I am one of the neighbors who signed the petition to the Waterville City Council about the Sacred Heart rezone (“Rezoning efforts of former Waterville church lead residents to file petition with city council,” July 6). I was not lied to, and the petition states that we would like the council to do their jobs and protect the neighborhood and protect the residents, not protect the developer at the expense of the neighborhood residents.

The petition asks for common-sense approaches to a significant development in a residential area. There was no need to “lie” to the neighbors who also signed. In fact, despite the dismissal of the petition by the council chairman and BACAS at the July 6 council meeting, several of the recommendations to the council it contained were recommended by the attorney the city hired for legal guidance!

I’d urge both BACAS and the council to put aside their preconceived notions of thinking that anyone who asks the process to be followed in a manner that protects residents automatically equals opposition to development. They might start with actually reading the petition.

Rien Finch

Waterville

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