Oak Hill, Eight Corners, Payne Road

A neighborhood meeting was held on Tuesday, July 9th at Town Hall.  Approximately 30 participants shared their visions of the future.  The following notes summarize their vision. Participants were asked to identify their favorite places in the Oak Hill, Eight Corners, Payne Road Neighborhoods.  These special places ranged from the natural (Scarborough Marsh, Nonesuch River, wetlands, ponds, and undeveloped woods) to the cultural (Flathery Farm, schools, library, Scarborough Downs, churches, and the cemetery).  See map at right for more details. Next, participants were asked to share their hopes and fears for the future of their neighborhood. Hopes for the Future of Oak Hill, Eight Corners, and Payne Road Fears for the Future of Oak Hill, Eight Corners, Payne Road Town Center Discussion Scarborough Special Places Hopes for Scarborough's Future

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• Hopes for the Future of Oak Hill, Eight Corners, and Payne Road 
  • More Parks
  • Walking and biking trails
  • Would like to have access to Route 1 without getting killed
  • North Scarborough shouldn't be sewered (will minimize sprawl)
  • Limit all building
  • Sidewalks
  • Like to see a senior center
  • Better recreational opportunities
  • Create and enforce pooper-scooper laws
  • Make this the best school system in the State
  • Give Route 1 a facelift
  • Create a downtown center
  • Sidewalks for biking
  • Regional planning- not just Scarborough
  • Allow mixed uses
  • Revamp the zoning laws
  • Encourage connectivity
  • Encourage the Turnpike traffic to stay off of Route 1
  • Park in the Oak Hill area
  • Architectural design standards
  • Haigis Parkway should attract class A office buildings
  • Residential neighborhoods should have narrower roads to keep down speed of cars
  • Leash law
  • Sidewalks and trail links between neighborhoods
  • Keep tractor-trailers off of Route 114
  • Put mailboxes on the side of the road that the house is situated on
  • More crosswalks and safety lights
  • Integrated commercial access to Oak Hill shopping area
  • Preserve green space (with tax incentives or purchase)
  • Community clean up in spring or fall
  • 2nd Middle/High School
  • Affordable housing for seniors
  • Community building or community center
  • Performing arts center
  • Haigis should be developed according to the master plan
  • Get rid of portables in schools
  • Biking and walking paths
  • Taxes, more accurate levy

   

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• Fears for the Future of Oak Hill, Eight Corners, Payne Road
  • Strip malls
  • Over-development
  • No character in new developments
  • Overly commercialized
  • Traffic
  • Poor quality bus transportation
  • Lack of public/private partnerships
  • Not retaining buffer zones between businesses and residences
  • Overdevelopment
  • Loss of green space
  • Zoning changes
  • Mall sprawl
  • School size is too large
  • Taxes
  • Loss of character, loss of special places
  • Too many national chain stores
  • No further destruction of wetlands
  • Eastern Road, fear of any/all development
  • Uncontrolled development
  • Hunting in residential areas
  • Disregard for zoning
  • Loss of the special places

  • Route 1 will look like Saugus

  • Wider roads for cars and trucks

  • More noise pollution

  • Fear of casino gambling

   

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• Town Center Discussion

  • Oak Hill is a municipal center, not a town center

  • Perhaps could improve municipal center by allowing back access among the community facilities

  • Scarborough is a town of small villages, not a central town center
  • Each neighborhood should have a street that acts like a community center, with gathering places and services

   

- back to top - Scarborough Special Places Participants were asked to identify their favorite places in Scarborough.  Responses were both specific (Mastodon site) and general (Scarborough Marsh).  See map at right for complete list of special places.

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• Hopes for Scarborough's Future
  • Limit traffic lights, create safer traffic
  • Positive image
  • Nonpolluting industry
  • Excellent schools and municipal services
  • Recreation services, both active and passive
  • 90% recycling
  • Connect Eastern Road Trail system
  • Create a guide to historical sites, places of interest
  • More pedestrian friendly
  • Utilize the drive-in property as a town recreation center
  • Town pool/recreation center
  • Public transportation system
  • celebrations in each neighborhood (mini summerfests)
  • Biotechnology university or center that would attract additional research and development companies
  • Foot/bike bridge to connect Ferry Beach and Pine Point
  • Controled growth with a balance between residential and commercial development
  • Attract clean, high-paying industries
  • Maintain the quality of life (community services, schools, aging population needs new services)
  • Connect neighborhoods (walking and biking, family friendly)
  • Regional communication with other towns
  • Haigis Parkway development needs utilities
  • Park land or public use lands (paths, green areas, publicity for existing properties)
  • Involvement between the Land Trust, Conservation Commission, and developers in town