Cromwell Bridge Work Will Begin This Summer
Bar Harbor Town Council Hires Fundraising Consultant for School Construction and Sets Budget for Town Warrant
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Side Street Cafe.
BAR HARBOR—The water line has been successfully relocated as part of the MaineDOT project at Cromwell Brook. The actual work will begin this summer and is expected to be completed August 26, according to Town Manager James Smith.
The DOT’s scope of work project states the work is expected to be done in October 2025.
The Cromwell Brook bridge is located on Great Meadow Drive, which is also called Ledgelawn Extension and is on the way to the town’s transfer station. There is a temporary vehicle bridge that has been in place since winter 2020.
The new bridge is expected to be fifty feet long and four feet wider than the previous bridge.
According to the MaineDOT, “Maintenance of traffic during construction will be accomplished by a one-lane temporary bridge downstream of the existing bridge. Alternating one-way traffic will be accomplished by temporary traffic signals.”
“That’s been a long process, I guess,” Smith said of the work that began before his tenure as town manager.
Vice Chair Maya Caines and Councilor Earl Brechlin were absent from the March 18 meeting.
CONNERS EMERSON FUNDRAISING
During councilor comments, Chair Valerie Peacock pointed out the council agenda and “phenomenal” amount of effort that is going on. The agenda had multiple land use amendments as well.
She also commended the staff for bringing forward a budget that was solid and respectful to the community.
“This is a lot of work. There’s a lot happening in this community,” Peacock said.
One aspect of that work is the Conners Emerson reconstruction.
The council approved Smith to hire a consultant to help the Conners Emerson fundraising committee hire a consultant to help them raise funds to help defray the costs to property owners paying off the multi-million bond approved by voters in June 2023.
The council members voted 5-0 to recognize a fundraising group and again voted unanimously for the town to work with Wright Collective to help the group with donor research as well as strategy development, capital campaign work, and executive coaching. That cost is expected to be approximately $23,500.
“We think that’s an adequate level of support for this group. We can add services if we need to, but we’re focusing in on those key areas we think would be best to support those efforts,” Smith said.
Last year, Stephen Coston, a local businessman, donated $100,000 to the project. The town council also approved $113,000 for a consultant for the project in September. The costs for the assistance is lower than that number but allows for additional work if needed, Smith said.
“It’s been a process to get here,” Smith said. He said he appreciated School Board Chair Lilea Simis’ patience with the town.
Simis has decided not to run for re-election this June so that she can focus on fundraising efforts for the school, something she’s been passionate about.
BUDGET MOVES FORWARD
The councilors also adjusted the budget and added it to the town’s warrant. The fiscal year budget begins in July after being approved by voters in June at town meeting. Voters can also tweak the budget from the floor. The warrant committee will determine its recommendation to voters at its March 24 meeting.
The main changes to the $30 million budget came from the cruise ship fund. Councilors approved its reductions in revenue from $909,725 to $367,073. They also approved a decrease in expenditures by roughly $25,000, from $778,176 to $752,004.
Other revenues decreased from $15,705,640 to $15,174,316, which did not impact the overall municipal expenditures of $30,590,532.
The harbor funding within the town’s capital improvement program was also increased by $16,000. That money is from cruise ship revenue. The cruise ship fund balance (money unused from other years) was set at $384,931. Approximately $791,000 of the parking fund balance was also used.
MANAGER’S COMMENTS AND HOUSING PROJECTS
Also during the meeting, Smith said that the removal of trees at the town ball field on Park Street has finished. Those trees were between the field and Ledgelawn homes.
”We’re very pleased and it’s well ahead of schedule,” Smith said.
A water line on Ash Street (500-800 feet) is being replaced.
The town band and manager have met and have logistics to work through to get a gazebo project for restoration of the town’s gazebo on the Village Green moving again.
Smith has said that the project design work for the Harden Farm’s project is nearing completion.
“That’s looking good,” Smith said. “That will greatly improve the water pressure and water quality throughout the region.”
The town and the park are working together for a cost-sharing solution to help support the park’s seasonal housing project at Harden Farm, which is located off the end of Kebo Street, Smith said Feb 18 during a town council meeting.
Officials from the town and park have been meeting and having an ongoing discussion about how the town can meet the project’s utility needs.
“The town and ANP have been collaborating to review and consider upgrades to the water utility system that would be needed to support the Harden Farm employee housing project,” Smith said.
Back in September 2024, the Harden Farm housing project began in earnest after a $10 million contract was awarded to King Construction (Machias, Maine). The funds to pay for the project came from Friends of Acadia’s $10 million Raise the Roof fundraising campaign, the National Park Service’s Housing Improvement and Centennial Challenge Programs, and a National Park Foundation grant.
The site was recommended for housing back in 1959. In the next decade, the park built eight one-bedroom apartments.
The project’s first phase will bring 28 bedrooms. A phase 2 (with 28 more bedrooms) could occur if additional funds are raised.
“To meet their water and sewer needs, Acadia National Park has already been planning to extend their private sewer line across park property,” Smith said.
The town’s existing line’s size and condition raised concerns in the town’s ability to maintain and provide adequate water pressure in the area.
The public works department modeled different possibilities of how to do so.
Simultaneously, the park asked the town to review its capacity for the system. The town determined that a 10-inch ductile iron water line should be placed from Kebo Street, across Cromwell Harbor Road, and then back to the Glen Mary Road to reconnect with the town’s infrastructure.
The town would pay its portion of the $1.8 million project through its priority infrastructure bond. Acadia National Park would put $500,000 toward the cost. The town would oversee the bidding, construction, and project management.
The investment enhances long-term infrastructure improvements, Smith said.
The town also signed a letter of intent for the YWCA Hamilton Station project. This allows the town to submit for a grant in direct support for the YWCA housing project.
LINK TO LEARN MORE
The meeting is currently not on Town Hall Streams to watch because the town recorded an executive session immediately following its regular meeting. Executive sessions are not meant to be public. This specific session was discussing a personnel matter and an ethics complaint, which are also not meant to be public. A design review board meeting last week was also taken off Town Hall Streams and cannot be viewed because it was Zoom bombed and that infiltration included racist statements and graphic imagery.
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