Working waterfront

Warning bells are ringing for Southwest Harbor. The latest warning of rocks and shoals ahead comes in the current issue of Down East magazine, in an article headed “For Sale: One Harbor, Nice Town.”

The magazine quotes a complaint by Ralph Stanley, legendary builder of wooden boats in his waterfront shop, that his tax assessment jumped from, $140,000 to $190,000 in one year, and the advice he got from the town assessor.

“He told me I should sell out, get my money out of the property, and move the business inland.” Stanley says he can’t do it: “I need to be on the water. It’s where I get the inspiration for designing my boats.” Government regulations now tell him how to run his business and what materials he can use.

Sam Beal’s lobster dock, farther down Clark Point Road, also has to cope with higher taxes. And he had to work within federal regulations that dictated the design of a new lobster pound and office overlooking the harbor.

Both men yearn for the old days when there were few regulations and people built what they needed and lived as they liked. Southwest Harbor, still largely a working waterfront town, is changing day by day. It still calls itself the headquarters of the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island, but people “from away” have discovered it.

Prices of waterfront property have skyrocketed. Morris Yachts has moved to Trenton on the mainland, and its waterfront site is for sale for $900,000. Other waterfront property owners are tempted increasingly by the big money outsiders are ready to pay to replace marine businesses with lavish summer homes.

Money talks, and, while Stanley and Beal and others find the building regulations onerous, if there were no limitations money would talk even louder.

What to do? Possible help is in sight in the form of a referendum on the November ballot that would provide tax relief to fishing-related businesses, along the lines of similar incentives already in place for tree growing and agriculture. If the referendum passes, as expected, new legislation could offer state funds to compensate the town for lost revenue.

The town planner, Jean Marshall-at least until that job is abolished at the end of this year-says the town could further protect waterfront businesses if the owners would be willing to accept some restrictions that would go along with the protection.

Looking further ahead, the Maine State Planning office is on the case. It has an investigator to preparing case studies on working waterfronts in Southwest Harbor, York and Harpswell, to determine what has worked and what hasn’t. He also is researching what other states have done to deal with gentrification and urban sprawl, problems of concern notably in Colorado and Oregon.

Meanwhile, the “quiet side” of MDI coninues to get noisier and noisier.