Website raises harborside environmental concerns Site launch prompted by developer’s non-compliance with shoreland zoning standards
For immediate release, May 26, 2022 (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) A developer’s previous failure to comply with shoreland zoning standards insisted upon by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has motivated local residents to launch an informational website, www.BBHWaterfrontInfo.com. The entire BBHWP development sits within the shoreland zone, and the website publishers are concerned about contaminated graywater and runoff into the harbor. They contend that local residents are unaware of key documents connected to the issue of whether BBHWP plans to obey environmental regulations. As one example, they cite a letter written in January to the Town of Boothbay Harbor by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in which the state environmental watchdog agency charged that some important standards “have not been adhered to” by BBHWP. The development is proposed at 65 Atlantic Avenue in Boothbay Harbor, at the site of the former Cap’n Fish Motel and Marina, which was demolished two years ago. The local development standard calls for no more than 20% impervious surfaces. BHHWP organized in 2018, and at one time proposed that as much as 62% of its development be covered by impervious surfaces like pavers, new and existing structures, concrete, and an asphalt parking lot. BBHWP withdrew its latest application from Planning Board review several months ago and has not indicated when it might re-submit another revised application. It did not attend the April or May meetings of the Planning Board and does not have an application on the June 8th agenda. The tax-exempt organization is expected to eventually return with a revised application; at that time residents will be able to find new plans and all related documents at www.BBHWaterfrontInfo.com. Joe and Jill Doyle are sponsoring the website. They are financial supporters of Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation (BBHWP), having donated to the organization three years in a row. Over time they grew concerned that environmental protections might be inadequate given the amount of impervious surface with which the developer had wanted to cover its property. --- end ---