In 1915 Percival Baxter gave 12.59 acres of land to the town of Gorham in memory of Martha Robie, the 2nd wife of Governor Frederick Baxter. The gift of Robie Park, which fronts on Morrill Avenue, included a restriction that the property be used for recreation. Hemmed in now between Ball Park Drive, the town’s municipal buildings, and Gorham High School, the park is one of the few public green spaces left in the village.
Photo credit: Kerry ConstantinoConcerned citizens fearful of other uses encroaching on this recreational space initiated a Facebook page, blanketed the area with “Save Robie Park” signs, and petitioned the Town Council to develop a new plan for preserving it. They approached Councilor Virginia Wilder Cross who already was concerned about potential changes. “I decided to include a discussion about this with the Council before it got out of hand,” she said, “This Council supports creating a walkable village that serves denser neighborhoods, which makes preserving Robie Park imperative.”
On July 5 the Council voted unanimously to instruct the municipal staff “to begin work on updating the Robie Park Master Plan for adoption by the Town Council” and further instructed the staff to “provide for a public hearing to collect public comments on suggestions for the park.”
They also suggested that a committee of stakeholders be constituted to help develop the plan.
Some of those stakeholders are the residents living near Robie Park who made emotional appeals at recent Town Council meetings. They cited plans for the high school expansion that had included using some of the western part of the park adjacent to GHS for parking. These plans have been rejected and there are none under consideration. Speaking for the Gorham School Department, Superintendent Heather Perry gave assurances that they “have no current plans to utilize this area of Robie Park and look forward to working with the town of Gorham and our neighbors in determining the best future for the safe use of this incredible community space.”
The recent removal of some diseased pines also raised concerns that more changes were contemplated. “We need to ensure that there is a moratorium on any changes in the park, specifically in the area where the white pine groves were removed on Earth Day,” said Mike Chabot, speaking for the Save Robie Park organization.
The Town Council authorized the removal of the pines in 2020, after receiving a report by an arborist from Lucas Tree that they were dead and that the limbs were a hazard. The Gorham School Department had the trees removed on April 8. “The school and town would have been negligent not to remove the hazard,” said Norman Justice, Director of Facilities and Transportation.
Photo credit: Gorham School DepartmentRestrictions placed on the 1915 gift that created Robie Park have been unclear and contested for years. The Gorham Village Corporation (GVC) had initial responsibility for overseeing the park, but in 1958 the Town took it over. In the 1970s GVC was dissolved. In 2017 the town attorney, William Dale, determined that under the deed by which the Town received the property there was a restriction that the easterly portion of the property may only be used for a “playground,”, but that the larger westerly portion had no such restriction. Former Town Manager David Cole started the procedure to remove all restrictions. Public hearing were held in 2018 after which deed restrictions were officially lifted by the Maine Superior Court.
The Town has responsibility for Robie Park and there are no legal restrictions on its use, making the timely development of a new Master Plan an imperative with wide support. “Right now, folks who live in the village are feeling the tremendous pressure of new development. Once green space is gone, it is gone forever,” said Peggy Marchand who lives in the area. “Robie Park is precious,” she added, “Little parks should be away from noise, congestion, and fast moving cars and traffic.”
Both Marchand and Chabot emphasized the importance of including community members in planning for the future of the park. “I am appreciative of the Council taking into consideration an update to the Robie Park Master plan,” Chabot said. “I was also happy to hear that there are councilors that want to insure that the citizens have some input and that they would like to see a committee of sorts.”