March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

New Belfast landing ready for launching> Officials expect Memorial Day opening

BELFAST — With boating season approaching on a southern breeze, the city is putting the finishing touches on its new public dock and landing.

Harbor Master Kathy Messier said Tuesday that work on the project, in the works since fall, should be completed by Memorial Day, the traditional opening of the summer season. Construction by H.E. Sargent of Stillwater is ahead of schedule.

Messier said the $300,000 project cost more than originally planned when it became necessary to rebuild the entire landing. The original landing was built of cribbed timbers on filled land. When the contractor began excavating, near-total deterioration was discovered.

“The engineers wanted us to go down to the first solid timber and build up from there,” Messier said. “But it turned out they couldn’t find any solid timbers.”

The entire crib was rebuilt of pressure-treated timbers and should have a life expectancy of 30 years, at a minimum, Messier said. The surface of the pier will be paved with brick sidewalks and granite curbing. The same materials will be used when new sidewalks leading from High Street to the public landing are installed this summer. Both projects are part of an $800,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded the city last year.

Along with rebuilding the landing and replacing pilings, the project also involved relocating fuel tanks and the installation of a pumping station to remove sewage from boats for a $5 fee.

Vehicles will be able to park on the new landing, as was permitted in the past. A half-hour restriction on perimeter parking spaces and a one-hour restriction on the rest of the landing will be enforced from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The floats will be put in the regular location, and docking fees will remain the same as last year. Messier said the City Council has amended the harbor ordinance to promote greater use by people owning moorings. As a result, mooring owners now will be able to tie up to the dock overnight at one-half the fee charged visiting boaters.

“We’ve had situations where family members have come to visit and some people found it difficult to sleep overnight with the boat tied to the mooring,” Messier said. She said that the policy will be permitted Monday through Thursday.

One new addition to the landing will be a combination harbor master’s office-information booth. The harbor committee originally opposed the idea, out of concern that answering questions from tourists could take away from the needs of the pier. The City Council, however, authorized $30,000 for a new building large enough to accommodate both. The Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce will supply volunteers to distribute brochures from the booth, leaving Messier and her dock attendants to attend to harbor duties.


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