Use it or Potentially Lose It: Harbor Committee May Look To Recommend Changes to Mooring Rules
Ells Pier Repairs May Be Done Monday
BAR HARBOR—The town may begin to look into changing its mooring rules and the ordinance that governs them.
Harbormaster Chris Wharff told Harbor Committee members on Monday that he’d like to look into potentially putting in a provision that would allow the town to reassign mooring space to those who are consistently not using their moorings.
There is not a lot of mooring space available, Wharff said. Most towns have a caveat in their ordinances about people having to use the moorings in closed harbors.
“I don’t want anybody to lose privileges right now. I don’t want anyone to panic,” he stressed. He also specified that he is only talking about the inner harbor where there is a waitlist of between five and 10 people. “Those five or ten people have been waiting a while.”
Micala Delepierre said that in Southwest Harbor that waitlist is approximately 45. That town has a two-year policy with a three-month warning.
Most of the moorings in the closed harbor are owned by individuals. The town also rents some.
Jon Carter said the harbor was initially closed because of the parking and skiff space issues and that former Harbormaster Charlie Phippen allowed people to put in moorings closer to Bar Island.
“We could get more moorings,” in that area, Carter said, even though the bottom is a bit harder.
“I’ve been given a different answer than that,” Wharff said.
“Right now there isn’t enough room for skiffs and parking is a premium.” Carter said he hasn’t seen recreational boats in the last few years. “They’ve gone somewhere else.”
Back in 1986, the Ellsworth American’s Connee Jellison reported about problems at the Bar Harbor waterfront being “Unsatisfactory, unsanitary, and at times unsafe.” Discussion about who owned moorings and changing their positions was a big topic of the article, and how some mooring positions should be changed.
In 2001, the American’s Craig Crosby had a series of articles about the Harbor Committee dealing with “inner harbor mooring hopefuls.” At the time, the Bar Harbor Town Council adopted Phippen’s recommendations for mooring realignments.
“The committee agreed to terminate any abandoned or unregistered moorings,” Crosby wrote.
“I don’t know how many times we drew up mooring plans and nothing has become of them,” Carter said on Monday. He also said one man from another town has “hogged” multiple moorings to store vessels.
There are 200 moorings in the entire bay. There are approximately 60 in the inner harbor. There are approximately 40 at the yacht club. There are some at Hadley Point.
ELLS PIER
Wharff said that the storm-battered pier is going to have minor repairs that should be done by April 15 and that during that time, commercial fishers will still be able to access the area.
“They are just going to dig the top layer of pavement, of gravel, and resurface,” Wharff said.
“Structurally, they didn’t find any major issues with the test pits.”
The seasonal water line and electrical infrastructure that wasn’t labelled properly were dug up during the examination. The town is going to put in a whole new seasonal water line around the outside of the pier and bring that water to the heists and the ramp.
The consulting firm, GEI, suggested the town create a plan for long-term improvement, which could possibly involve raising the height of the pier.
Committee member Jon Carter worried about the cost for that future plan.
Wharff said the town would apply for state and federal money. “Likely, we won’t be funding a project like that all on our own.”
“Nothing is set in stone right now other than we know it needs to happen.” Wharff added about the potential long-term improvement.
Harbor Committee member Micaela Delepierre suggested not delaying that plan so much so that it gets pushed back too much to receive money earmarked for climate and storm related repairs and rebuilding.
COMP PLAN AND MARINA/FERRY TERMINAL PLAN AND FUTURE MEETINGS
There was no update on the Comprehensive Plan.
“I haven’t really been a huge part of that process either,” Wharff said. “I don’t have much of an update to offer. I was hoping for Val (Peacock, Town Council chair) to be here to give you an update, but she’s not.”
Wharff said they are currently looking at potentially finding some funding for a marina and the town’s ferry terminal plan from Congress. The terminal is on Route 3 and currently houses the CAT ferry.
The committee will likely not meet in July or August. They will likely meet in May. Carter said he’d like to only meet if there is something important to talk about, a sentiment expressed last year multiple times by Delepierre.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Mooring applications and registration forms are available at the Harbormaster's office at: 1 Town Pier, Bar Harbor.
Town’s Mooring Applications Page
Steering Committee Recommendations February 11, 2019 re: 121 Eden Street
https://www.newspapers.com/image/963649652/?terms=%22bar%20harbor%22%20%2B%20%22mooring%22&match=1
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