By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

What is more valuable, one or two parking spaces along Bridgton’s busy Main Street or another park bench when there are 14 others within a short walking distance?

Judy and Pete Oberg pick parking spaces.

As the streetscape project prepares to gear up, the two business owners made a late pitch to selectmen Tuesday night to slightly alter the plan developed by HEB Engineers to preserve two [or at least one] parking spaces in front of their Main Street insurance office.

Under the proposed streetscape plan, Judy Oberg pointed out that they were the only business along the Main Street corridor to have zero parking spaces in front of their business.

“These spaces are highly-used. We don’t have a lot of parking behind us,” she said. “We’d like to keep two, but would be willing to compromise and keep at least one [space].”

Oberg noted that the family has been in business since 1934, and looks to support the town’s efforts.

“We don’t complain often…” she said.

But, when she counted the number of park benches [14] within a 40-step perimeter that will be available for the public’s use, losing one, along with a tree, doesn’t seem to be a major sacrifice.

One space is eight feet, meeting today’s current standard while the other is just under that dimension. Oberg said the couple would be willing to grant an easement allowing the town to bring the sidewalk closer to their building’s front steps [much like what was done at Renys] to gain the needed eight-foot space.

Selectman Bear Zaidman asked Colin Dinsmore of HEB Engineers if keeping one or two parking spaces would have a major impact to the streetscape plan?

Dinsmore, a senior civil engineer, said the change would eliminate a “bump out” and some accent paving, along with the bench and tree. He noted that not developing correct dimensional parking spaces creates liability for the engineer [substandard design] and poses safety issues.

Zaidman asked fellow board members to take a walk and check out the existing parking spaces in front of Oberg Insurance over the next few days and “see what you think.”

Selectmen will then discuss what direction to head in at their next meeting [Sept. 10].

Another business speaks out

Rick and Julie Whelchel, owners of J. Decor, also had a few words of concern about the streetscape.

When the couple read that the project was ready to roll on Sept. 3, they were a bit “shocked.” Discussions they had with Dinsmore months ago seemed to peg a later starting time, closer to Columbus Day [Oct. 14].

“September is one of the biggest months for retail downtown businesses,” Rick Whelchel said. “To start on Sept. 3 will really hurt business.”

Zaidman pointed out that in order to get Main Street paved by mid-November [before asphalt plants shutdown for the year], work had to start by early September.

Another concern Whelchel had was placing signage off Route 302 indicating a “construction bypass,” leading traffic to use Sandy Creek Road and South High Street, thus avoiding the downtown.

“That will effectively shut down downtown businesses,” he said.

Citing how Town Manager Bob Peabody called the downtown Bridgton’s “bread and butter” in a previous BN article, Whelchel said, “If it is, we’re asking for help.”

Rather than putting up “construction bypass” signs, Whelchel suggested “Bridgton is open for business.”

Zaidman clarified that during a preconstruction meeting with engineers, police, fire, town and Fryeburg Fair officials, the group discussed how best to alert the driving public about Main Street construction.

Selectman Carmen Lone suggested that maybe a better sign option would be using the term “Through Traffic use…” Dinsmore will be in contact with known tractor-trailer companies [such as Poland Spring and some area logging businesses] to let them know about the bypass.

Whelchel’s final question dealt with where delivery trucks servicing his business along Main Hill will park if the roadway is limited to one lane during certain points of construction work?

Good question, one that will need to be worked out.

In other news:

Bid awarded. Pratt & Sons General Contractors of Mechanic Falls was awarded the bid for Upper and Lower Main Street wastewater collection system upgrades at a price of $1,291,950. Selectmen approved the bid 4–0.

According to the bid proposal, Pratt & Son has 31 years of general contracting experience. A formal schedule will be presented at a preconstruction meeting. Work is scheduled to start on Sept. 16, and all sewer work on Route 302 will be completed and paved by Nov. 15, the contractor wrote.

“We are committed to working closely with J. Pratt Construction on the streetscape project to minimize schedule and traffic impacts,” the contractor added.

Greg Savona, the contractor’s controller, will serve as Pratt & Sons’ point person.

