Sign of the times Because of higher demands, the Naples Soup Kitchen looks to expand by seeking remodeling grant Page 2A
Record setters
Inside News
High school indoor track teams produce some notable efforts at the USM field house
Calendar . . . . . . . 6A, 8A
Page 7B
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 4B Country Living . . . 7A-8A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 6B Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 5A Opinions . . . . . . . 1B-3B Police/Court . . . . . . . . 6A Sports . . . . . . . . . 7B-9B Student News . . . . . 10B Towns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 4B
www.bridgton.com Vol. 143, No. 4
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
January 26, 2012
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Still alive
Avesta unveils plans for housing complex
A VERY GOOD REASON TO BARK — The 10th annual Freezing for a Reason Polar Dip at Highland Lake in Bridgton, to benefit Harvest Hills Animal Shelter, left organizers and spectators howling for joy when Shelter Director Joan McBurnie announced that pledges would likely surpass $21,000. More photos and top fundraisers on Page 10A. (Rivet Photo)
Dog owners make pitch to use park By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer Will dog owners be allowed to walk with their dogs throughout Pondicherry Park, the 66acre nature park in downtown Bridgton, when the town takes ownership of it from Loon Echo Land Trust? After a thorough discussion at the Bridgton Board of Selectmen meeting Tuesday night, it was agreed everyone involved would attempt a compromise as best they can, in an effort to bring about a fair and equitable solution. Presently, a specific area of Pondicherry Park near the South High Street trailhead is being proposed as an area in the park where dogs will be allowed. Last fall, voters overwhelmingly approved — with 1,225 in favor and 372 opposed — authorizing the Bridgton Board of Selectmen to enter into negotiations with representatives from the nonprofit LELT for the town to take ownership of Pondicherry Park as a gift to the town, as long as the selectmen could successfully craft a conservation easement and a related stewardship agreement by no later than June 30, 2012, or the agreement would be terminated until renewal by the
voters. Over 710 donors gave money to the Pondicherry Park initiative over the last few years, and some of them told selectmen here Jan. 24 they would never
have contributed funds, had they known their dogs might not be allowed throughout the park. Yet, Peter Lowell, executive director of Lakes Environmental
Association, who spearheaded the effort to have several local landowners donate the properties that today comprise Pondicherry Park, said it was DOG, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Maine’s largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing will submit plans by Feb. 28 for a three-story, 21-unit apartment complex to replace the vacant former Chapter 11 property on Main Street. Avesta Housing, Inc.’s plans for “247 Main,” as the elderly and disabled housing complex will be called, needed some redesign in light of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s unwillingness to allow as much of a reduction in minimum lot sizes as Bridgton wanted for shoreland zoning on that end of Main Street. Two-thirds of the .67acre property, which is under a purchase and sales agreement from owner Zack Schlar, lies within the shoreland zone as defined by Stevens Brook. The DEP was only willing to drop the current 50,000-square-foot minimum lot size standard to 5,000 square feet, instead of the 1,000-square-foot per bedroom standard the town had sought, which was approved by voters last month. (See sidebar, Page 10A). Avesta, whose investors require 19 one-bedroom units and 2 one-bedroom units to make the project economically feasible, hopes to overcome that regulatory hurdle by repositioning the proposed 20,000square-foot building so that the length of it runs along Gibbs
Avenue, instead of Depot Street as originally envisioned. That way, only four or five of the units would be subject to shoreland zoning, and the rest would not be subject to minimum lot size restrictions, but would be reviewed under general standards for site plan review, said Matt Peters, project manager for Avesta. “We’re excited, and we’ve had a lot of people already calling,” wanting to be put on the waiting list for housing, said Peters, who works out of Avesta’s main office in Portland. The agency, which also built and owns the 12-unit Wayside Pines elderly and disabled housing complex on Wayside Avenue in Bridgton, currently has 48 people on the waiting list for housing there, where less than one percent of residents qualify as disabled and the rest are elderly. Peters expects the same percentages would apply at 247 Main, which, if approved by the planning board, would start being constructed by the end of this fall and take 10 months to complete. The complex would have coin-op laundry facilities on the ground floor but no commercial retail space; Peters said the investors providing the financing for the $4 million-plus project were not willing to risk on a mixed-use development as Avesta and the town had hoped for. “I thought it was important” AVESTA, Page 10A
