WHAT WE DO

GOALS

 

1. Expand our trail network to link together all South Portland neighborhoods and connect with Cape Elizabeth and Portland trail systems and the Eastern Trail.

South Portland has 14 miles of coastline. Our greenbelt trail carries users past Simonton Cove, the historic settler's cemetery, the Spring Point Light, the Ferry Village neighborhood, Mill Cove, the downtown Marketplace, Pleasantdale Cove, and the Wainright ball fields.

The SPLT hopes to extend the greenbelt to the Maine Mall and expand the trail network to link together all 15 South Portland neighborhoods.

Cash Corner Country Gardens Ferry Village Knightville Ligonia Loveitt's Field Meadowbrook Meetinghouse Hill

Ocean Street Pleasantville Redbank Stanwood Sunset Park Thornton Heights Willard

   2. Conserve open space, including neighborhood "pocket" parks, shoreline access, wetlands, abandoned rail lines, creekside buffers, community gardens and land providing exceptional views.

Over 2000 acres of South Portland's 8000 acres is still vacant, but development will likely continue at in-fill properties, subdivisions, the Maine Mall area and developable piece of waterfront property.

Publicly owned open space in South Portland only occupies about 230 acres:
       ?     City parks cover approximately 94 Acres
       ?     School playgrounds cover 90.5 acres
       ?     The municipal golf course covers 34 acres
       ?     Pollution-filtering creekbank buffers along Barberry and
              Anthoine Creeks cover 12.3 acres

     3. Encourage the acquisition of open space and the enhancement of parks and trails to optimize benefits for all users.

The SPLT can stay ahead of the growth in South Portland by fully cataloguing potential open space properties and working proactively and cooperatively with the development community to protect critical open space.

     4. Provide educational to the public that raise awareness about the importance of open space and trail networks and encourage best management practices on both public and private land.

    5. Build productive relationships within all stakeholder groups to overcome institutional, political  and economic obstacles to open space conservation and trail expansion

 

 

 

© COPYRIGHT SPLT 2008