Rockland council tables marina plan

ROCKLAND – City councilors voted Monday night to table a request from the Samoset Resort for a contract zoning agreement.

The zoning agreement would have cleared the way for the resort to apply to build a marina adjacent to the Rockland Breakwater. Local, state and federal permitting review would come after the zoning agreement.

The proposed zoning agreement between the city and the resort is necessary because the portion of the property where the marina would be linked to the shore is now in a residential zone. The Samoset has agreed to a number of conditions with the proposed contract zone – which would have the force of law – such as prohibiting the sale of fuel, providing a channel for lobster boats between the marina and breakwater, banning jet skis and banning the use of generators by boat owners.

After hearing the project described by resort consultants and representatives, Councilors Joe Steinberger and Brian Harden said they want to ask more questions and consider more conditions before taking the matter any further.

The motion to table consideration of the zoning agreement carried 4-1, with Councilor James Raye opposed.

Harden and Steinberger both said they had some reservations about the proposal, but also indicated they did not oppose it in principle.

The oceanfront resort wants to build a 430-foot pier from its property just west of the breakwater. Another 420 feet of floats would be added, to accommodate between 25 and 35 boats.

Samoset’s Jim Ash told councilors the resort needs to be able to welcome guests with boats in order to stay competitive.

“This project will be done in a first-class manner,” he said.

The group representing the Samoset and its owner brought a wood, scale model of the portion of the harbor in which the marina would be built to show its relationship to the breakwater. At earlier meetings of the Planning Commission, opponents of the marina distributed drawings superimposing football fields on the marina area to emphasize its size.

Ash told councilors the pier and floats would extend about 18 percent of the length of the breakwater. He also repeated that pedestrian access to the breakwater, a favorite walking spot for people from miles around, would not be impeded by the marina.

But Steinberger told the Samoset group he was skeptical about that claim. He said the golf carts which boat-owning guests would use to access the marina from the resort might interfere with residents enjoying the breakwater.

“It makes me extremely unhappy,” he said of the possibility of problems of access. He also opposed the resort’s plans to bar the public from the pier.

Steinberger said he also worried that boat owners might park at the end of Samoset Road and walk to their vessels, even though the resort wants them to park at its private lot and use golf carts to get to the marina.

Harden expressed his ambivalence as well.

“This marina is something that would be much more obvious than a dented chad,” he said, alluding to an earlier joke about the presidential ballot debate. The marina has the potential, he said, to change the character of the harbor for the next 50 to 75 years.

Yet he also said he understood that the Samoset, as a resort bounded on two sides by water, is acting reasonably in its pursuit of a marina.

Steinberger also indicated he had not made up his mind about the project.

“I’m reasonably open to this,” he said. “I’m not opposed to this in principle.”

In an exchange with Samoset attorney Steve Hanscom, Steinberger stressed that the council was under no obligation to approve the contract zoning arrangement.

Raye, however, continues to be an unwavering proponent of the marina. He argued for the council to vote to approve the contract zoning agreement Monday night, so the public hearing and a second vote could be expedited.

“It isn’t a huge marina,” he said, and suggested any details could be worked out later in the process.

But Harden made a motion to table the request, and said he wanted to see a meeting at which the council could further question resort representatives, and which would include the public.

A first council vote on the proposal is set for the council’s Jan. 8 meeting.