Consider also the fate of three tax-acquired land parcels

Camden Select Board considers new parking rules for Sea Street, four-way stop for Mechanic and Washington

Tue, 10/06/2015 - 8:45am

    CAMDEN — Two proposals for traffic calming and parking improvements are coming before the Camden Select Board this evening, Oct. 6, when it convenes for a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. The towns’s police chief, Randy Gagne, is hoping to implement experimental parking measures on Sea Street, which is on the northeast side of Camden Harbor, and is prone to congestion during the summer.

    His suggestions include limiting parking to the east side of the street, affecting parking from Atlantic Ave. to Lyman Morse at Wayfarer entrance, as well as prohibiting recreational vehicle parking, and no parking longer than 24 hours on the street.

    The board will also consider a request to make the intersection of Washington and Mechanic streets a four-way stop, which is currently a three-way stop. At least two separate incidents of pedestrians being struck by cars have occurred at that intersection over the last 18 months.

    Gagne has received a series of letters from Sea Street residents endorsing his initiative to control parking along that road, saying it is currently being used for long-term parking for boats, and that the sidewalk and curbing needs to be replaced.

    Residents have also countered that new parking measures might lead to speeding, and the road should be left as is.

    “At my request, Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley took the ladder truck over to Sea Street to check the maneuverability in that area,” wrote Gagne, in his memo to Town Manager Patricia Finnigan and the Select Board. “As you can see from the attached photos, any emergency response would be hampered if a number of trucks were to respond.”

    He added that if Lyman Morse were to experience a fire, the automatic mutual aid call would entail multiple area fire departments responding with their own trucks.

    Gagne wants to initiate the parking measures in Spring 2016.

    IN OTHER TOWN BUSINESS: The board will talk about the fate of three parcels of land, one which is currently the site of a mobile home, that have been acquired through tax liens.

    The parcels include:
    a) 6 Gosses Hill Road (Map 218/063/000/000 1.6 acres)
    b) 178 Chestnut Street (Map 232/008/000/000 .04 acres)
    c) 0 Belfast Road (Map 135/001/000/000 11.3 acres)

    The latter property, on Belfast Road, lies on the town border with Lincolnville off of Route 1 and was formerly owned by Bracebridge Corp., the real estate arm of the former MBNA credit card bank. That parcel is assessed at $40,200.

    The meeting will be broadcast live on Time Warner Channel 22 Select Board and streamed at www.townhallstreams.com/locations/camden-me

    The full agenda is as follows:
    A. Call to Order
    B. Communications, Presentations, and Recognitions
    1. Fire Prevention Week
    2. Sea Street Parking Restrictions
    3. Request to make the intersection at Washington and Mechanic a 4-way stop
    C. Citizen Comments for items not on the agenda
    This time is set aside for members of the public to comment on any town-related issue that is not on the agenda.
    D. Approval of Select Board Minutes dated September 15 and September 22, 2015
    E. Select Board Member Reports
    F. Town Manager Report
    G. New Business
    1. Public Hearing: Adoption of Appendices A-F of the General Assistance Ordinance for 2015-2016
    2. Public Hearing: Proposed Harbor Ordinance Amendments
    3. Consideration of requesting proposals from commercial passenger vessel companies wishing to rent or lease commercial float space or berthing slips for the upcoming year (Harbor Ordinance Article V Section 3)
    4. Consideration of bids awards for the Wastewater Department for driveway crack sealing work and driveway asphalt paving
    5. Approval of the November 4, 2015 Special Town Meeting Warrant
    H. Liquor licenses and Special Amusement permits
    Public hearings for the following:
    1) Cappy’s Chowder House at 1 Main Street for a renewal Class XI Restaurant Lounge Malt, Spirituous, and Vinous Liquor License
    2) Cappy’s Chowder House at 1 Main Street for a Special Amusement Permit
    3) Peter Ott’s at 16 Bay View Landing for a Class XI Restaurant/Lounge Malt, Spirituous, and Vinous Liquor License
    I. Victualers and Lodging License Renewals
    Consideration of Victualers and Lodging License Renewals for the following:
    1) Camden Windward House at 6 High Street for a victualers & lodging license
    2) Towne Motel at 68 Elm Street for a victualers & lodging license
    3) Inn at Camden Place at 14 Tannery Lane for lodging license
    4) Elm Street Grill at 115 Elm Street for a victualers license
    5) Cappy’s Chowder House at 1 Main Street for victualers license
    J. Old Business
    1) Disposition of tax acquired properties
    a) 6 Gosses Hill Rd (Map 218/063/000/000 1.6 acres)
    b) 178 Chestnut Street (Map 232/008/000/000 .04 acres)
    c) 0 Belfast Rd (Map 135/001/000/000 11.3 acres)
    Adjourn
    Board of Assessors
    1. Call to Order
    2. Consideration of tax abatements for the following accounts:
    a) Account 1341 for real estate taxes at 4 Whitmore Ave. in the amount of $151.30 for an allowed Homestead Exemption
    b) Account 825 for personal property taxes for CEIS REVIEW, INC in the amount of $92.29, due to the business closing in August 2014
    c) Account 843 for personal property taxes for Uni-Care Health in the amount of $33.29 due to a duplicate assessment
    Adjourn