Damariscotta town officials have identified The Second Congregational Church of Newcastle (A), Bangor Savings Bank (B), First National Bank (C), Elm Street in Damariscotta (D), and Cross Street in Newcastle (E) as alternative parking locations while the municipal lot undergoes reconstruction beginning Tuesday, Sept. 3. (Courtesy photo)
The long-awaited second and final phase of Damariscotta’s parking lot improvement project will start Tuesday, Sept. 3 when construction equipment is expected to arrive.
Damariscotta Town Manager Andy Dorr sent an email out to downtown business and property owners on Saturday, Aug. 24 with a finalized timeline for the first week of the project, alternate parking locations, and instructions to receive construction updates.
“We are working hard to bring you information and balance the challenges that will arise from this necessary work,” Dorr said in the email.
The project, which is being completed by Crooker Construction, of Topsham, includes the installation of a 150,000-gallon underground storm water retention tank and new storm drain basins and the renovation of four existing drainage pipes. Crews will also raise sections of the parking lot and pave the entirety of it, according to Dorr.
The project started development in 2015 when the town’s waterfront committee identified the back parking lot as a place needing flood resiliency work to protect it and the downtown from sea level rise and storm surge.
Funding for the renovation was secured by 2020, with $2.8 million, or 70% of the project cost, coming from grants from the United States Economic Development Administration. The remaining 30% – about $1.2 million – was raised almost entirely through private donations, according to Dorr.
The first phase of the parking lot improvement project, which included adding new sewer lines and the construction of public restrooms, was completed in July 2021.
The flood resiliency plan for the parking lot is modeled after a 100-year storm scenario, which Dorr defined as infrastructure that can withstand the flooding that would accompany a 5- or 6-inch rain event within the span of a 12-hour tide change. The parking lot will also be elevated in low spots along the waterfront by almost a foot.
The storm water tank will be built under the boat trailer parking in the western part of the parking lot and will extend to the front of the entrance to Taco Alley, past Y-Knot Gourmet Eatery on the Water.
The first portion of the project is slated for 12 weeks.
The work on the tank is expected to take place between weeks two and seven, according to Dorr.
Weeks eight through 12 is when work on the storm drains and manhole covers will happen. During that time there won’t be as much space being taken up by the tank installation.
According to Dorr, from November until spring, the back parking lot will reopen to the general public.
The start of the project was scheduled for the fall to ensure it would be finished in time to meet the requirements of the United States Economic Development Administration grant. The 60-month window for the $2.8 million grant funding 70% of the project ends in April 2025, according to Dorr.
According to the email sent by Dorr on Saturday, Aug. 24, cars will need to be removed by 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4 for construction to begin and limited parking in the lot will become available on Thursday, Sept. 5, according to Dorr.
Reclaim is a process of pulverizing the top layers of asphalt in preparation for paving.
Weekday work is expected to begin at 7 a.m. and while daily end times will vary, it is possible construction will continue until 7 p.m. at night, according to the email. Weekend work is not anticipated at this time.
Both entrances to the parking lot will be open only to boat trailers, deliveries, and emergencies beginning Thursday, Sept. 5.
The town landing’s boat launch will remain accessible during the first week of the project until when construction crews need to work in front of it. The longest obstruction of the ramp is anticipated to happen on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Along Misery Gulch two boat trailer spaces are expected to remain available during most of the project, according to Dorr.
Town officials have identified alternative parking in the Twin Villages to offset the impact on downtown parking.
The Second Congregational Church of Newcastle, at 51 Main St. in Newcastle, will have 30 spaces open to the public every day, with the exception of before 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and before 1 p.m. on Sundays.
There will also be 15 on-street parking spots available along Cross Street in Newcastle.
In Damariscotta, 15 parking spots will be available to the public at Bangor Savings Bank, at 100 Main St., and eight spots will be available along Elm Street.
First National Bank will have 60 spots available in its parking lot behind Water Street and Cross Street. The use of these spaces will be reserved for residents and employees living and/or working next to the parking lot and will require a permit, according to Dorr.
The town plans to offer these on a first-come, first-served basis and will issue up to 40 permits with the hopes that the mix of residents and employees will need to use the lot at alternate times. To sign up, go to shorturl.at/SfAYe.
The limited parking options for patrons and employees have drawn a range of reactions from downtown property and business owners, some of which have already taken steps to mitigate impact.
Roger and Prudence Kiessling, co-owners of Rue 77 and The Kingfisher & The Queen, at 77 and 79 Main St. in Damariscotta, will close their businesses for the first part of September with the hopes that customers will adjust to the new parking situation.
“We’re not happy about the timing of it. We’re hoping for the best and planning for the worst,” Roger Kiessling said. “We’ve cut back on quantities we’re ordering for both businesses and we cut our staffing way back.”
Rue 77 will be closed Sept. 2-5 and The Kingfisher & The Queen will be closed from Sept. 1-11.
Mindy Jones, co-owner of Y-Knot on the Water Gourmet Eatery, at 85 Parking Lot Lane, said with so much uncertainty surrounding the impact of the construction, the business will be closed from Sept. 4 until October.
“It’s very hard because we just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jones said.
Riverside Butcher owner August Avantaggio said it will be business as usual at his 49 Main St. storefront. While the renovation is inconvenient, he understands its necessity.
“It sucks but it’s good to get this done, as a lifelong Damariscotta-er, investment into the town is being done,” Avantaggio said. “If it fails, we have bigger problems.”
Avantaggio said the business will be closed Monday, Sept. 2 and reopen Tuesday, Sept. 10. The closure isn’t due to the construction, but for “a post-summer season reset,” he added.
Metcalf’s Submarine Sandwiches, located in the same building as Riverside Butcher, will evaluate as the construction progresses, according to Manager Kaydie Russell.
“We haven’t decided on anything as a definite yet, we’re going to feel it out as it goes,” Russell said.
The sandwich shop is considering doing delivery and will have daily and weekly specials, according to Russell.
Warren Busteed, co-owner of Bred in the Bone, at 133 Main St., also said the business will gauge the impact as construction goes along.
“We’ll still have access to the back of the building, other places will not,” Busteed said. “I’d hate to shut down unnecessarily.”
The project is expected to run until November with a break scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 10 through Monday, Oct. 14 in anticipation of Damariscotta Pumkpinfest and Regatta. The annual autumnal festival draws a crowd of nearly 15,000 people.
Dorr encouraged residents and employees to sign up for project notifications by going to shorturl.at/1oqGj or the notifications tab on the town’s website.
For more information, call the Damariscotta town office at 563-5168 or email Dorr at adorr@damariscottame.com.
