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Planning Board discusses 'Your City Is Sick' and downtown walkability
Summary
Members discussed Parts 3 and 4 of Jeff Siegler’s Your City Is Sick, highlighting concerns about downtown building conditions, walkability, location of services, and the presence of second‑floor apartments in downtown buildings.
The Presque Isle Planning Board revisited Parts 3 and 4 of Jeff Siegler’s Your City Is Sick during its Sept. 18 meeting, prompting a wide-ranging conversation about downtown form and walkability.
Richard Engels said the poor condition of some downtown facades — citing the R.W. Wright building and the older Key Bank building — could deter developers and should be addressed to make downtown more appealing. Rachel Murchison said the city is not walkable friendly, noting the distribution of schools and grocery/retail areas relative to residential neighborhoods and asking about the number of downtown apartments; staff noted many second floors are occupied by apartments. Jayne Farrin said the reading recalled a planning course she took in college and prompted her interest in auditing another planning course.
The discussion was conversational and advisory in tone; no formal action was taken. Members did not identify immediate regulatory steps during the meeting, but highlighted downtown aesthetics, housing mix and pedestrian access as recurring concerns for future planning work.
