Declaring the Westport Island Select Board’s neutrality on the issue of a potential data center development in neighboring Wiscasset, board members have agreed to hire a national nonprofit consultant in an effort to protect the town’s interest.
Meeting Monday, Oct. 20, select board Chair Donna Curry made a motion to expend $1,000 to hire Community & Environmental Defense Services to provide an in-depth analysis of the proposal and the possible impacts and mitigation options for the Westport Island.
Seconding the motion, board member Lisa Jonassen expressed hesitancy about making the hire before receiving more information on the data center proposal. She was told the board can approve the expenditure while seeking further information.
The motion passed 2-0. Select board member Kim Lynch was not present at the meeting.
In other action, Curry reported the select board is awaiting a response to a Freedom of Access Act request submitted to the town of Wiscasset seeking all information related to the data center concept.
Wiscasset town officials told the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners they were in early talks to turn the former Maine Yankee site on Old Ferry Road into a data center during the Sept. 16 meeting of the commissioners. At the time, Wiscasset Economic Development Director Aaron Chrostowsky said the project could strengthen Wiscasset’s tax base and provide jobs for construction and tech workers.
Wiscasset town officials have repeatedly said the idea is still in the earliest stages and no proposal has been made and no commitments have been agreed to.
Residents from Wiscasset and Westport Island have been in attendance at the October Wiscasset Select Board meetings to voice their concerns about the potential impacts if the project moves forward.
“We will absolutely do our due diligence,” Wiscasset Select Board Chair Sarah Whitfield said at the board’s Oct. 7 meeting. “Everything from environmental concerns to traffic to sound, light, water community, all of that will be addressed … if this moves forward, and we don’t even know if it will.”
Responding to a request for clarifications on the issues related to the town’s fire station, Westport Fire Chief Stacey Hutchison said major structural issues identified in an engineering study done 10 years ago have not been addressed.
Lynch is in the process of putting together an ad hoc committee to research the options and come up with a recommendation. At the annual town meeting in June, residents voted to spend $50,000 to cover the cost of an architect.
The select board voted to award the bid for 400 cubic yards of winter sand to the sole bidder. Country Fare Inc., of Bowdoin, bid $35.50 per cubic yard.
The select board appointed Trevor Harris to the harbor committee as an alternate and voted to amend the town’s payment policy, lengthening the amount time allowed to rectify a check returned for insufficient funds from seven days to 30 days.
The select board expressed appreciation to the Westport Volunteer Fire Department for the new fire danger sign at the head of the island.
The Westport Island Select Board meets again at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3 via Zoom or in person in the town office, at 6 Fowles Point Road.
(LCN reporter Claire Taylor contributed to this article.)
