Transfer of Abbie Fowler ownership delayed

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    SANGERVILLE — Town Manager David Pearson was ready to present a signed agreement to transfer ownership of the former Abbie Fowler School from the town to the Sangerville Historical Society at last Thursday’s board of selectmen’s meeting.
    But he couldn’t. The Sangerville Historical Society postponed its Oct. 22 meeting, so the key officers — president, secretary and treasurer — weren’t able to sign the agreement.

    Pearson said that one reason the society didn’t meet was because of family member’s health issue. “But they have voiced support for accepting the building, and they went over the proposed agreement (attorney) Erik Stumpfel wrote for them,” Pearson. “But they haven’t officially voted to accept it … so we’d like to see if there’s anything in that agreement that Erik has written that could cause problems for the town.”
    The town wants the non-profit organization to assume ownership of the former school so they can be eligible for grants to remediate any problems that could hinder the reuse or redevelopment of the site. The deadline to finalize the agreement is Nov. 19, Pearson noted, but he said it’s still doable.
    On a positive note, CES Inc., a Brewer-based engineering firm, has completed the Phase I inspection of the site and paperwork has been forwarded to the Department of Environmental Protection, Pearson told the board. “There has been a little vandalism at the school recently – broken glass, mostly – but it has been repaired,” he added. “We’ve cut some of the shrubs around the building because, at one point, the kids were hiding in the bushes when the cops came through the area.”
    School Administrative District 4 closed the Abbie Fowler School in 2001, and it was occupied by various tenants over the years. But townspeople voted to demolish the structure after it was learned that the rents collected weren’t enough to offset the cost of maintaining the structure.
    The problem has been finding enough money – an estimated $200,000 – to tear down the building. But grants are available if the property has any potential for re-use.
    In other issues discussed at the Oct. 24 session, Planning Board Chairman Jerry Peters outlined a proposed remediation plan for the public works garage, which was prompted by reports of runoff into a small stream abutting the rear of the property. Peters said that Diane Boretos and Gerald “Chummy” Jackson helped him with the evaluation.
    Peters pointed out that one major recommendation was that the selectmen and planning board “develop a joint plan for a municipal garage maintenance management policy to give guidance to present and future municipal staff.”
    Peters said that due to potential turnover on the board of selectmen, planning board and town employees, “A policy would provide continuity for what we do. Nobody went up there (to the garage) to make a mess … it just happened over time.”
    But Selectman Bill Rowe questioned how unstable the bank where the runoff occurred. “There are trees growing on it, so it can’t be that unstable,” Rowe said.
    But Peter says that whole purpose of repairing the damage is to allow the stream to flow freely all year long “much further away from the bank.”
    The board decided to do a site inspection and discuss the problem at their next meeting.
    The board of selectmen also voted to join the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce, but politely rejected an offer from Chairman Tom Carone to donate the cost of the first year’s membership. The dues are $125 annually.