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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 144, No. 49
28 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
December 5, 2013
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Eco Estates complex wins prelim approval By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The Bridgton Planning Board gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a plan by Main Eco Homes owner Justin McIver’s plan to build an eight-unit condominium project for ages 55 and older off of the Portland Road, starting next spring. McIver, just named Small Business Owner of the Year by the Greater Bridgton Chamber of Commerce, is calling the project Eco Estates, because each of the one-story detached homes would be designed to conserve energy and be less expensive to operate and maintain. The empty-nester project would be built on a 6.6-acre parcel behind the four-lot commercial subdivision that McIver and fellow developer Mark Lopez created in 2011 across from Sandy Creek Road. Access to the project would be provided by construction of a 500-foot paved road that would run to the left of the commercial land and tie into a second road, where a sign would mark the entrance, leading to a large cul-de-sac. Each of the twobedroom homes would be built around this cul-de-sac. Buyers will own the homes,
while all the surrounding land will be in common ownership under the name Eco Estates LLC. The homes would be on town water and served by hydrants and underground utilities. Two onsite septic systems would serve all eight homes. Runoff would be controlled by construction of five underdrained ponds that would capture the water and release it in a controlled manner to wetlands. Rockfilled trenches would be built along the eaves of all of the homes to additionally control runoff. McIver plans solar rooftop panels to provide part of the homes’ energy needs, and will be custom-building the homes to meet owners’ needs, including concerns for handicapped accessibility. Abutter Steve Zogoulos, whose property is located just south on the Portland Road, wanted assurances that the project would not add more runoff onto his land, which is mainly wetland in back. “I already have enough of a water problem on my own land,” Zogoulos said. George Sawyer, the engineer for the project, said all of the homes will be built on a knoll and that the natural flow of water is currently to
the rear, toward Otter Pond, and that won’t change. “What we’ve done with the (underdrain) ponds is to control the peak amount of runoff to no more than what it is now,” Sawyer said. “We’re flowing away from your property,” he told Zogoulos. “We’re not pumping, it’s all gravity flow.” A second abutter, Nancy Arris, lives on the north side of the proposed 500-foot road. “I’m just concerned,” she said. Sawyer assured her the road would be built to town standards. Initially, plans called for underground utilities along the 500-foot road, but McIver said he decided to go with overhead utility lines instead. Sawyer said the 500foot road would eventually be extended to access the large tract of back land that McIver and Lopez bought from Herbert Ginn in 2011 under their Vista Investments partnership, from which both Eco Estates and the commercial subdivision was carved. Tuesday’s tentative approval came with several conditions. Fire Chief Glen Garland has concerns that the cul-de-sac would not allow quite enough of a turning
ECO VILLAGE FOR EMPTY NESTERS — Engineer George Sawyer describes Eco Estates, an eight-unit condominium project of detached two-bedroom homes to be built on 6.6 acres around a cul-de-sac off of Portland Road, across from Sandy Creek Road. radius for fire trucks, so a waiver will be needed on road standards in the town’s subdivision rules. Also, E-
911 Addressing Officer Dawn of the use of the word “Main” Taft didn’t like the road name is also used in “Main Street,” of “Main Eco Way” for the and two roads cannot use the 500-foot access road, because ESTATES, Page A
FBI helps with pharmacy heist
TURKEY SQUAWK — As he prepared to cross Route 117 in Harrison to head for the home stretch of the Second Annual Turkey Trot last Thursday morning, to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, runner Chris Webb of North Bridgton captured the spirit of the day with a turkey squawk. Results in Sports section. (Rivet Photo)
‘It’s déjà vu for Memorial School’ By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — The issue of how much of the Casco Memorial School to demolish became a source of division for elected town officials. The latest discussion ended in putting off a decision — or accepting a bid within the budget range — for two more weeks. During the Casco Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectman Ray Grant said it would anger people in the community if the town did not save any portion of the school that was built in honor of local war veterans. Selectman Grant Plummer said that it would leave a bad taste in the mouths of taxpayers to be asked to budget more money to preserve the structure. Meanwhile, Selectman Tracy Kimball, who also advocated for working within the confines of the budget, said this issue should have been resolved several months ago.
