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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 25
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
June 19, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Contract not finalized
Former Rockport manager chosen to be Bridgton’s next town leader By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Robert Peabody, who served as Rockport’s Town Manager for seven years before becoming Interim Town Manager in Old Orchard Beach, has emerged as the top choice of Bridgton Selectmen to replace Mitch Berkowitz as Town Manager. The contract has not been signed by either side, however, even though Peabody was introduced last week to Town Meeting voters by Board Chairman Doug Taft. After recognizing Berkowitz for his eight years of service in Bridgton, Taft turned and gestured to Peabody, who was seated behind a table to the side along with other town employees. “As the board of selectmen promised the town of Bridgton, we would have a new town manager on board by this meeting, and through his diligence and
the diligence of your board, we have kept our time table,” Taft said. “At this time, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Robert Peabody, who is going to be Bridgton’s new Town Manager.” Peabody stood as Town Meeting voters applauded. Taft then said, “We are still in the process of moving forward, we are on track, and hopefully we will have Bob on board very soon.” In a later telephone interview, Taft said the board has drawn up a contract, but has not yet made a formal decision to hire Peabody. The contract is currently being reviewed by Town Attorney Richard Spencer. “Maybe I used a bad choice of words the other night” during Town Meeting, said Taft. “We haven’t crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s.” Peabody, as well, was reticent when asked for an interview on Friday. “Without a signed contract in hand, it
would be premature for me to comment,” he said. But he added, “It’s fair to say we have a handshake agreement,” and said he was looking forward to coming to Bridgton. Peabody was chosen from among 10 candidates who were culled from 40 applications by a search committee formed shortly after Berkowitz announced his retirement in January. Selectmen spent over a month coming to a decision, and met in executive session numerous times in the weeks prior to their self-imposed June 10 deadline for making their choice. No date has been set for Peabody’s formal hiring or when he would begin the Bridgton job. Berkowitz will begin taking accrued vacation time July 1, coming in one or two days a week, and plans a period of overlap working with the new town manager to provide a PEABODY, Page A
NEW TOWN MANAGER — Robert Peabody (right) was introduced as Bridgton’s new Town Manager at the June 11 Town Meeting, pending agreement of both parties on the terms of his contract. Here, Peabody speaks with Bridgton Selectman Paul Hoyt. (Geraghty Photo)
Cell tower review extended
UNWANTED VISITOR — A fox walks around the playground at Loon’s Haven Family Campground. It left the yard and then returned, chasing campground co-owner Anne Mason around her garage. (Photo courtesy of Anne Mason)
Rabid fox goes on attack
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — What began as a cute wildlife sighting — a fox playing with a soccer ball — turned horrific for some campground owners and their guests. The co-owner of Loon’s Haven Family Campground pulled into her yard to witness what appeared to be a playful fox. Anne Mason remained in her vehicle with her two young children until it left. While unloading her groceries and bringing the children into the home, the fox returned, entered her garage, and chased her back and forth until she was able to escape into the mudroom. On Thursday, the rabid fox also attacked several people, including a woman who was bitten while walking her two dogs near Route 114. The Center for Disease Control in Augusta said that the animal tested positive for rabies, according to Maine State Game Warden Pete Herring. “These are very isolated instances. What we don’t want to do is create mass hysteria,” he said, adding his department gets hundreds of calls about each and every fox sighting after such an incident involving rabies becomes public knowledge. “This was unfortunate. It was dealt with. However tragic that is, these are very isolated instances. They don’t happen very often,” he said. “Just for peace of mind, I went up there on the second day for three to four hours. My main concern was that it was in the area that was going to be occupied by children when the campground was full on the weekend,” Herring said. s According to Mike Mason, his wife Anne was chased by the fox in their garage. Although the fox did not bite her, she has received rabies shots because she came into contact with the animal’s saliva, he said. “My wife is still a little leery about going outside,” he said. Mason related the events that happened beginning about mid-morning on Thursday. “I wasn’t there. My wife called me on the phone after it happened,” he said. “The fox came up to the house twice. He was playing with my daughter’s soccer ball,” he said, adding at the time she thought it was fairly normal fox behavior RABID FOX, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Up until Tuesday, the Bridgton Planning Board’s review of AT&T and American Towers Hio Ridge Road cell phone tower project was proceeding in a routine manner, despite the outcry of neighbors. But on Tuesday, the board pushed back a bit. They told agent Barry Hobbins they were extending the review process by another two months, thereby pressing the limit of regulations laid out both by the town’s Tower Ordinance and the Federal Communications Commission. They also told Hobbins he must set up an escrow account with the town to fund a third-party review, to see if another location for the tower could be found. The independent experts will also evaluate whether the project’s plans for landscaping are adequate to minimize the tower’s visual impact on the residential neighborhood. Hobbins accepted the board’s decision to extend the ordinance’s 90-day review process to 150 days, which would require a decision on the project by Aug.