Youngster faces disease with smile By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer FRYEBURG — Gabriell Snyder is an active, energetic 12year-old middle school student who is involved in so many activities — soccer, softball, dance, gymnastics, drama, swimming and skiing — it could make one’s head spin! Gabriell is a compassionate person who loves her friends and enjoys helping others, as she did when upper school students assisted younger kids at the New Suncook School’s Santa’s Workshop just last month. Her dream is to one day help other kids who have the same life-threatening illness she has by opening up bakeries and restaurants that serve foods low in protein. So, it is hard to fathom that Gabriell could be so involved with others’ needs, when she has been dealing with this lifethreatening disease since the day she was born. Gabriell has propionic acidemia, a rare disorder that is inherited from both parents. “Individuals with PA cannot break down parts of protein and some types of fat due to a nonfunctioning enzyme called PCC,” according to the Propionic Acidemia Foundation. “This inability causes build-up of A TREASURE CHEST SURPRISE — awaited 12-year-old Gabriell Snyder, of Fryeburg, dangerous acids and toxins, which can cause damage to the when she was presented her wish to go to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas by the Make-A- person’s organs. PA can also damage the brain, heart and Wish Foundation of Maine® Dec. 17, 2011, during the Portland Harbor Parade of Lights. GABRIELL, Page A
Naples puts form-based codes on back burner, for now By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — After a lengthy discussion with diverse opinions expressed, the Naples Board of Selectmen’s official vote was 3–1 in favor of putting form-based codes on ice — for the time being. In 2011, the Town of Naples had been approached by the then Bridgton Economic Development Director Alan Manoian, who touted the benefits of adopting form-based codes. Several months ago, Manoian gave a presentation on the function of form-based codes, and offered his services if the town
decided to pursue the change. At that time, the board accepted his offer; and, a committee was formed with the task of reviewing form-based codes. Since that time, Manoian retired from his position in Bridgton and moved from his Maine home. On Monday night — when the selectmen talked again about form-based codes, there was a fiscal note attached to it. And, board members changed their tune from move ahead to put on the brakes for the time being. According to Town Manager Derik Goodine, Manoian had proposed a cost of $700 per 30
hours — to cover the expenses of driving back and forth. Goodine estimated it would take 90 hours of Manoian’s consultation time as the Form-based Codes Committee committed to weekly meetings for a threemonth duration. An additional $2,000 was likely more money than it might cost to hire a sketch artist to create renderings of styles of building exteriors for businesses in different areas of town, Goodine said. “It was very important to put the cost out in front of the project,” he said during a phone interview on Tuesday. “If the board had approved
the money, then, the committee would have met again next week,” he said. “At first this was something they wanted to pursue, now it is ‘wait and see.’ My worry is if we wait, we may not be able to get such a good price from Alan (Manoian),” Goodine said. The motion, which was made by Selectman Rick Paraschak, stated the town would not spend the money on the creation and adoption of form-based codes. Chairman Christine Powers cast the minority vote, saying that the community members supported the town adopting a code that would guide developers and business owners as to
how the exterior of the business would appear, including parking lot location and landscaping. “I am hearing from people that they love the idea” of formbased codes, Powers said. The time to get the codes on the books is now, she said. Any change to the ordinance
would require voter’s approval at Special Town Meeting. “We should do this while we are creating a new space on the Causeway. We have changed the look of our downtown. We are making it more of a walker’s community. I think it is a natural segue to look at it CODES, Page A
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