Wiscasset selectmen heard arguments for and against Maine Department of Transportation’s downtown improvement project.

The estimated $5 million project includes eliminating all Main Street parking between Middle and Water streets and the installation of two traffic signals. It was the only agenda item for the meeting moved from the town office to the community center.

Over a hundred area residents attended. Many were there to address concerns with MDOT’s consent agreement and were surprised to learn selectmen were instead being asked to sign off on a “letter of intent.”

The one-page letter from William A. Pulver, director of MDOT’s Bureau of Project Development, was dated Oct. 31. Chairman Judy Colby said it would be taken up at the board’s Nov. 15 meeting.

Town attorney Shana Mueller of the Portland law firm of Bernstein Shur said the letter reviews the history of the project and explains what the process would be going forward.

It also gives Wiscasset the option of adding additional work to the scope of the project; the added work would be done at the town’s expense. Mueller said any project expenses borne by the town would need to be approved by voters. She added it would be another eight months or longer before MDOT would have its downtown design completed.

“At that time we’ll know more as far as what the town’s maintenance obligation will be,” she said. Selectmen hope to negotiate the best deal they can with state officials, Mueller said.

Peggy McGehee, an attorney from the Portland law firm of Perkins Thompson, said she was surprised to learn of the letter of intent. McGehee told selectmen she was there in place of attorney Robert Hark, who is representing the Doering family Wawenok LLC, owners of property at 63-85 Main Street.

McGehee added she’d received MDOT’s letter after arriving at the meeting. The letter was a “horse of a different color,” she said. “MDOT still won’t maintain the parking lots or traffic lights,” she commented.

Mueller said selectmen would concentrate on reducing the maintenance costs through negotiations with the state.

“Wouldn’t it be reasonable to know what the costs are now?” Selectman Ben Rines Jr. asked. “I feel a little bit hoodwinked.”

Mueller responded, until the design phase is completed, “We won’t know where we stand.”

Others like Sean Rafter of Bradford Road wondered how could Wiscasset could go along with the project not knowing what the maintenance cost will be.

“We’re asking you (selectmen) not to sign anything yet until we have MDOT sit down with our advisory committee,” Sever Leslie commented. “What I believe we really need to do is to start this whole process over. We also need to know why the state chose not to use federal monies in the project,” added Leslie.

Brad Sevaldson, an owner of Birch on Main Street told selectmen he supported the project. “Many of our sidewalks are in need of replacing, the cement stairs are crumbling away. If we don’t accept the state’s offer to do this work then the town will be faced with the cost because it still needs to be done.

“I really think this will be a positive thing for the downtown and will draw more business.”

Bill Sutter of Federal Street urged selectmen to reconsider their support of the project. “At the time we voted, we were told federal funds would be used. Now they’re not,” he said. “If federal funding had been involved like we were told at the outset the state would have had to address historical preservation,” he added.

Selectman Judy Flanagan, a supporter of the project, said MDOT’s improvements will make the downtown safer for both motorists and pedestrians.

Flanagan took issue with the notion that voters didn’t know what they were voting on during the June non-binding referendum, which passed by a 2-1 margin. “There were just as many people, more in fact, who attended the state’s informational meetings last spring,” she said.

Selectmen were asked when they planned to form their advisory committee. An advertisement-seeking volunteers for the committee was run eight weeks ago.

Colby responded it would be discussed at the board’s next meeting. A suggestion was made that the advisory committee recommend to MDOT that parallel parking be considered for Main Street.

At the outset of the meeting, selectmen voted unanimously to allow non-residents to address the board. Alna Selectman Doug Baston said he believes the project will be good for Wiscasset and surrounding towns.