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Harpswell officials are planning a new round of public meetings to help determine the future of George J. Mitchell Field, including the fate of two remaining buildings and the development of a new long-term plan for the town-owned waterfront property.
The plan comes as Harpswell weighs potentially costly decisions about the former Navy property’s remaining structures and prepares to shift responsibility for its day-to-day management from a volunteer role to town staff.
“We’ve really been talking for quite some time about how the town needs to move forward with respect to some issues at Mitchell Field,” Town Administrator Kristi Eiane told the Select Board at its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22.
During the meeting, the board voted 3-0 to accept an offer from the Midcoast Council of Governments to host two workshop sessions later this year to gather residents’ feedback on the 120-acre park. The regional planning organization also has offered to put together a long-term strategic plan based on community feedback at no cost to the town.
Among the questions that process will seek to answer are what to do with two aging buildings — the sentry building at the park’s entrance and the larger generator building that is being used by the town for storage.
After years of debate, Harpswell voters approved the demolition of the park’s most contested structure, known as the administration building, in June 2025. The town hired a contractor for $144,100 to remove the former Navy building, which was demolished that December. Its foundation was removed in early 2026.
The town also opened a new, $1.6 million, all-tide boat launch at Mitchell Field in June 2026, nearly 20 years after the project was first proposed.
At Thursday’s meeting, the Select Board voted 3-0 to spend an additional $2,000 on minor improvements to the administration building site, removing large rocks and smoothing over ruts to make it safer to walk on. There are no current plans to redevelop the site, which could be turned into parking or left as open space.
Harpswell has received estimates for removing the sentry and generator buildings, but officials haven’t yet decided whether to demolish them or simply remove hazardous materials and keep the buildings. Residents will help decide their fate through the public process.
Contractor Lakeside Concrete Cutting, of Cumberland Foreside, estimated it would cost the town $31,700 to remove the sentry building, or $42,800 to remove hazardous materials but keep the building intact. Full removal is the cheaper and easier option for the small shack, Eiane said.
Harpswell voters already approved spending up to $50,000 to remove hazardous materials from the building at the March 2026 Town Meeting, but the fate of the building itself is undecided.
Lakeside estimated it would cost $95,000 to $150,000 to remove hazardous materials from the generator building, and $160,000 to $230,000 to remove the structure entirely. Unlike the sentry building, full removal of the larger building is the more expensive option, Eiane said.
The town has known for some time that the generator building needs roof repairs, which would cost an estimated $3,000, but it hasn’t moved forward because of uncertainty about the building’s future, she said.
“We haven’t fixed it because we’re reluctant to put any investment into the building, not knowing what the long-term plan is going to be for it,” Eiane told the board.
Mitchell Field is on Harpswell Neck, with shorefront on Middle Bay. The property has been a public recreation area for about 25 years.
The Navy opened the Casco Bay Fuel Depot there in 1954. Its 14 storage tanks supplied jet fuel to Brunswick Naval Air Station through an underground pipeline.
The depot closed and its last fuel tank was drained in 1992. Harpswell resident Roberta Weil led efforts to secure the property for the town, which acquired it in 2001. Residents approved naming it after former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell in 2004.
The volunteer-run Mitchell Field Committee, established in 2006, has largely overseen strategic planning efforts for the site. It has been working on an update to the park’s master plan, but officials said that work will be put on hold while the new public process plays out.
The committee’s current chair, Don Miskill, has served as volunteer steward of Mitchell Field since 2000. Miskill previously announced plans to step down from his role as steward this fall, although he plans to continue serving on the committee.
Eiane informed the Select Board that Katie Neal, the town’s director of parks, recreation and community services, would be taking over as steward, thus transitioning the role from volunteer to staff.
Dates have yet to be announced for the upcoming public workshops regarding the park’s future.
Select Board Chair Kevin Johnson said he was in favor of tearing down the administration building, but he doesn’t see the same benefits to tearing down the two remaining structures.
“I kind of like the sentry building there; it’s kind of a throwback to what was there (before the town took ownership),” Johnson said. “I could (also) see saving the generator building. We need space in town to store things.”