Pratt & Son was the only contractor to bid on the project. The bid was reviewed by Woodard & Curran, the engineering firm overseeing the wastewater project. Brent Bridges, senior principal for Woodard & Curran, said the bid was above the estimate [by $49,600], but it “falls within the project contingency.” Bridges pointed out that typically a 10% contingency is carried up to the bid period, and then once the project is awarded, contingency is typically dropped to 5%. “This alone accounts for the difference of $49,600 between our estimate and the bid price,” Bridges wrote. “You only pay for work that is completed in construction. We will be very careful with our onsite inspection so as not to remove ledge unnecessarily, given the high cost to do so.”

Bridges noted in his letter to the town that “based on the geotechnical borings we have conducted, we expect minimal ledge to be encountered.”

In his status report dated Aug. 19, Bridges outlined anticipated work over the next two weeks, which includes: determine locations for future pump stations based on top and soils information; review survey and soils information.

Brokers notified. Nine real estate agencies

[three from Bridgton, one from Naples and Raymond, two from Windham and two
from Portland]

were notified that the town intends to list the tax-acquired First and Last Resort Motel [461 Portland Road], and sought a commission quote and summary of experience “demonstrating your successful marketing of commercial properties.” Requested information must be submitted on or before Sept. 13, at 4 p.m.

Additionally, the sale will be conditional upon demolition of the existing motel structure.

Hired. Matt Regis has been hired as a Bridgton Police Department patrolman. He is in his fifth week at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro, and is expected to graduate on Dec. 6.

The BPD has completed interviews for Officer Brandon George’s replacement. BPD is conducting background checks and should have a final candidate within the next few weeks.

Keep Bridgton clean. Resident Bob Mawhinney thinks switching to Pay Per Bag is a bad idea. Having lived here for 20 years, Mawhinney feels the lure to Bridgton is its natural beauty, which is enjoyed by tourists as well as those who venture out into the wild via ATVs and snowmobiles. He suggested to selectmen that beauty could be spoiled by those unwilling to pay per bag to dump their trash, and instead discard their waste on trails off the beaten path.

“It’s taken a long time to get to this point,” said Mawhinney regarding the present environmental condition here. “The bottle bill helped. But, it doesn’t take long to go the other way.”

If the town is looking to reduce its solid waste disposal costs, Mawhinney said the focus should be on commercial haulers, whom he questions whether they recycle or simply dump entire customers’ loads into the hopper. If haulers only pay $5 for a dump sticker, “that’s wrong,” Mawhinney added, “You need to take a look at the whole picture. Pay Per Bag is not the solution.”

Model for Bridgton? Frisco, Colo. could offer Bridgton a blueprint when considering how to address marijuana sales.

Recently, local resident Ursula Flaherty’s daughter spoke to the Community Development Committee about Frisco and how it addressed the legalization of marijuana five years ago.

Like Bridgton, Frisco is a small tourist town outside of Breckenridge. When marijuana was legalized, there was a major shift in businesses from medical to adult-use storefronts. Now, adult-use accounts for 98% of the storefronts.

Various standards were highlighted from the amounts of marijuana that could be purchased, to distances between marijuana establishments [700 feet], to setbacks from schools, to how large growing facilities can be, to requiring odor control methods.

CDC chairman Helen Archer told selectmen more information will be gathered and passed along to local officials as the town wrestles with how it will address medical and adult use storefronts [a workshop was recently between planning board members and selectmen].

Outside the box idea for court. As Kevin Raday watched the discussion between selectmen and a District Court official about a new lease and possible structural changes to improve security, he felt the way the current municipal building is utilized the needs can’t be met.

“The court wants separation of the general public vs. judges/staff vs. prisoners/armed personnel. This is almost impossible to provide in a retrofit facility and difficult even in new construction,” Raday posed in an e-mail to board members. “Adding a wall in the lobby or squeezing a bathroom into the existing court space would not solve the basic problem and would only make navigation of the building more difficult for citizens seeking normal every day type contact with municipal offices…Neither party [town or court system] is looking to make major expenditures for new construction.”

So, Raday [who spent five years as a management analyst, primarily dealing with space planning in the Court Administrator’s Office in Philadelphia] pitched an outside-the-box idea to selectmen. Why not move the court to the building’s lower level? All town functions (including moving the selectmen/planning board’s meeting room upstairs) would then occur on the first floor and be accessed by the main door. LRTV would move to upstairs space, as well.

