Workers disassemble the emergency communications tower at the Orr’s Island Fire Station on Monday, Nov. 21, with assistance from a crane. (TED MERRIMAN PHOTO)
Workers removed the lightning-damaged emergency communications tower at the Orr’s Island Fire Station in seven hours on Monday, Nov. 21.
The town has long planned to replace the tower, but the matter gained urgency when a June lightning strike damaged the structure and raised concerns about its stability.
On Election Day, voters agreed to spend $27,000 to remove the tower. Two days later, the Harpswell Board of Selectmen accepted a $26,250 bid from Green Mountain Communications Inc., of New Hampshire, to take it down.
Green Mountain Communications submitted the only qualifying bid in response to the town’s request for proposals, according to Town Administrator Kristi Eiane. A second bid arrived after the deadline.
On Monday, the contractor’s crew arrived around 8 a.m. and finished work by 3 p.m., according to Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Chief Benjamin Wallace Jr. Only a concrete foundation and a fence remain.
The town plans to replace the 80-foot tower with a 100-foot tower. Voters have approved a bond for the work.
