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Committee Asks Naples Board to Say No to Straw Poll

April 16, 2008 - NAPLES -- A referendum in May could be a deciding factor in determining what type of bridge will replace the current bridge on the Naples Causeway.

At a Monday night meeting, the Naples Selectboard voted to move forward with a straw poll question regarding the causeway bridge project, after a request by the Committee to Preserve Long Lake Commerce to remove the question from the referendum in May.

The question will ask whether Naples residents would like a fixed bridge built and paid for by the Maine Department of Transportation, or if residents would rather have a swing bridge built, in which case the state would pay $11 million, and the town could need to raise an additional $3 million.

The purpose is to help the town and the department make an educated decision as to how to replace the current bridge.

The state has favored building a fixed bridge, because it is the most cost-effective option, especially considering the numerous bridges in need of repair throughout Maine. But some Naples community members, especially those who rely on the water for their business, have fought the fixed bridge, which would limit free passage between Long Lake and Brandy Pond to smaller boats.

“I was in favor of putting a question on the ballot, but not one with the specificity that this one has,” said Christine Powers, chairwoman of the Selectboard, who preferred a more general, open-ended question. However, the Selectboard did not change the wording, and the question passed with a three to two vote.

Powers said she is torn between wanting to keep the causeway bridge a moveable one, to allow boats, like the Songo River Queen II, passage. But she said she wonders how much longer Naples can fight a fixed bridge.

“I just don’t know at this point if we really can fight for that. I think that we’re beginning to feel that the longer we dig our feet in, the longer it will be before we see some of the much-needed improvements on the causeway,” said Powers.

Those improvements are efforts to revitalize the look of the causeway area, which the state has said it will help fund, if the town agrees to have a fixed bridge built.

Powers also believes that, despite a large group of vocal Naples residents, there are many people in town who would prefer a fixed bridge, as it would cut down on congestion on Route 302 in the summer. Those people, said Powers, are afraid to speak out, because the battle to keep the bridge moveable has become volatile.

“They don’t feel like their opinions are valued, and they’re ridiculed,” said Powers.

Ideally, Powers would like to see a new swing bridge, with a restriction on the number of times it will open each day in the summer.

The Committee to Preserve Long Lake Commerce is trying to enlist the aid of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well. The MDOT must acquire a permit from the Corps in order to move forward with a project. In a letter dated April 7, Research Associates, LLC of Portland wrote on behalf of the committee, asking the Corps to “become an active participant in the decision-making process” regarding the bridge project.

Jay Clement, a spokesman for the Maine Branch of the Army Corps of Engineers, said the Corps is always involved in overseeing state projects, but since they have not yet received an application for a permit by the Maine Department of Transportation, no action can be taken.

“We can certainly look at navigation as one of the potential impacts of the project, but our regulations do not prohibit structures in navigable waters, or any water,” said Clement.

By Emily Devlin, this article first appeared on keepmecurrent.com , April 11, 2008.


Lakes: Brandy Pond, Long Lake, Sebago Lake
Regions: Sebago


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