taken care of.”

The household says the idea may create 5,000 jobs, which might make it one in every of the state’s largest employers. They’ve estimated it may appeal to 6 million guests a yr — 2 million greater than Acadia Nationwide Park — and enhance native infrastructure in want of repairs.

Nonetheless, the pitch has been quite a bit to swallow for Columbia Falls, whose enterprise neighborhood consists of farms; a diner; a basic retailer; a lobster lure producer; and Wild Blueberry Land, a blueberry-shaped store and museum.

“We want one thing right here — we desperately want one thing,” mentioned Nancy Bailey, who has seen the toll a scarcity of alternative has taken on her neighborhood. Picture by Michael G. Seamans.

“It’s simply too large for the realm,” mentioned Dell Emerson, who has run Wild Blueberry Land, a roadside attraction, along with his spouse, Marie, for 20 years.

Emerson, born in Columbia Falls in 1935, has watched the realm flip from a bustling rural neighborhood to a sleepy city of largely retirees. Though he believes the flagpole park is “a good suggestion,” he’s not sure his hometown is the correct match.

“I don’t assume the services that we now have within the city may deal with an inflow of 5,000 individuals,” he mentioned.

These fears have been mirrored in an nameless survey that native officers requested residents of Columbia Falls and close by cities to take this month. Requested if they might help a moratorium on large-scale improvement initiatives, greater than 80 % of the 193 respondents mentioned “Sure.”

Whereas individuals weren’t particularly requested in regards to the flagpole venture, many criticized it by identify.

“We don’t have the capability to help such endeavors as a neighborhood,” one individual mentioned. “Even a shopping center can be a stretch.”

Others have been frightened about obstructed views, or the disruption of the “small hometown really feel” and “pure magnificence” that drew them to the realm.

“It seems cash makes proper in Maine,” one other individual wrote. “If somebody has somewhat cash they will determine to break a city for all of the city’s individuals.”

One other dismissed the flagpole venture as “a large vacationer lure” that might “destroy” the “character of the city.”

The Worcesters have acknowledged issues about their plans.

“There’s lots of people that don’t need change,” Rob Worcester advised The Maine Monitor final Might. “However I believe that [Washington County is] economically struggling somewhat bit and I believe we will help.”

Morrill Worcester (middle) and his sons Mike (left) and Rob. Picture courtesy Flagpole of Freedom Park/Break the Ice Media.

A smaller however equally passionate group of survey respondents appeared to agree with that sentiment, and have been in favor of letting the venture — and others prefer it — transfer forward.

“It won’t simply line the house owners’ pockets, it is going to in actual fact increase all native enterprise visitors,” one proponent wrote. “Being one of many poorest counties in Maine, we may definitely use an attraction for vacationer cash.”

One other Columbia Falls resident derided a moratorium as “an evasive tactic” standing in the best way of progress. Their primary concern? “Jobs, jobs, jobs.”

The venture has been controversial from the beginning. It even got here up throughout final yr’s state Senate race. Requested for his or her opinions on it throughout a debate, candidates on either side expressed skepticism.

Marianne Moore, a Republican who in the end received the race, mentioned it “seems to be superior.” However she additionally questioned if it was “going to fly” in Washington County.

Her opponent, Democrat Jonathan Goble, had extra disparaging phrases, casting doubt on how large of a draw it might be.

“What number of occasions do individuals go to see the world’s largest pig?” he mentioned.

No matter the place residents stand, city officers, who’re paid a small stipend and serve half time, have scrambled to wrap their heads across the infrastructure investments the venture would require, in addition to how visitors, leisure areas, and pure sources can be affected.

Exterior view rendering of the two,500-acre venture. Courtesy: Flagpole of Freedom Park/Break the Ice Media.

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It has prompted them “to evaluate what instruments the city has in its toolbox to mitigate the impacts of economic improvement,” mentioned Aga Dixon, a lawyer and land-use planner the city retained to deal with the park proposal.

The city has already spent practically $40,000 in consulting charges linked to the venture. The Worcesters have coated $30,000 of these prices.

A lot of the land the place the park can be constructed sits on unorganized territory and falls beneath the purview of the state Land Use Planning Fee. The Worcesters need the city to annex it, which might pace up allowing and guarantee taxes from the park go to the city. Residents would get a vote on that, as nicely.

If a moratorium is handed, it wouldn’t cease the venture in its tracks. Whereas a lawyer for the household mentioned in December that it “could possibly be devastating” as a result of it’d scare off potential traders, members of the family have prompt they’d construct the park with or with out the city’s backing.

“If a moratorium is what nearly all of residents and municipal officers wish to occur in Columbia Falls, that’s as much as the individuals of Columbia Falls,” Rob Worcester mentioned in October. “Both the state or one other municipality will reap the social, tax, and financial advantages ought to Columbia Falls select to not help the annexation.”

Nonetheless, getting help from the neighborhood would easy the trail to opening.

The Worcesters initially deliberate to lift funds on-line from hundreds of particular person “founders,” in addition to from massive company sponsors, and break floor on July 4 this yr. The goal was to open to the general public in 2026, on the nation’s 250th birthday.

In an announcement Friday, co-founder Mike Worcester mentioned the household was “within the means of returning” donors’ cash given the delays, however he added that the Worcesters “stay dedicated to transferring this venture ahead.” A fundraising web page on the venture’s web site, which supplied perks to those that pledged to make month-to-month contributions, is not useful. The Worcesters haven’t mentioned how a lot cash they’ve raised or plan to spend themselves on the venture.

The household was as soon as so assured in regards to the venture’s future that they constructed dozens of cabins on property overlooking the deliberate building web site, known as Flagpole View Cabins. (Worcester Holdings was issued violations for doing so with out correct permits).

After final yr’s preliminary burst of publicity — which attracted consideration from Fox Information and different media retailers and included help from former presidential candidate Ben Carson — Columbia Falls residents say the Worcesters have gone largely silent.

9 miles of double-sided partitions would show the names of 24 million veterans, separated into 55 areas — one for every U.S. state and territory. Courtesy: Flagpole of Freedom Park/Break the Ice Media.

Within the assertion Friday, the household mentioned it was reconsidering its strategy to the park, however wouldn’t run it as a nonprofit. Mike Worcester mentioned that whereas they don’t plan to totally go that route, the household has been working with veterans teams “to make our enterprise mannequin as inclusive as attainable to obtain their endorsement and help.”

Till then, Columbia Falls appears poised to purchase itself a while, at a second when traders have pitched large concepts for the Downeast area — among the many final undeveloped sections close to the coast within the US — together with for photo voltaic panels, fish farms, RV parks, even aerospace ventures.

“Traditionally, the Downeast area has not been focused for enormous improvement, however that’s altering,” mentioned Dixon. “It’s a little bit of a wake-up name for these small communities.”

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