Court would be accessed via Iredale Street, through one entry point [and bathrooms already exist in the lower level)] Judges could access the court via the police department entrance, thus improving security.

One detail to work out would be space for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Since court meets three times a week (possibly four, at times), space could be made available for DMV on an off-court day, Raday suggested.

“While there are a number of details that would need to be worked out, most seem to be individually doable without any party being forced into an untenable situation,” he concluded. “Most importantly, I think it would address most of the problems discussed.”

Selectmen liked the idea, including it would improve safety of town office staff and increase municipal space.

“I think it’s ideal,” Selectman Bob Murphy said.

Town Manager Peabody will pass along the idea to court officials to consider, and the board requested they receive written feedback.

Starting the process. Back in May, town officials asked a building owner to seek out a structural engineer to take a look at a crumbling façade at 271 Main Street.

Code Officer Rob Baker told selectmen Tuesday night that the building’s owner had an environmental study done on the building, but not the structural engineer study, as requested.

Selectman Carmen Lone, who has voiced concerns during past discussions regarding the building, told members she recently picked up a “piece of wood” that had fallen onto the sidewalk. With snow and ice coming in the months ahead, Lone said, “it won’t get any safer by itself.”

Selectman Bear Zaidman added that the “top of the façade is opening up even more.”

“It’s getting worse,” Baker chimed in. “I can’t order them to fix anything.”

Baker outlined for selectmen what the process is to deem a structure a dangerous building. It starts with scheduling a public hearing.

By a 4–0 vote, selectmen will call for a public hearing [likely Sept. 24] to deem the structure a dangerous building. Notice will be sent to the property owner regarding the hearing.

Beaches test well. Unlike a year ago when Highland Lake and Woods Pond beaches were closed due to high e coli levels, water quality this year passed testing. The last sampling of the season came last Wednesday, Aug. 21. The maximum limit is 235 cfg/ml [colony-forming unit per millimeter]. Results: Highland Lake 35, Salmon Point Campground 17, Salmon Point 20, Woods Pond 9 and Plummers Landing 30.

Training session. Mandatory employee training regarding sexual harassment, as well as various state and local policies, will occur on Thursday Sept. 26. New this year will be an active shooter training, which will be held on a different day.

Petitions due. Deadline for voter to submit petitions for placement on the referendum ballot and/or article on the annual town meeting warrant is Friday, Sept. 6.

New look. The Bridgton Community Center’s website has a new look. It includes comprehensive information on programs and services, as well as an expanded calendar. Check it out at www.bridgtoncommunitycenter.org

Resignation. Stan Cohen has resigned as a Town Investment Committee member.

“Serving the town on your committee has been a valuable experience for me. I know that my contribution to the group’s work does not compare with that of the other committee members who have a much deeper, technical comprehension of investments than I. On the other hand, I think I may have helped in some peripheral ways, like the reconstruction of the town’s Investment Policy,” Cohen wrote. “I am getting close to end of my productive ‘civic duty’ run, and hope you will appreciate my wish to cut back on my obligations.”

Under construction. Renovation continues on municipal complex lower level cubicle spaces for the fire chief [Tom Harriman], Emergency Management [Todd Perreault] and wastewater superintendent [David Madsen]. Currently, Madsen’s office is temporarily located upstairs.

Rec notes. New Rec programmer Tyler Breton’s first day on the job will be Sept. 2. His main focus will be programming out of the town hall and ice rink, but he will also be at other athletic and town events. Breton is a Lake Region graduate, where he was a multi-sport athlete. He has worked for the Rec Department as a summer employee for the past three years, and was a “valuable asset during our baseball and softball tournaments,” Rec Director Gary Colello said.

Open gym every Friday night at the Town Hall from 5 to 9 p.m., beginning Aug. 30.

A fall foliage tour to Wolfeboro Inn, sponsored by the Bridgton, Casco and Naples Rec Departments, will take place on Oct. 9. Cost is $40 for residents and $55 for nonresidents. For additional information, contact Bridgton Rec at 647-1126 or register online at www.bridgtonmaine.org

Next meetings: The Bridgton Board of Selectmen will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.