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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 149, No. 10
24 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
March 8, 2018
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 7B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Golf course to high-end homes By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES – It appears that an iconic golf course that has been in Naples since the 1920s may be developed into a subdivision of highend homes with access to Brandy Pond. That is the path that is being taken. This is a prospect that has evoked an emotional reaction from the community: the closure of Naples Golf & Country Club after a shareholders’ meeting in December 2017, the impending liquidation of property on the front nine located between Route 114 and Brandy Pond, and the loss of a long-standing business and privately-owned open space. Residents have expressed their concerns through Facebook posts, letters to the editor in The Bridgton News and calls to local selectmen and the planning board chair. On Tuesday, a developer presented a preliminary sketch plan to the Naples Planning Board. The initial proposal includes
2,000-square foot homes that are about 175 to 200 feet apart, a shared set of docks and beach access to Brandy Pond, and a paved 18-foot wide road with three-foot shoulders. Paul C. Hollis, with Great Lots of Maine, is seeking to purchase and develop land on the front nine. The preliminary plan was produced by Sawyer Engineering & Surveying, Inc., of Bridgton. The Naples Golf course property encompasses about THE CONCEPT — Local developer Justin McIver is proposing to build a 68-guestroom hotel on the former 100 acres, which is broken Saunders Mill site, which borders both Bacon and Kennard Streets in Bridgton. The Planning Board had a full house down into 65 acres on the Tuesday night regarding the project. back nine and 43 acres on the front nine. Naples Golf & Country Club is keeping 9.2 acres, Hollis said. Hollis proposes to purchase 32.8 acres, including all of New Fairway Drive, with plans to straighten out the road that would lead to the new homes. “Would people around there love to see the golf course there? Absolutely. I would hope that the back nine would continue as a golf course,” Hollis said. HOMES, Page 2A
Hotel plan ruled incomplete
A La Mexicana comes to Bridgton
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer Jose Chavez is expanding A La Mexicana Restaurant — heading north from Raymond to Bridgton with his authentic Mexican cuisine that has a true south of the border taste. The location for his second restaurant is the Flanigan’s Roast Beef Restaurant & Tavern, also known as Beef & Ski. The physical address is 243 Portland Road. The expectation is that the doors of A La Mexicana will open during the month of March, Chavez said. “For the grand opening, I cannot say what date. It depends on the licenses. If
I can, and everything goes through, it could be any day this month,” Chavez said. “I cannot wait to see this open,” he said. The opportunity to lease another restaurant in another community presented itself out of the blue. And, Chavez did not hesitate to jump at the chance with a the-sky-is-thelimit attitude. “I heard that Beef and Ski was closing. I heard the last day was after the Super Bowl. I said to myself: I don’t see why not. I can handle both. It is more employees and doing more business and keeping my family together,” he said. MEXICANA, Page 4A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — A proposal to purchase two parcels of land on the Heath will head to Casco Town Meeting in June. There is an opportunity “for the town to acquire some pretty important property on the Heath,” Open Space Commission Chairman Keith Morehouse said. “The individuals are selling 14 acres. They live here locally and are excited to have this land included in conservation. They are willing to take $75,000. The assessed value is $130,000
for the two parcels,” he said. The land has approximately a half-mile of shore frontage, Morehouse said. Also, it has value because of the renewable resource of fishing and as a wildlife habitat, he said. The privately owned land is in the Resource Protection Zone, which strictly prohibits the types of activities that can take place. The purchase of the land would be for conservation purposes — one of the goals stated in the Town of Casco’s Comprehensive Plan. During its Feb. 27 meeting, the Casco Board of
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Land ho! That is what the ship’s watch shouts to alert the crew when land is spotted in the distance. Land ho! That could sum up how Great Northern Docks has experienced a boom in business and has spotted townowned land it would like to purchase for its needs. Great Northern Docks (GND) owner Sam Merriam said he is interested in a 1.2-acre parcel uphill of the town’s sand shed. If the land sale were to occur, Merriam’s
plans include putting a gravel area on the parcel. The land is desirable to GND because it would act as a buffer between the residential areas adjacent to his business, he said. “It is mainly because we are abutting private residential property. When you are abutting noncommercial property, you need a 50-foot setback for a building. The 50-foot setback is pushing us more toward the middle of our lot. If we could own a little bit of land next door, it would provide a buffer,” he said. However, Merriam does not expect the town land sale
Project location mixed reviews
