09/01/2012
Dear Readers,
Belfast City Planning and City Manager have been sneakily using our private property, DEP wetlands, as a free devastating storm water sewer from miles of surrounding sprawl, 1970's-present. The City accepted responsibility of Seaview Terrace at development, 1965. The City does not have any right of ways, easements, etc. The City has done work on private property on Seaview Terrace for accumulating storm water and sending it to my property in 2009. They denied this for 8 months, until unwavering proof forced Joe Slocum, City Manager to admit it was done, but 8 years ago (clearing statutes). After 2 more months of forcing proof, he admits to 2009, now claiming it was done to save the road. It was not, the road was and is shot from water under and no roadside drainage. I requested work orders for the heavy equipment used for the work. DPW stated that they do not use work orders? City workers have told me they do. For the unfamiliar, here is a sample summary. The blog sidebar contains pages with specific issues mentioned. If nothing else, let the information in this blog bring awareness to every resident that this could be you,your daughter, your mom, your sister, any divorced woman/mother. We have survived and arrived in Belfast, Maine to heal and begin again with peace and integrity. Instead, we have been subject to this horrible treatment by Belfast Officials and Town and Country Realtors for 16 months and counting. It is inhumane and truly unbelievable. I have found that many are protecting their private interest in fear of retaliation. City Hall crushes residents that bring costly negligent and ignorant infrastructure front and center. Over and over I have heard that the major concern from residents at every City approval is storm water fear, acknowledged and ignored by Wayne Marshall, the City Planner. The City is callous and defiant in the destruction they cause to homes and properties of residents, especially those of with in the City Lines where residence storm water sewers should be basic City 101 infrastructure. Since 4/2010 the City has gone to great lengths to silence and discredit me. After 7 months of being shoved into the rabbit hole, I was forced to fight back, forced to come out swinging, democracy disgraced. My only goal has been to save my property and neighborhood from being swept away from City storm water that the City has intentionally placed on the flood zone of Seaview Terrace. They continue to place us in grave danger and turn their heads. The City is trying to force me into a legal battle which would no doubt, render this low income Mom, homeless and broke.
Since approximately 1980, the original 1967 owner of my home, prominent resident, Dr. Caswell, began lodging flooding complaints with the City. The flooding was never seen in the prior years. The City with held these specific public documents complaints about my home. WAYNE MARSHALL HOLDS THE DOCUMENTS- REQUESTS ARE AT HIS MANIPULATION. HE STOPPED RECORDING PLANS IN THE WALDO REGISTRY IN APPROX. 1999. I requested, in 4/2011, in writing, to Wayne Marshall to have the history and all documents for my home and planning and development of Seaview Terrace. Instead, I received volumes of his words offering opinions, belief's, smokescreens and denials. Over the past year and a half, I have uncovered and exposed the hiding of maps, plans, reports and still unknown public information and documents. The City Attorney, Billy Kelly, brought out a with held 1987 City Manager's findings letter on my home, a public document, at the January 3, 2012 City Hall meeting to use against me. Billy Kelly said he is highly influenced by the findings of this "City" employed engineers report that looked for flooding only on Seaview Terrace and Billy also finds no City fault in the situation although he has only looked for paper trails not the visible flooding trail. Oh come on. Even with that biased report, I questioned Billy Kelly as to how a 1987 report- 25 years ago is even relevant with all the sites constructed since that are pouring into Seaview Terrace, DEP regulated wetlands, private property without any permission- ie right of ways, easements, etc. He did not answer and quickly exited the meeting. Belfast City Council immediately voted to take "NO ACTION"!
