The town of Harpswell has received a design-build timeline for the planned boat launch at George J. Mitchell field that would have the public amenity completed by spring 2026.
The town’s Select Board also voted 3-0 on Thursday, Nov. 21, to hire former Harpswell Town Planner Mark Eyerman’s firm PLANME LLC, of Gorham, at a rate of $100 an hour for additional planning services related to the project. The contract doesn’t specify a total or maximum number of hours.
On Nov. 5, voters authorized the town to borrow up to $1,150,500 toward the cost of the launch, which is estimated at $2 million. Harpswell plans to cover the remainder of the cost with $492,250 in local funds set aside for the project and $357,250 in state grants.
A timeline submitted by Portland-based GEI Consultants Inc., the town’s engineering firm for the project, estimates it will finalize the plans, specifications and cost estimate by April 2025, when the town would issue a request for construction bids.
It recommends giving contractors four weeks to submit their proposals, with the town choosing its contractor by June 2025. Upland construction would begin in fall 2025, followed by in-water construction from November 2025 through April 2026.
Town officials said the timeline could be affected by the pace of required regulatory approvals from agencies including the Maine Department of Transportation.
At Thursday’s Select Board meeting, Town Administrator Kristi Eiane said Merrymeeting Shellfish, an oyster hatchery that leases space at Mitchell Field, has raised concerns that the launch’s construction would negatively affect the business.
“I’m not sure that we can alleviate all of those concerns,” Eiane said, “but I think there may be some additional mitigation ideas … that might keep the disturbance to a minimum.”
