Bristol accepted an anonymous gift of up to $220,000 to purchase a small waterfront property in Pemaquid Harbor at a special town meeting July 31.
The town will demolish the rundown cottage on the 468 Pemaquid Harbor Rd. property as a condition of the sale. A compromise with neighborhood property owners will require voters to authorize future work at the site.
The clear majority of the dozens of voters present voted to accept the gift after supporters negotiated this compromise with the neighbors, who have concerns about public access to the land.
Pemaquid Harbor Club President Betsy Carter expressed concerns about maintenance, parking, security and trash pickup.
Bristol Board of Selectmen Chairman Bill Benner said the board would be willing to meet with a committee from the neighborhood to develop a plan for the property, which would include regulations for its use.
“We can talk about this, but I think this is such a great opportunity for you people as well as other people,” Benner said.
Waterfront property “is nothing but a dinosaur,” Benner said. “They don’t make any more, and if we can save a little bit of it for future generations to enjoy, we ought to take that opportunity.”
Dave Hanson owns property in Pemaquid Harbor and belongs to The Pemaquid Harbor Club.
Hanson said the town should develop a plan prior to the purchase. “We don’t know what we’re getting into,” he said.
Hanson’s primary residence is on Harrington Road near Pemaquid Falls Park, a small municipal park on Town Landing Road. “I always take a trash bag because the litter is incredible,” he said of the park.
He said the town neglects the park and expressed concern that the Pemaquid Harbor property would suffer from the same issues.
Pemaquid Harbor resident David Kolodin said the town would lose property tax revenue because the property would become exempt. The 2012 property tax was $2015.52.
“It’ll take 100 years to lose the money,” Benner said.
Kolodin, a real estate agent, was working with the property owner to sell the property before the anonymous donor and the town became involved.
If the voters were to decide against the purchase, someone else could buy the land and develop it, he said. “There are pluses and minuses to that,” he said.
Mark Hanley moved to amend the article to require “any future development or progress with the property,” except for the demolition of the cottage, to go before the voters.
The amendment and the amended article passed with only about three no votes. Upwards of 80 people, including seasonal residents as well as voters, attended the meeting at the town office.
The anonymous donation will cover the purchase of the property, closing costs and other expenses, as well as the cost to demolish the building. “The town of Bristol will not be spending any money for this,” Benner said.
The two-thirds-acre property consists of the small, vacant cottage near the road, a large field and a small beach with about 20 feet of saltwater frontage.
Bristol Town Administrator Kristine Poland has said the town intends to maintain the property as open space for the public to picnic or take in the view.
The voters approved three other questions at the meeting. They authorized up to $2000 for disaster relief in Lac-Megantic, Quebec; authorized the selectmen to negotiate and enter into boundary agreements, and authorized the selectmen to negotiate and enter into an agreement to allow a landowner to install a septic system partly in the town right-of-way.
Bristol resident Chuck Hanson spoke against the donation to Lac-Megantic. He said authorities in Canada are adequately funding recovery efforts.
“I ask you really to differentiate between your heart, what you would like to do, and what Bristol should do,” he said. “Should this really be an obligation of our municipal government?”
“We have important priorities and needs at home for our tax dollars,” Hanson said. “If you wish to contribute to the effort, please do so on your own accord.”
The selectmen, upon receiving a request for a donation from Farmington, Lac-Megantic’s sister city, decided to leave the matter to the voters, Benner said.
“We do feel empathy for them, and compassion, and if it was the town of Bristol, we would like to have help,” Benner said.
The question passed with scattered no votes. The selectmen, after the vote, decided to give $1500.