The late 1970's was just the beginning of City Planning's drowning of us with the Belfast Birches. Those plans should be in the registry but Wayne has written that he went to pull them for me but they are missing and he doesn't know why... These are just a few of many, I've got files of infractions and bullying.Captain Albert Stevens School, completed in 2005, which should be draining storm water down through Miller to the Bay, as approved with over a million in improvements to storm sewers in that path. Wayne Marshall required the applicant, SAD34, to put up 5k for a storm water analysis. This analysis was to appease abutters fighting the storm water impact from the construction. This also was not in the CASS file the first day, I found it the second day. Requests to Joe Slocum, the City Manager for implementation of the analysis and confirmation in writing that the final approved site plans are ready has been denied. The tactic is to claim the final approved site plans were there but that I was ignorant not to see the final seal/date and plan numbers. This is the formal request, 7/20/12 (informally requested since 11/01/11) to City Manager, City Council and Mayor;
1. CAPTAIN ALBERT STEVENS SCHOOL Request Final Approved Site Plan
2. VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA " "
3. MID-COAST MENTAL HEALTH " "
4. TALL PINES " "
5. BELFAST BIRCHES " "
6. HILLTOP BIRCHES " "
7. THE BIRCH STREET SUBDIVISION (Legore?) " "6. HILLTOP BIRCHES " "
8. The Annex of WCGH addition at 125 Northport Ave " "
9. The stormwater analysis that was to be conducted by the City from Wayne Marhsall reference letter dated 11/4/2002 to Paul Luttrelle, SAD 34, for an explanation of impact fee ($5000 to applicant). If the City did not conduct the stormwater analysis please advise why it has not been done. Advise when it will be done.
I traced those huge holding tanks draining down TO Seaview Terrace, private property, through the LeGore Subdivision Birch St, swamping those poor residents,(Town and Country tried to sell me a home there too, but a huge crack in the basement wall sent me running. Jan, T&C, never answered my questions to City responsibility to sub-divisions) down to Wight St via double culverts by Pickerings, across to Tall Pines, picking up their storm, down to Mid-Coast Mental Health, picking up their storm,and then through the woods and forced into Seaview Terrace at the culvert visible from Rte 1.
Still done yet. Wight St is the direct path to the City Park storm water path to the Bay, they have not only sent it to Seaview via double culverts, but a little further down is another channel dug out to take more behind the Annex (WCGH) and into my property. Plus the new addition to the Annex, against my objections were approved at the site visit, to drain into the stream at a section owned by MidCoast Mental Health behind 5 Seaview Terrace. Lies, it is draining into a path that was not disclosed or visible to me at the site visit 5/2011. It is draining into my property, see the pictures on the sidebar- Diane Allmyer Beck vs. Wayne Marshall.
Gary Haslam (WCGH project manager), Mike Hogan (architect) , Wayne Marshall (City Planner), Diane Allmyer Beck and the Planning Board, all taking the 5th, not enforcing the site visit outcome. . Wayne Marshall swamping me with more confusing irrelevant words and smokescreens. At the stie meeting, Diane Beck walked down the grade, stood and confirmed the exit of the storm water into the stream behind 5 Seaview Terrace. If I knew how deceptive this board and Planner was, I would have taped the meeting. They tricked me. Unethical doesn't even scrape the surface.That same visit was to include an inspection of my stream property and damages. They didn't inspect my property and Wayne Marshall ordered me not to speak.To file a ZBA begins at $250 and other residents who have tried to appeal their deceptions have spent over 10k and have not even got their foot in the door. The City Officials are masters at dragging it out, losing documents, dodging motion after motion with our City Attorney employed by the tax payers to fight against us, breaking our souls. Many do not detect the danger in these people because we are trusting by human nature. Not all of our Council and Planning are of these super ego's, but they have become implicated and choose to look the other way and bury it. Social Media is a powerful tool in exposing bad people. Integrity Super Ego's are admirable, it is the Super Ego's that mask integrity that are toxic and dangerous. Look at history, global and family nucleus, Hitler, OJ Simpson- how did we let that happen? Every day is a chance to make it right, every voice counts. Being proactive can stop disaster.
Still not done yet, where topography wouldn't allow to force channel more storm water into Seaview Terrace at Volunteers of America, Congress St. on the Rte 1 North side, they have forced it across Rte 1n to Rte 1S.. Culverts can be found from 1N across 1S at The National Guard and Larrabee's at Congress.The water is carried under Congress, down in front of Prays Homes, then force ditched along the side to behind the trailer park to pick up more storm water. I am told picking up storm water from miles around behind there. Then it comes back out at 2 points- 1 directly across from Seaview Terrace. It culverts back across Rte 1 and into the paths from 1-8 above, all merging into the huge culvert at the top of Seaview Terrace sending it into our private property. The 2nd point comes into the backyards of Seaview Terrace south side via the culvert draining from Rte 1N across and behind the Huntress Gardens Apartments. We are getting slammed from all sides and were designated a flood zone before they began the slaughter of our real estate. This sub-division is accepted as City maintained and their responsibility. Joe Slocum said that indeed our road is in bad shape, no drainage, no help.