ALONE ON HIS SIDE of the courthouse meeting room at Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting was Barry Hobbins, who is representing AT&T and American Tower Company in its plans to build a cell phone tower on Hio Ridge Road.
‘A LITTLE BIT BAFFLED’ was how George Gula characterized his reaction to the proposed location of AT&T’s cell phone tower almost directly behind his recently-completed retirement home at 204 Hio Ridge Road.
26. But,. he submitted a letter that, in effect, cautioned the board that to exceed the 150-day limit “constitutes a failure to act” under the 1996 Telecommunications Act and a Federal Communication Commission ruling known as the “Shot Clock Order.” “I’m going to hold you to 150 days,” Hobbins told the board, with about 14
Hio Ridge Road neighbors in attendance. “If you go beyond that, we could end up in a difficult situation. That’s not a threat, that’s a promise.” He said that throughout the review process, which began in April, AT&T and American Towers has acted with “due diligence” in meeting all of the town’s requirements under its Tower Ordinance,
“including the siting (question) that’s obviously being pushed upon us.” The letter also provided language stating that the 1996 Act “expressly preempts state and local government regulation” of wireless facilities “on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with FCC’s regulations concerning such emissions.” Hobbins previously brought in a consultant for American Towers who said existing towers and alternative property sites were considered, but the 214 Hio Ridge Road site was selected as the best location to fill AT&T’s gap in wireless coverage. Resident Paul Veit continued to challenge that conclusion Tuesday, passing out copies of a map showing the proposed tower location in proximity to an existing tower on Sam Ingalls Road. Veit asked the board to make sure IDK, one of two companies the board selected for the third-party review, evaluates American Towers’ assertion that the Sam Ingalls TOWER, Page A
Residents reject lot size rule
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Residents made a loud and clear statement against a proposed ordinance that would reduce the lot size for proposed businesses in the Village District and throughout town in areas zoned for commercial use. The vast majority of property owners voted against the ordinance, Article 26, during Casco Town Meeting on Wednesday. Therefore, any such changes to loosen restrictions on small businesses are null and void. Some of Wednesday night’s testimony was fired up by a sign that said, “[General Dollar] coming soon.” The sign appeared last week on the property between the Crossroads convenience store and the town-owned lot that houses the Casco Fire Station and the Town Office. (Editor’s note: Although residents are calling the proposed store, General Dollar, the corporate name is actually Dollar General Corp.) Resident Peg Dilley said that, if passed, the ordinance
would change the character of the town. Resident Pat Troy said allowing businesses to exist on smaller lot sizes would negatively impact the many bodies of water in Casco. “Changing the lots sizes to make them smaller it is not the way to protect Casco. Let’s encourage our local people to start businesses,” she said. “Let us not let businesses ‘from away’ and out-of-state suck our money out of Casco, and out of Maine,” Troy said. Resident Lucy Johnson agreed the lot-size reduction for future businesses could harm surrounding sources of water. “The zoning proposal that I see — it doesn’t address water protection, erosion mitigation,” she said. “If we go ahead with this tonight, we may open Pandora’s Box, and we may not be able to shut it,” Johnson said. Dilley suggested the towns’ people brainstorm what kind of businesses they would like to bring to town. They could lure in eco-friendly commerce that would dovetail with peo-
ple’s ideals. Resident Bob Francis said he moved to Casco 30 years ago. “I remember coming here and my kids would cheer the blinking light at Route 121. We don’t want our grandkids to see a big box store,” he said. Resident Ray Grant spoke. As a former Casco Board of Selectmen, a few months ago Grant introduced the idea of making the amendment to the business ordinance. A public hearing was held prior to putting the item on a Warrant Article. “If people here tonight vote against the [General Dollar] store, the ordinance doesn’t change that. They still have land, and the 300-foot frontage,” Grant said. “The proposal was to get
some businesses into town. We are so restrictive that you have to have 300 feet of road frontage, if you want to put in a simple shoe store,” he said. “As far as pollutants and water runoff that is all addressed by the planning board,” Grant said. Barbara York said it would be easier to accept it if the change was offered up as two amendments — one for the Village District and another for commercial districts in town. Sharlene Spalding went to the microphone, saying, “If this fails tonight, the [General Dollar] can go in anyway. If this fails tonight, it doesn’t affect what happens with that.” Casco Town Manager Dave Morton addressed the governRULE, Page A
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