For the past two winters, the town has been burdened with the cost of winterizing the building, she said. It was frustrating to add another two weeks when the solution is so close at hand, she said. Also, at Town Meeting, residents voted to put into the board’s hands the decision of what to do with the school. On Tuesday, the board decided to table the issue — awaiting more specific cost estimates. Those varying prices depend on whether the majority of the board wants to totally demolish the structure, or to try to save the front portion for a future use. That is something that the entire board cannot agree upon. A few months ago, the original bids were almost twice the amount of money that is still in the budget for demolishing the building. The board formally rejected those bids. According to Town Manager Dave Morton, the
demolition job was affordable when combining money from two budgets: the Memorial School study line item, and the budget for the demolition of dangerous buildings. That would allow about $41,000 to tear apart the building, burn debris in piles, and haul off any hazardous materials, Morton said. That price range would leave another $6,000 in the budget for future demolition of buildings that the town deems dangerous or unsafe, Morton said. One bidder could do the job for a fixed price of $32,500. That businessman is Doug Jones who owns Cross Excavation in Bethel. Cross Excavation’s bid does not include hauling off hazardous ash. However, the prospect of burning the building after it is demolished would be more efficient and less messy than it would be to burn the building as one unit. The latter idea had been suggested as an option at one point.
As the discussion began, Plummer — who was acting as chairman — asked what the board’s next step was “for a building that we don’t have a purpose for.” Grant interjected. “I believe we have a purpose for it. There could be a time that the Recreation Department could have it as storage space,” Grant said. He said if the sports fields were expanded, the town would be spending more money to build from the ground up, than to renovate an existing structure. Kimball touched upon the money issue. “The whole point was that in order to save that part of building, we were still over budget. Even with a best case scenario, the project would be over-budget,” she said. Morton said it was not just a cost issue; but, also, if the town tried to save the front part of the building, another contractor would be needed. The newer portion of the SCHOOL, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The Federal Bureau of Investigation is helping Bridgton Police catch whoever robbed the local Rite Aid Pharmacy of the painkiller Oxycodone on Thanksgiving Day. Police Chief Kevin Schofield said he talked to the lead investigator at the FBI’s Portland office on Tuesday, bringing him up to date on the “several promising leads” that have arisen since a surveillance photo of the suspected robber was released to the press and posted on the department’s Facebook page. The image shows a lone man entering the store around 2:15 p.m. wearing sunglasses
and a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt. Police say he handed the pharmacist a note demanding Oxycodone, then fled with an undisclosed amount of the drug, a synthetic opiate used for pain. Schofield said police believe the man got into a silver colored sedan being driven by a second suspect, and that the pair fled south on Route 302 toward Naples. No weapon was displayed during the robbery, said Schofield, who declined to say how much of the drug was taken or what the note said. What Schofield did say was that the U.S. Attorney’s RITE-AID, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A recent Kendal C. and Anna Ham Foundation grant for $75,000 is the latest in over $170,000 given this year to the Rufus Porter Museum to fund renovations to their new home in downtown Bridgton. “2013 has been a remarkable year,” wrote Museum Executive Director Andrea Hawkes, in the nonprofit organization’s annual appeal letter. “Because our community and state have faith that we make life better in western Maine, and because friends like you support us, we will be moving into our new downtown home in the John and Maria Webb House next summer.” Along with the Ham grant, the $170,000 has come from the town of Bridgton, in
the form of a Community Development Block Grant that paid for exterior façade restoration; along with funding from the Maine Arts Commission, The Margaret Burnham Charitable Trust and the Clarence E. Mulford Trust. This fall, the museum got another boost. They received official word that the circa 1830 house they purchased in 2011 at the corner of Main and Church Street, known as the John and Maria Webb House, had been placed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. On Monday, Hawkes and Rufus Porter Museum board members and volunteers were busy stuffing appeal letters into envelopes at their winter offices in the Wales & Hamblen building, where MUSEUM, Page A
Extraordinary year for RPM
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