Still not done yet, must not forget all the run off and plowing dumped into these holding tanks/ditches at each site, and from the highway, Rte 1, North and South, from bypass up to the National Guard. Take a drive through Captain Albert Stevens School along the side behind Sweetser and look at the caged in huge man made storm water accumulator, along Sweetser is another channel coming into that (maybe from the Muck?) . Snow is not approved to be dumped into each of these sites accumulator's but it is. The Annex has dumped their snow into the stream as witnessed by neighbors. In 2009, the culvert at the top of Seaview overflowed and almost swept a car away. The resident was ignored by Wayne Marshall. That same event, the previous owners of 27 Seaview Terrace (recently sold and ran) reported the water came roaring over her yard, across and flooding into 26 Seaview. In 2011, the spring thaw of all this piled snow from miles and mile around, turned my yard into thunderous roaring rapids, sweeping away over 600 feet of my property. The culvert at the end of the stream, running under Northport Ave., can easily get blocked and/or not handle the flow and we would be under water in a New York minute, unable to get out. During the summer/fall it was dry. I was directed to Wayne Marshall. In 4/2010 in the Planning Office he was smirking and showed me a wall map depicting all the channels coming into my private property. He has denied showing me this map on public TV-basically calling me a liar and the map has gone into hiding or was destroyed. Wayne Marshall, Joe Slocum and Mike Hurley supporting each other, accusing me of lying and being "ridiculous", anxiety ridden... The City Attorney, Billy Kelly telling me that this exposing of corruption is just a "sport" for me. That was just the start. In 1999?, Wayne Marshall came on as City Planner.He stopped recording his plans in the Deeded Registry for public access. He holds all the documents and manipulates each one to his advantage. I have proven that, Council and Manager look the other way. A previous Board Member, confessed to a resident that he was forced to vote against them and will never forgive himself. The Officials stood united and ruined those resident's life in Belfast as well.
Still not done yet, volumes more and fight for resolution continues.
Wayne Marshall was forced to provide files and final site approved plans for all the sites I found draining into my private property. For 3-4 hours, I poured through CASS, under supervision on the tiny counter in the Planning Office. I knew most storm water documents were missing. This project was huge, filling in wetlands, DEP approvals, Army Corp reports, written resident concerns, engineers memo's, the demolition of the Robertson School (never done? now Sweetser), an ordering from Wayne Marshall for the applicant, SAD34 to pay 5k for a stormwater analysis, on and on it goes. Wayne thought I was done with the files. They did not contain any of these documents. The next day I came back and asked Marie to give me the CASS files again. Volumes and volumes of storm water documents (some listed above) were in the files that were not there the day before. For 3 more hours, I went through the files again and took as many notes as I could. It is very stressful to be in that office under such horrible circumstances. Wayne Marshall back and forth slamming the divider door where my weak daughter was laying her head. Jamie F. telling me I have to pay for every copy... Joe Slocum casting sarcastic remarks...all of them trying to break me. Marie Stalworth was not in the office on that day. The requested final approved site plans were never given, confirmed with Marie Stalworth, Planning Office staff, the following day. Wayne hid the 1965 approval plans for my home showing the stream was moved by the City and not stabilized. I uncovered it on another surprise visit to City Hall. . These are just a few of many, I've got files of infractions and bullying.
I have discovered this against all City forces to hide documents, with hold plans, deflect, deny, lie, slander, intimidate, call me in as a threat to the Chief of Police, threatened me with harassment, just a sample of the hell they have put me through. I have a rough map that I drew showing all these paths. I presented, to Council, this map and actual pictures at each culvert taken with Bob Whitely, our City Tax Assessor. I have no doubt that Bob has taken a verbal lashing from Joe Slocum for being an innocent bystander City Official in this cover up.I never received any feedback from Council, just the gavel.. bang, bang, bang. And orders not to bring this to Council anymore and to get an attorney.
