On June 10, the voters of Harpswell have the opportunity to weigh in on whether the administration building — the large, Cold War-era building at the Mitchell Field waterfront — should finally be removed. The question on the secret ballot calls for the removal of hazardous materials in the building, including lead, asbestos, arsenic, PCBs and other toxins, before demolishing the building and hauling away the debris.
The building is in very poor condition. However, a local group proposes repurposing it for event space, pickleball courts, a concert venue, weddings and numerous other uses. Some of these planned uses would require blocking off the main drive along the waterfront for private events, an unfortunate idea. The need for extra parking is not addressed in their proposal.
The likely price tag of over $1.5 million would be raised through private funding with “no expense to the town.” However, their plan for complex bathrooms with showers and flushing toilets alone would require town investment. In 2023, Select Board member David Chipman cited a 2012 study that stated bringing water and septic to the waterfront could cost the town up to $600,000. We can be sure that number is far off the mark given the increase in costs over the past 13 years!
Harpswell taxpayers are sensitive to taxes. The demolition of the administration building will not require any new or increased taxes. The town will use up to $230,000 of existing unexpended funds to pay for the removal. These are funds the town uses to reduce our property taxes, pay for road projects, build a new town dock, etc. The demolition of the building fits right into this category of expenditures. The possibility of brownfield grant funding could further reduce the cost to the town by $50,000. Remove the building, free up the waterfront!
Thomas “Spike” Haible, Harpswell Neck
