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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 15
24 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
April 10, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 9B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Rte. 11: ‘Priority’ to fix it By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — It is truly evident that a road is in need of repair when the town representatives invite in the chaos of construction. Town Manager Dave Morton recently said he “won’t mind having Route 11 torn apart for a time this summer because it cannot get any worse than it is now.” Route 11 has been placed on the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) work list for the 2014 road repair season. The section slated for construction encompasses 11 miles north of the Route 302 intersection, which means the upgrades would end at
Megquire Hill and White Oak Hill Roads. The state has funded $2,938,000 for the rehabilitation of the road. That information is available on the document, “The Maine DOT work plan for calendar years 2014–2015–2016.” According to MDOT Superintendent of Operations Tim Cusick, the initial work will start next month with the real road reconstruction occurring after Independence Day and wrapping up in midSeptember. “The first week of May, we’ll be out there digging. That is work that the MDOT does,” he said. “We’ve got some pipes to
replace. We did some work this fall, but didn’t complete it,” Cusick said. The road repair project will go out to bid shortly, he said. The start date is likely mid-July or Aug. 1, he said. After all the complaints from residents, why did the state decide to embark on the project this year? According to Cusick, Route 11 was bumped up on the priority list. “People who travel Route 11 think that road is the worst. It is not the worst,” he said. “But, we have known for the last couple years that that road has fallen part,” he said. “Now, it is a high priority to get it fixed,” he said.
No public meetings will be held prior to the work starting because “we aren’t changing the course of the road any,” Cusick said. Complaining did not get Route 11 on the state’s work list as quickly as a deteriorating state of pavement did. However, the Town of Naples was able to document the reason for its complaints, which led to another two miles being added to the project. According to Naples Selectman Rick Paraschak, “originally the project was scoped to go from the PolandCasco line to the Crooked River Bridge, which is the Casco-Naples line. ROUTE 11, Page 12A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer After voters told them to restore it…after paying for a structural engineering study… after agonizing over how to pay for it… Is now the time to reconsider whether Bridgton’s historic Town Hall is worth saving? Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz thought so Tuesday, even going so far as to float the idea of demolishing the historic building at 26 North High Street where recreation and Town Meetings RELIEF ON THE WAY — Route 11’s condition is detetake place. And while the riorating, but the major travel way is scheduled for a consensus among Selectmen significant upgrade. (De Busk Photo) was against demolition, the
board agreed to let Berkowitz craft several scenarios to take before voters at the June Town Meeting. The topic came up as Berkowitz asked the board to reconsider its earlier decision to earmark $108,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to help cover the estimated $325,000 it will take to stabilize the turn-of-the-century building. The board had also proposed asking voters to approve around $200,000 in borrowing for the repairs, seen as one of this year’s most pressing municipal projects. “We should also ask if this is the only course of action,”
said Berkowitz, noting that none of that money would go toward insulation and energy-efficiency improvements. “Just to heat that building cost us $21,000 last year — and what will the price of oil be in three years?” As he thought further about the project, he said, “Why not take $50,000 to demolish Town Hall, and design a fullyfunctional building, closer to the road, to take full advantage of parking?” Berkowitz said he realized such thinking “goes against the vote,” taken in 2011 in a nonbinding referendum, in which voters favored the option of spending up to $400,000 to make
basic structural repairs. In order to truly modernize the building for operational efficiency, “It would take $750,000 by the time you’re done,” said Berkowitz, and with that being the case, the town might be better off tearing it down and building something new. And if the town uses CDBG funding on the building, under the grant’s rules, “You own it for life,” he said. Two audience members were quick to praise Berkowitz for his thinking. “That’s a bold plan,” said Chuck Renneker, a member of the Community Development HALL, Page 12A
Town Hall repairs revisited
Sewer billing changes proposed in Bridgton By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton’s Wastewater Committee believes a recently completed feasibility study of current and future needs of the town’s sewer system is seriously flawed. At the same time, the committee is asking Bridgton Selectmen to approve a new billing method for sewer users that would resolve the current disparity between how much capacity is allocated and how much is actually used. Committee member Lucia
Terry outlined the concerns about Woodard & Curran’s feasibility study at the selectmen’s Tuesday meeting. “We don’t think the study met the criteria” outlined in the town’s original request for proposals, she said, saying that three of the four tasks in the RFPs “haven’t been completed.” Terry said data on land use and future buildout mapping is missing, as was minutes of earlier stakeholder meetings. But perhaps the biggest flaw, she said, is that “the
study is based on a magnitude error” that assumes the system’s two leach fields are near to reaching their capacity, when in fact that’s not the case. As a result, the study “is of little use to us as it stands.” Selectmen said they needed time to absorb the committee’s report and concerns. Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz said he would forward the committee’s concerns to the consultant “right off the bat” so it can be resolved. Chuck Renneker
suggested that the town withhold payment to the engineering firm until the matter is resolved, but Berkowitz said most of the payment has already been made. He did say that he could withhold the balance of the payment, however. Committee member Glen “Bear” Zaidman then gave an overview of the procedural changes for assigning design flow value and billing. He cited a graph the committee prepared showing the town’s state-licensed limit of 30,000
Winsor condo docks okay’d By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Naples resident David Clavette values his view of Brandy Pond. In fact, the waterfront view is one of the reasons he decided to purchase the property on the pond, he said. Brandy Pond is also the reason many families and couples own real estate at Winsor Green Condominiums in Naples. For years, Brandy Pond residents have been accustomed to the more than 100foot-long twin docks that allow the condominium residents to easily enjoy boating activities. This summer, the south dock will be three feet longer – as opposed to alternate plans to extend it out another six to eight feet by angling the dock. “We compromised,” said Naples Planning Board SPRING MELT — Local photographer Ed Stevens used two techniques to illustrate the fast moving water on Stevens Brook brought on by the spring thaw, at last! WINSOR, Page A (Photo courtesy AgencyOfLight.com)
gallons per day as compared to actual flows that total less than half that amount. “We figure we can gain 40 to 45 percent (more) usage if we follow these rules,” Zaidman said. The current Sewer Ordinance makes only a few mentions of any kind of procedure for assigning design flow or how it is to be billed. In addition, “We learned that our system is not governed by Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and does not fall
under Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, and therefore assigned design flows do not have to conform to the Maine State Plumbing Code.” Bridgton’s system is governed by the Department of Environmental Protection, and therefore design flows can be assigned using other accepted measures. “The subsurface wastewater rules are about two-thirds inflated and they don’t allow for limited hours of operation,” said Zaidman. SEWER, Page 12A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Naples’ elected officials decided it was best to avoid the business of constructing a new dock for commercial use on the Causeway. The Naples Board of Selectmen effectively put an end to that idea — at least for this year. The board added “this year” to its motion because the board does have the right to pursue a commercial dock, according to Selectmen Rick Paraschak. “Does the town have the ability to put in a commercial dock there? Yes, we do,” he said during a phone interview on Tuesday. “We felt that we cannot do it for one business out of all the businesses in town,” he said.
“At this time, we don’t want to open that railing up — whether for SunSports+ or anyone,” he said. The issue came up several months ago, when Selectman Christine Powers brought the request from SunSports+ to the board’s table. Both Powers and Paraschak made phone calls to the state and other entities involved in the process of constructing a new dock on the Causeway between the town’s public dock and the one owned by Sandy’s Flight Deck. If the dock idea was pursued, the town would have to cut the existing hand railing. “It was debated at a couple of meetings. If the town did that, we would have to apply for a permit for driving pilings,” Paraschak said. Likely, such a projDOCK, Page 12A
Naples avoids business dock
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