Here is City Council, Mike Hurley's public rant against me hours after I left the 12/6/11 meeting, note that I had been trying to resolve this in private with them for 7 months prior getting no where, just deeper in the hole... Per Mike Hurley quoted as closely as possible, note I never said Wayne's World, I said Wayne's Rule:
“I
want to respond during the discussion about water. I came to the entire
subject early on when we stated getting copied here on everything, wit a
pretty open mind about it, well, is there a problem here? What’s the
problem? I think that’s what we do here quite often is say hey what’s the
problem and try to fix it and if there is something we can do. I want to
say I had an open mind to it but having had the avalanche of emails
that we received and what we heard tonight again, I just want to say
that, ya know, if anybody thinks the way to solve a problem is to insult
people with things like, Wayne’s World, Ignorant, Dysfunctional, Shot
to Hell, Deceiving, Corruption, Lies, Cover Ups, Bullied, I want to add
one word…RIDICULOUS. I’ve worked with all these guys and I’ve been on
the wrong side of government in the past and I’ve been on the wrong side
of government while I’ve been in government. And ya know, it’s just
ridiculous to listen to this stuff. I would not object to putting this
on the agenda for us to talk about what we should do about this if
anything. But, you know, to listen to these to these kind of character
assassinations pf people who could really be bothered to do these things
to this woman, I’m really sorry, nobody has any interest in doing any
of these kinds of things that she keeps proclaiming and you know it’s
unfortunate she takes it completely publicly and tonight even, I kept
waiting for her, what’s the problem (out of quote for me to say, I
clearly stated in the beginning what the problem, what I wanted done,
and backed it up with facts for the ?? Time)
How would we address the
problem. I THINK SHE’S MORE INTERESTED IN FIGHTING, but I’m willing to
talk about it and look at it and maybe, ya know, there’s something we
can do, I don’t know. But anyway, I FEEL LIKE WAYNE AND JOE, IN
PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PINATA AND I APPRECIATE THEM BEING
RESTRAINED. I am sure, I can tell from everything that the landowner is
absolutely feels put upon by the water that runs in the stream in
through her yard. I think, maybe there’s a way to solve this but
constantly insulting the people you’re trying to talk with, at least
it’s never worked for me at home.”
End of Hurley's rant.
I am sorry for past
comments I wrote when Hurley was proclaiming a public "Love Fest" for the Shipyard and a "Hate Fest" for me.
As for buying this property, the realtors of Town and Country, Bill Ingersoll and retiree, Jan Andrews saw this battered Mom coming and stuck it to me. Minister Tarpley, the seller, not very Christian. This house/property is barely a 1/4 acre, I bought on line. I drove up on Christmas Break 2009 with the little cash I had with children and dogs. We stayed at the Comfort Inn and viewed several properties after a heavy snow. I have in writing where I rejected Stover Lane because it had a stream and repeatedly said my number one concern was not to have ANY water issues. Town and Country Realtors did not disclose the stream, it was not on the survey or tax map. The house inspection I paid for by DJ Brown associates, China in 4/2010, recommended by my agent, Jan Andrews, did not disclose the stream. I paid cash for the house and was not informed that I was in a flood zone. I was hard at work trying to protect my children, sell my house in NJ, meet 24 Certificate of Occupancy requirements to close, dropped the price drastically to make it happen and have enough cash to buy a home free and clear, was under way with a contentious court battle to relocate my crashing children and secure a job in Belfast. I left the work force after 16 years in 1993 with only 34 college credits to raise my children. I closed on both homes within a week of each other, 6/2010, packed our lives up in a 50 ft Penske truck and it was Belfast or Bust. Exhausted and alone, I bounced back and forth for court to NJ and tried to land a job. The Friday before the final NJ court hearing for relocation on 7/27/2010, Bank Of America hired me after a string of interviews and back ground checks. The week before school was to begin, I won relocation. The pressure and stress was immense, but it was over...our new lives were beginning only to be demolished by the realtors and the City of Belfast. That is the brunt of it, some of the details are here, but it is exhausting to read. Imagine this being your life as you to try to heal your family from traumatic abuse..
Brad Pitt said of New Orleans- Nothing makes me angrier than hearing Officials claim this destruction and death was an "Act Of Nature"when it is clearly A FAILURE OF MAN !
Belfast Officials defense against the flooding and destruction of Seaview Terrace has been "Act Of Nature...100 year Natural Stream" They are PROVEN LIES!
9/18/12- TIF district funding could save Seaview Terrace. Including Waldo County General Hospital in the Northport Ave. district would allow funding for 30 year over due City Storm Water Sewers. Stop using our private property without right of ways or easements as your sewer. Do not rob us of these funds to enhance the downtown . We are one storm away from extinction because of the City of Belfast.
