On March 10, developer Kevin Mattson withdrew his applications for permits for the Twin Villages Marina from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Newcastle Planning Board. He sited the moratorium and the newly proposed harbor ordinance as an indication that the project was not wanted in town.
The moratorium inhibited Mattson’s application to the Newcastle Planning Board thus far, Mattson said. The new proposed harbor ordinance, if approved by voters at Newcastle’s town meeting on Mon., March 30, will completely prevent his development group from submitting that application, he said.
He asserts the ordinance was changed after it was presented to residents in the public hearing. First, review authority was taken away from the planning board and given to the Harbormaster. Then, review authority was instead given to the Newcastle Board of Selectman.
“The last minute post-hearing changes to the proposed harbor ordinance, coupled with comments of town officials submitted in opposition to our Army Corps permit application,” he said, “leads us to what we should have seen all along: Town officials didn’t want the improved marina to be permitted. We should have gotten the message.”
Newcastle Town Administrator Ron Grenier took issue with the statement, so much so that he had town attorney Peter Drum write a letter to Mattson.
In the letter dated March 4, Drum asserted the public process was followed in all cases, and all meetings were properly posted.
Grenier explained the moratorium covered the entire harbor, not just the Twin Villages Marina Project. He said the town’s chief concerns were with ensuring the safe navigation of the harbor based on Harbormaster Paul Bryant’s assessment, but that the town was never opposed to the project.
He said he believed the project would be a great asset to the region, and would have delivered tangible benefits to local residents. “We were going to build a first-class facility, help attract new customers, and significantly pour more income into the shops and businesses on Main Street,” Mattson said.
According to Mattson, the benefits the marina would provide included, “guaranteed public access into perpetuity, transient boat slips for locals to use, a manned pump out station, and even fuel (if town leaders want), so that local boaters wouldn’t have to go all the way to Boothbay Harbor.”
Mattson said he focused on maintaining flexibility, and cooperating with the town throughout the permitting process. He wanted to deliver benefits, while ensuring the safety and compatibility of the marina within the existing harbor.
The town went out of its way to include Mattson and his attorney Tom Federle in discussions about the ordinance, Grenier said. The harbor committee even dedicated one whole meeting to discussing the project, said Grenier.
“On a positive note, they recognized the town’s concerns,” he said. “Mattson agreed to work proactively with the town, and vice versa. It was a win-win for everyone.”
At this point Mattson intends to review the project entirely, but warns the two projects are inextricably linked economically. “I am very proud of the work we have done so far in Newcastle,” he said. “I hope eventually we can do something with the Twin Villages property that makes the town even more attractive and vibrant than it already is.”
Grenier said the town of Newcastle would still welcome a meeting with the developer about a project going forward.
“I’m hopeful Mattson will come to town with a project we can work collaboratively on,” he said. “That is still a possibility as far as I’m concerned.”
