Bucksport council delays action on land purchase

BUCKSPORT – Town councilors on Thursday once again delayed action on the purchase of a 540-acre parcel on Mud Pond.

But they also learned that the deal is moving closer to completion.

Last month, councilors agreed to a joint venture with the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust to purchase the undeveloped property, which completely surrounds Mud Pond in East Bucksport near the Orrington town line.

The town’s finance committee has been working with the trust on the details of the purchase, which will turn over the property to the town while the trust will hold the conservation easement.

The town will put in about 30 percent of the $276,000 purchase price, or about $80,000, while the trust would come up with the remaining 70 percent. The town has insisted that the trust funding be in place before they close on the property, according to Town Manager Roger Raymond.

On Thursday, Cheri Domina, the trust’s project manager, told councilors the trust has obtained the final piece of funding for the project.

The trust has just received conditional approval for a $133,000 loan from the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Domina told the councilors. That will be added to the $60,000 loan the trust has received from the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, she said.

The details of the larger loan have not been worked out yet, Domina said.

That will need to be done before attorneys for the trust and the town can complete the joint purchase agreement. Councilor Joel Wardwell suggested that part of that final agreement should include a mutual easement between the town and an adjacent landowner guaranteeing both parties access to their properties over an existing road.

Raymond also suggested that some garbage that has accumulated on the land be removed by the current owner before the sale is completed.

Domina suggested that the trust and the finance committee meet so they can present a complete proposal to councilors at their next meeting on Sept. 11.