10/4/12 & 10/7/12
Over the summer, with great dread, I force myself to a few more meetings, asking to Stop Flooding Seaview and to include storm water sewers to save Seaview in the budget meetings. Brownville, Maine is catastrophic after a 6 inch rain, no Federal Funding, town must pay with tax dollars. Every inch of rain is 1 foot of water to the private property of Seaview Terrace, 6 inches=6 feet of pounding, rapid-like water tearing through Seaview Terrace. Death of people and pets are true threats. No responses, no comments, no discussion, no concerns, no conscience... rather than act with professionalism and integrity they bully taking police off the streets to intimidate me at meetings, calling me in as threat to the Chief of Police, removal of public documents, sending me down rabbit hole after rabbit hole,mental and verbal intimidation techniques... Personal attacks most shockingly from our City Attorney, Bill Kelly. Seems he is trying to give the appearance that I am too stupid to see the seal stamped verification for the final approved site plans, that I don't have credible sources to back me up (which I have many, one neighbor whose car and house almost got swept away in flooding was secretary to respectable town attorney Lee Woodward for 20 years. Tax Assessor, Bob Whitely on a tour with me to view path of force destruction was speechless and also knew this resident well.) Regardless, anyone with at least one eye can verify my research of City forced flooding and cover-up to Seaview Terrace. Unprofessional and unethical tactics are the rule rather than the exception. The City Attorney further trying to disgrace me by writing that a biased elder neighbor, helped by the City to send his storm water to my property, does not agree with me. This neighbor also compares me to Gorbachev in a public televised meeting to "Take Down My Signs". This neighbor is up and down Seaview Terrace with wheel barrows, doing odd jobs, maintaining the ditch to send his water to me, he is quite amazing at over 85 years old. He appeared very frail and effective at the meeting. It was sad to see the City has placed us at odds... perhaps they even asked him to come to the meeting to speak against me. I was at that meeting and Mr. Hand, the elderly neighbor, ignored me as we waited in the hall for 15 minutes. He had come to my home the week before. I was very busy and sweating, mowing my lawn before an appointment. He stood at my property until I turned of the mower. I spoke with him freely, respectively, and at length. I give Mr Hand fact after fact, he didn't want to hear this, didn't want to see the proof. After I speak about his storm water illegally coming to my property, he throws his hands up and walks away. Mr. Hand did not tell me he was going to City Hall and publicly broadcast his "paraphrased" pieces of our conversation. Now I know he was interrogating me to use my words against me. Sad, my words were true facts and paraphrasing needed to create drama. He was very effective and humble. The City Manager, Joe Slocum can be seen, sympathetic, offering the help of our City Attorney that has been refused to me, over and over again. I have no doubt Slocum choreographed the scene, view it and see for yourself. During the week, Mr. Hand was at my neighbor's, on a ladder, repairing the gutter...after he finished using my wheel barrow to re-cement my neighbor's mailbox.
This is unbelievable behavior from our City Officials and Attorney. In New Jersey, our Borough Attorney was Fred Roselli and my relocation attorney for the children. We won. Fred Roselli is integrity to the "T" and will vouch for my integrity, hands down. I went to school with his brother, Tom, they know me well. I have had a home here in Bayside since 1968, I know many people, including Ned Lightner our City videographer who can vouch for my honesty. The City tactics are beyond shameful. Personally attacking this upstanding citizen, single low income, struggling Mom in the United States of America. The core of our country, a mom and children striving to just be with her government leading her to slaughter. Our home is our only asset, our only place to be safe...Officials are killing our rights and our desperate chance to begin again.
10/2/12- City Council TIF Tax could save Seaview Terrace at 9/18/12 meeting.
https://vimeo.com/49756753
fast forward 10 minutes in I ask for Seaview Terrace to be included in Northport Ave
TIF District by including WCGH and recent improvements. I ask Joe
Slocum for the 12th time for his written inspection that the 8 Final
Approved Site Plans are true and ready for viewing. I ask him to
implement the stormwater analysis where the City secured 5k from SAD34
in 2005 for impact to watershed residents from the Captain Albert
Stevens School. Note that the Robertson School was planned for
demolition in staging plans and was not. Wayne Marshall holds the final
approved plans for the CASS and will not provide them to me. No
discussions on my requests even as they go into detail of the TIF. In
fact, my Council, Marina Delune is pushing to take Northport Ave TIF
funding and give it to downtown projects! How does this woman sleep?
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