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Justin McIver sees one way to grow Bridgton and provide local businesses with more visitor foot traffic is to build a hotel with a conference center that can accommodate 200 people. Some agree. “As a past member and past president of the Bridgton Economic Development Corporation, I have been party to many discussions in regards to what would benefit the local economy the most, and of the many things that would help strengthen Bridgton, a modern hotel facility and an event venue has always been at the top of the list,” Patrick “Skip” Sullivan wrote in a letter to the Bridgton Planning Board. “Bridgton needs to rebuild its foot traffic in
PRESENTING THE PARTICULARS — Michael Tadema-Wielandt, P.E., of Terradyn Consultants gives an overview of the Hotel Bridgton Tuesday night. (Rivet Photo) town, thereby strengthening the shops along Main Street. We have far too many empty storefronts and vacant spaces in Bridgton to consider the town healthy…I think the benefits far outweigh the concerns of the few and would lead to a stronger Bridgton going forward.” Bill Chalmers wrote, “Through my business experience, Chalmers and
NAHGA have the need for housing of business guests. Many choose to find lodging in Portland or North Conway. It is concerning when we are trying to promote our area and business in a wonderful tourist area, but can’t find appropriate lodging.” Some disagree. “Suddenly, the quiet neighborhood with a small
daytime business on Bacon Street may turn into a 24-hour business with car traffic, deliveries and trash removal…These quiet streets, home to families and elders, will be disrupted by noise, lights and traffic… I am a Bridgton taxpayer and understand the need to increase the tax base and create jobs…I value the small HOTEL, Page 5A
Heath parcel purchase heads to town meeting Selectmen voted unanimously to make the proposed land purchase a warrant article at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting in June. Any purchase of land by the town or sale of town-owned land must be approved by the majority of residents at town meeting. The exception to that is taxacquired land. If the upcoming land buy is approved, the town staff would draft a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Heath parcels. Currently, the Land Acquisition account has about $50,000. Therefore,
this conservation project will come before the Casco Finance Committee so that it can be adequately budgeted. Thompson Lake drains into the Heath. According to the Thompson Lake Marina website, Thompson Lake is “in the top 5% of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Maine. It ranks 24 out of 410.” “One of the quiet attractions of Thompson Lake is the Heath,” the website said. Selectman Grant Plummer said he is very familiar with the Heath and spends time with his children, fishing
‘Docks’ aims to buy town land to appear as a warrant article during this town meeting in June. After discussing the matter with the Naples Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Renee Carter, he learned the land purchase would be a lengthy process. “The purchase – we don’t anticipate that to be in front of the town until another town meeting (in 2019) after this one,” Merriam said. “It is going to take some time to get things in order — just to get that on the agenda for the town to vote on. It seems like we are biting off a lot to ask residents for the zone change and then
ask them to consider selling a piece of land next door,” he said. “I don’t think the town has any motivation to sell it. If we could get it onto the agenda, I would like to. But, I have settled in my mind on having it happen later.” Regarding the property where Great Northern Docks is located, a zone change is needed. That is an item that can only be approved by residents at an annual town meeting. The parcel that is being discussed for purchase is zoned residential — it requires a zone change. LAND, Page 3A
and snowmobiling there. Therefore, he knows the layout of the property the town is proposing to buy. “It is one of these pieces with a hill that goes straight to the water. It is a steep piece of property,” Plummer said. “The shoreland of the Heath is in Resource Protection Zone. I think it is an area that is worth preserving,” he said, adding the property owners selling it for conservation purposes believe that, too. Chairman Holly Hancock asked how much the water levels fluctuate. Plummer said, “Last year was the worst because the culvert was dammed up.” Chairman Hancock said, “There is no water draining out of the Heath into Thompson Lake because there is such an elevation.” In related business, Plummer said that he has discussed the Heath with Casco Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Alex Sirois.
“That resource protection language is pretty specific. You cannot do anything as far as tree cutting,” he said. “I’ve asked Alex to put together a packet for neighbors living on Heath so they know what a Resource Protection Zone is.” According to Morehouse, the land acquisition would be a move in the direction of the commission’s goals. “The ordinance and the focus area plan were adopted in 2006. Thus far, not a single property in the focus area has been added to those areas protected by the town. This would be the first,” Morehouse said. Selectman Thomas Peaslee said he accompanied the Open Space Commission during its conversation with the land-owners – just to be privy to the information about this proposed conservation land acquisition. “The people on Open Space have done a good job already. They have put a lot of effort and work into this,” Peaslee said.
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