Public hearing on Pleasant Street building to continue

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Last fall the Dover-Foxcroft Select Board began the process to rectify a pair of deteriorating properties at 70 Union Street and 130 Pleasant Street. After public hearings on both last month the Union Street home was formally declared a dangerous building while a motion was passed to continue the hearing on the Pleasant Street home until the next select meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

With progress being evident at the 130 Pleasant Street site, the select board on Tuesday evening opted to continue the public hearing for an additional 13 days until the next regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 25.

In October, Code Enforcement Officer Brian Gaudet said 130 Pleasant Street has a roof and garage that are falling down and has a sinking front porch, and the code enforcement officer said he has heard reports of rats there. The property is owned by a limited liability company in a southern state and letters had previously been ignored.

Town Attorney Jon Pottle had suggested continuing the public hearing until the Jan. 9 meeting, as by then town officials could have more information on clean-up plans. Pottle also recommended a second extension through Jan. 22.

“Last Friday they did have a work crew in there with a big dump truck,” Board Chairperson Tom Lizotte said. He said the day before the select meeting the crew was back to work on interior cleanup.

Gaudet said he has not yet heard from the LLC, so he is still awaiting permission to go inside to conduct a formal inspection. He said there is likely water damage from frozen pipes.

“Let’s let that progress to see if we have some more information,” he said.

In other business, the board approved the pursuit of an agreement between the town and Mountain View Correctional Facility of Charleston to accept wastewater from the Charleson institution.

Town Manager Jack Clukey said about four years ago Dover-Foxcroft was approached by Mountain View officials who were looking at various options for wastewater disposal. “Their onsite disposal is insufficient for them, they are preparing to truck it off site,” he said, potentially for later in the year. “We are a site that could accept that wastewater.”

With Dover-Foxcroft being the closest facility to Charleston, there would be an advantage in terms of the cost to haul. 

Clukey said the town infrastructure could handle the increase “and it would represent a revenue stream for sewer rate payers.” The town manager said Dover-Foxcroft would not collect year round, likely for six to months instead.

“On the lowest end we would expect $150,000 a year, it could be upwards of $300,000,” he said, with the amount probably somewhere in the middle.

Lizotte said the board’s wastewater committee discussed the potential and the arrangement would not result in any significant  increase in operational costs. He said another benefit would be maintaining good relations with the Mountain View Correctional Facility, which employs many residents from around the region.

“The only downside I see is sludge generation,” Wastewater Superintendent Bill Littlefield said. He said the treatment plant will have improvements in place to help remedy this.

“They are building a holding tank to hold for a little time,” Littlefield said. The correctional facility plans to truck the collected waste water off site, potentially making several trips a day to Dover-Foxcroft. He said the first option is an access point to the system near the Browns Mill pump station, as opposed to the vehicles going right to the treatment plant further out on the Vaughn Road.

“We’re trying not to create more headaches,” Littlefield said. He said deliveries could start in the spring.

Select Vice Chairperson Cindy Freeman Cyr asked why Mountain View is pursuing this.

“They have never had a great system,” Lizotte said. He said the setup is far from ideal atop the hill and the property is a former Air Force base with aging infrastructure.

The chair said there will be some questions but the wastewater committee is willing to move forward on an agreement that both sides would review and potentially sign.

Clukey mentioned several items in this report.

He said the town and Mayo Mill Dam redevelopment committee has scheduled its second public forum for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan 25 at the Central Hall Commons to discuss and accept questions and comments on the committee’s recommendation regarding next steps for the downtown site on the Piscataquis River.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments and socializing prior to a formal presentation. A question-and-answer discussion will follow, and public input on the project recommendation will be sought. The forum is expected to wrap up by 8 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the public forum will instead be Thursday, Feb. 1. 

Clukey said the town has issued a request for qualifications on engineering and permitting for the Lincoln Street Bridge project. The hope is to have a recommendation on a consultant for the board in February.

Underneath the North Street intersection end of Lincoln Street is a small bridge. At last year’s annual town meeting Clukey said a replacement project would cost approximately $2 million with the town having a $200,000 share.

The municipal crew has been busy with addressing damages caused by the Dec. 18 rain wind storm. Clukey said the town is working with MEMA/FEMA on trying to secure funds if available for repairs to roads, debris removal, and addressing other storm damage.

The town manager said it is the time of year when the municipality will be sending out invitations for 2024 paving bids. These should be on the agenda for either the second February select meeting or first March session.

The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council will host a stakeholder meeting with the EPA from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16 to discuss community needs for what a Browns Mill redevelopment project might be able to address, such as with brownfields. Clukey said board members are welcome to attend.