Maine Merchants Take on Wal-Mart

Susan Porter's bookstore, Maine Coast Book Shop, is nestled among a wide variety of small shops on the historic Main Street of Damariscotta, Maine. The town -- with a population of approximately 2,000 -- is located some 30 miles south of Augusta on the banks of the river that gave the town its name. Damariscotta's idyllic colonial charm attracts people who want to live in a place that's different, away from suburban sprawl. It's unique, with one-of-a-kind charm, noted Porter.

But like so many other small towns these days, Damariscotta has caught the eye of Wal-Mart. The ubiquitous big box retailer is looking to purchase land to open a 186,000-square-foot store in Damariscotta. "[The prospect is] pretty scary to all the merchants," said Porter. "A lot of people ... moved here and a lot of people retired here because there's only one Damariscotta."

Adding a Wal-Mart would change that, Porter said. The superstore would take away from the town's character and impact the business of local downtown merchants. As downtown business owners told the Portland Press Herald, a "Wal-Mart less than two miles from ... downtown could spell doom." For that reason, a number of residents are taking a stand, and have launched a grassroots campaign in the hopes of keeping the chain giant out of the area. "We are fighting this," Porter said.

Porter told BTW that rumors had been circulating "for a long time" that Wal-Mart was looking to buy land so it could open a superstore in the town. "There was a mysterious lawyer at a lot of planning meetings," she said. Then, in October, the rumors were confirmed. She said the news upset many people because it indicated that some local leaders had known more about it than they had let on.

The idea that Wal-Mart could be moving to Damariscotta spurred two local residents, Jenny Mayher and Eleanor Kinney, to launch a grassroots campaign, Our Town Damariscotta (www.ourtowndamariscotta.com), in late October. Our Town launched a petition campaign looking to change zoning laws to limit "stores to no more than 35,000-square feet," as reported by The Hometown Advantage. The petition was presented to the town's selectmen on November 16, the Lincoln County News noted.

Now the town will get a chance to vote on the issue. The Portland Press Herald reported that the town selectmen voted to put a measure that would amend the land use code, placing a cap of 35,000-square-feet on stores in commercial zones, on the town's June 2006 Town Meeting warrant. Our Town asked the vote to be moved up, said Porter.

"I think the vote will be in March," she said. "I'm optimistic it will be accepted and put a stop to ... this kind of development."

In the meantime, Main Street merchants are doing their best to educate the community on buying local. "We're putting up posters," Porter said, and added that the local library held showings of Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices. She hopes that local churches and the Rotary Club will have showings of the film, as well.

Moreover, Damariscotta and Newcastle merchants recently formed the Downtown Merchant's Group, a local alliance that was created to discuss the proposed Wal-Mart, the Lincoln County News reported. "Just last week, we had our first meeting," Porter said. "Fifty [business owners] showed up."

Porter believers that many people have misconceptions about shopping locally. When someone buys at Wal-Mart, it might be cheaper "but it's not the same quality as what they would buy at local stores. People get duped into thinking they're getting a better deal at Wal-Mart." --David Grogan

(To read more about Main Street issues, click here.)