Wiscasset addresses occupied, overnight parking; talks Wawenock block
Thu, 08/22/2024 - 8:45am
Wawenock block Aug. 21. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
The cleared sidewalk along the Wawenock block Aug. 21. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
No occupying of parked vehicles overnight on any street or municipal parking area – including at the waterfront – under rules Wiscasset selectmen nodded Aug. 20. Mulling a ban recently, the board had considered an exception for the waterfront.
The board Aug. 20 went with Town Manager Dennis Simmons’ suggestion to skip that exception. The policy update would be posted and signs would go up, Simmons said in a phone interview Aug. 22.
The town does not need to compete with the local campground, or have more cleanup to do of restrooms and the parking lot, Simmons told the board in his written report. He added, Route One has a rest area north of Wiscasset.
Resident Leslie Roberts said there are two problems – the campers and recreational vehicles, but also people without housing. She said they sleep at Pleasant Street Extension, or on High Street. “They’re all over town. And they can’t necessarily afford a $100 fine. Do we have any ideas of how we can help them move along but also tell them where they can go so they can find a safe place?”
They can contact general assistance at the town office and, if they are a resident, lodging could be arranged, Simmons said. “My point is not to try to make anybody that’s homeless suffer any more than they have,” he said. “They just need to call us.”
Police Chief and Harbor Master Lawrence Hesseltine supported including the waterfront in the ban. He gets calls late at night about the issue and a ban “would make my life a lot easier,” he said. And Selectman Pam Dunning – referring to a motor coach she said took up four spaces – said some diggers work double tides, are out at 2 a.m. in headlamps, and they need those parking spots.
James Kochan of the waterfront committee concurred and said at least a consensus of the committee did also. In his research, he learned communities in and outside the U.S. are experiencing the issue, especially on their waterfronts.
On a board question, Simmons said town ordinance allows a fine. Selectmen supported a $100 fine for non-compliance after a warning. Selectman William “Bill” Maloney proposed that amount. He said a $25 fine would cost less than a night at a campground. “So if it was me, I’d come in and I’d use it and I’d leave you a $25 check and take off.”
“Alright, take note of that if you see any vehicles belonging to Bill,” Selectmen’s Chair Sarah Whitfield said, drawing laughs.
Wawenock LLC’s latest update to the board stated the downtown building’s restoration continues, but the brickwork that required scaffolding to be on the sidewalk and wrapped in plastic is finished; so the twice monthly reports will stop and, if ever the town manager requests a renovation update, he will get it promptly. The note also expressed appreciation for everyone’s patience and courtesy.
“It’s not really up to them when they discontinue reports to us,” Whitfield said. She added, Simmons “has already let them know that we’re not happy with how it looks right now.”
On a question from Dunning, Simmons said he has seen no damage to the sidewalk there, but will have Public Works Director Ted Snowdon look.
Also Aug. 20, the board nodded the $300,000 contract with RJD Appraisal of Pittsfield for the revaluation. Except for public hearings, the work will be finished by July 1, 2028, according to a draft deal released ahead of the meeting.
The board named Beth Bluteau and Douglas Merrill to the future of the schools committee; and approved a business license for Liberty Pizza, 493 Gardiner Road.
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