Angela Chamberlain. Erica Brooks.

Dec 28, 2025

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

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Quick note: Both of the letters below were also sent to the Bar Harbor Town Council and the letter writers asked us to include them here.

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LETTER TO THE BAR HARBOR TOWN COUNCIL OPPOSING LODGING MORATORIUM EXTENSION

Dear Members of the Town Council,

I am writing to formally oppose an extension of the current moratorium on lodging uses.

The town’s own boards and departments have found no factual basis for extending the moratorium. The police department, fire department, and public works department have each indicated that lodging establishments have not impacted their ability to provide services, nor have they identified increased calls, operational strain, or infrastructure failures attributable to these uses. This professional input directly contradicts any claim that an emergency exists.

To date, no such findings have been presented demonstrating that lodging establishments have created an emergency condition in this community.

In addition, the planning board, the body you directed to make a recommendation on the impacts of lodging, did not recommend extending the moratorium. After requesting that the planning board analyze the impacts of lodging uses and provide a recommendation, the town council now appears poised to act contrary to that recommendation, without new evidence or findings to justify doing so.

Extending a moratorium contrary to planning board recommendation, and without documented emergency conditions, departs from Maine’s established land use planning process.

There is no data showing that hotels, motels, or other lodging establishments have overwhelmed municipal infrastructure, compromised public safety, or exceeded the town’s regulatory capacity. To the contrary, the record reflects that municipal services are functioning effectively and that existing regulations are adequate.

The town already possesses substantial regulatory authority over lodging uses through zoning standards, site plan review, performance standards, and enforcement. Extending a moratorium implies that these tools are inadequate, yet the conclusions of town departments and the planning board do not support that claim.

Continuing a moratorium without documented emergency findings—and in the absence of planning board support—exposes the town to legal risk and erodes confidence in predictable land use regulation. Property owners and local businesses are entitled to rely on regulations adopted, not see them repeatedly suspended without justification.

For these reasons, I strongly urge the council not to extend the moratorium.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,
Angela Chamberlain

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LETTER TO THE BAR HARBOR TOWN COUNCIL OPPOSING LODGING MORATORIUM EXTENSION

Dear Councilors,

I am writing because I am unable to attend the public hearing in person, as it was scheduled during a holiday week when many voters and taxpayers are unavailable. As a citizen, voter, taxpayer, businesswoman, and real estate professional, it is important to me that my voice be heard and given due consideration. Thank you all for your time.

The lodging moratorium should end.

The decision to enact the moratorium was a knee-jerk reaction—one that, as is often the case with moratoria, has proven to be a mistake. After extensive independent research, fact-finding, public meetings, hearings, and consultation with experts, it is clear that this policy has not achieved its intended goals.

I am a firm believer in private property rights, and as a realtor, I have both a professional and ethical obligation to defend them. The freedom to buy, sell, and utilize property—protected under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments—forms the foundation of functioning markets and a free society. Restrictions that prevent property owners from realizing the highest and best use of their land suppress economic growth, deter investment, and erode our fundamental freedoms.

In recent years, our town has experienced a troubling pattern of increasingly restrictive actions—from banning cruise ships, to overregulating and effectively eliminating short-term rentals, to imposing a prolonged lodging moratorium. Many property owners reasonably view these cumulative actions as regulatory overreach. This approach is neither sustainable nor fair, and it has created unnecessary division within our close-knit community.

What we need is not additional moratoria, but a clear, fair, and consistently applied land use and zoning ordinance. If changes are truly needed regarding where or how lodging may be developed, the appropriate and democratic path is to propose vetted amendments in a timely manner and allow voters to decide. Singling out one sector through a moratorium is neither sound planning nor good governance.

Having previously served on the planning board, I strongly value transparency, process, and public input. It has been evident through multiple meetings that the planning board understands these principles and supports ending the moratorium. It is concerning that the council appears poised to override the board’s expertise, consultant input, and the concerns of many taxpayers—particularly in light of a last-minute addendum to an 13-month-old moratorium introduced just days before a vote.

I find it deeply ironic that many residents and elected officials display “RESIST” signs while simultaneously supporting policies that restrict individual freedoms, private property rights, and illegal takings. That contradiction has not gone unnoticed. These are unusual times for democracy, and local government should lead by example—not by silencing dissent, curtailing property rights, or advancing decisions unsupported by clear data or broad public consensus.

I respectfully urge the council to end the lodging moratorium.

Sincerely,
Erica Brooks

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