Editor: 

   I would like to thank the town leadership team and all of the contractors for doing a wonderful job on the Dunstan sidewalk project which is nearing completion. A lot of credit should go to Jay Chace, the assistant town planner, for heading up the project.

   As a longtime resident and business owner in the area, I can tell you that the improvement is dramatic and worth every penny.  

 Most of all I would like to thank all of the property owners from Dunstan Corner to the Saco line for granting easements, at no cost, to the town to make the project affordable and safe. We are all in their debt. I totally agree with a letter writer from a couple weeks ago that there is one glaring exception. Joseph Penna, DMD, the dentist who owns the plaza right at Dunstan Corner is the only land owner in the one mile stretch of Route 1 to not grant an easement. 

 It is very short sighted, in my opinion, to have the project skip his property over a strip of land less than 10 feet wide. The project would have had negligible impact on his parking and would not have cost him one red cent.  If there is any site plan change to the plaza in the future, the owners will have to construct the sidewalk, as planned, totally at their own cost. Why not just do it now?!? Of all people, a health care professional should see the benefit of having a safe pedestrian way.

 I don’t think it is too late, so please ask Joseph Penna to consider moving forward with an easement as all of his neighbors have done. I will be the first to thank him if he does.

Patrick O’Reilly

Scarborough