I'm writing as a new Belfast resident and an abutter to the proposed Nordic Aquafarm. 

I'm disappointed at the adversarial position of both parties as a newcomer to town; people are dug in and battle lines are drawn. 

We came to Belfast because of the farmers markets and the support for local growers and makers; this is a really cool town. 

As a newcomer it seems to me that a fish farm is not out of the scope of what Midcoast Maine is all about but that location is wrong; you don't destroy a pristine river when tons of idled farm land exist in the county.

And, the scale of the farm is bonkers; too much building, too much energy demand, too much water demand, bringing jobs for which we have no workers to fill, with an economic outlook that is unproven and will likely leave us with another monster of industrial decay (of which Maine, and New England already have tons of). 
 
I would like to think we are able to lower our blood pressures and come out of our bunkers; maybe a fish farm could be a great addition to our community? 

There isn't enough listening going on for either side.  If we are going to do it let's do it modern MidCoast Maine style, not the old paper mill, shoe mill, textile mill style, and let's do it together or let's not do it at all. 

Belfast is not going to dry up and blow away if we don't build a fish farm, but we are farmers and a fish farm(s) in keeping with the ethics and scale of Mid Coast Maine farming would be a cool addition to our town.
 
Mark Salwasser lives in Belfast