Revitalized Moosehead Lake beach expected to be finished by fall

GREENVILLE — A revitalized beach on Moosehead Lake, newly constructed multipurpose community building and a softball field with dugouts are among the projects moving ahead from the Greenville Recreation Department. 

The biggest project, the updated Red Cross Beach, is expected to be finished by the fall, Recreation Director Sally Tornquist told the select board during a May 7 meeting.

Walking trails at the site on Moosehead Lake have recently been finished. Students from the Tri-County Technical Center in Dexter will be installing and building two pavilions in June and an activity building and boat storage facility are each forthcoming.

A grand opening for the beach could be held as early as August.

The Moosehead Outdoor Alliance is planning a grand opening of the mountain biking skills track at Red Cross Beach that month. The date will ideally coincide with the grand opening of the beach itself.

The shorter course at the beach will enable riders to practice their balance, jump over logs, work on cornering skills and more on the specially designed skill track.

Elsewhere, the YES Project will construct a new community building on the Greenville Consolidated school campus. The facility will house the recreation department. 

A room with a high ceiling can be used for pickleball and children’s basketball, baseball and softball practice with inclement weather, and yoga and other games, Tornquist said. The department’s fitness center will move from the Leisure Life Resort.

“I think it’s going to be really helpful, as far as programs go, being centrally located at the school,” Tornquist said. “I walk the kids over right to the rec center and plus it’ll be more accessible for the adults.”

The deadline for Yes Project construction requests for proposals is May 16. Eight contractors had requested packages for the building, including several from the area, Town Manager Mike Roy said.

The structure is listed at 165 by 66.5 feet, with storage areas to be built separately.

Lastly, a recreation softball field will be built inside the track on the school campus. Several parents have offered to build log dugouts this summer with materials donated by Moosehead Cedar Log Homes and Hammond Lumber, Tornquist said.

“There shouldn’t be any interference with the track,” Roy said about the placement of the softball field.

In other business, the select board signed a yearly required form from the Maine Revenue Service concerning the radio of actual sales prices for properties and the assessed values of the parcels.

Greenville’s current ratio is 61 percent. Should this fall below 70 percent, then a market analysis or valuation adjustment should be considered, Roy said.

“The assessing firm is recommending in the next budget year, a year from now, for the 2027 budget we should consider a revalution,” he said.

The revaluation process can cost up to $200,000, but since Greenville’s assessor has been involved with the town for many years, the cost could be far less. The community currently pays $12,500 annually for quarterly evaluations and this could be replaced by a revaluation for just a bit more.

A revaluation could drop Greenville’s mill rate. Some properties may have an increase in value while others may decrease.

Without a revaluation, the community is not recovering the full valuation of properties and may not get its full Homestead Exemption reimbursement. 

Roy, the town manager, mentioned several items in his report. 

More than a year ago, the Federal Aviation Administration told the town it would not fund a crosswind runway at the Greenville Municipal Airport. But because the airport is a legacy runway that has previously been supported and funded by the FAA, the administration will pay for the project.

“We are lucky, very lucky because pilots tell me that crosswind is very, very important for the airport because of the winds that we get up here,” Roy said.

For airport projects, the FAA will fund 90 percent of costs, the state will cover another 5 percent and the town’s share will be 5 percent.

Through the effort of pilot and resident Ron Theriault, about $13,500 in donations from fellow pilots and hanger owners was collected for restriping runways and taxiways. This money was put in a six-month CD to collect interest.

“They believe in that airport and they want it to look nice and [be] safer,” Roy said.

The town manager received a pair of estimates for runway and taxiway work with the lower bid coming in at $16,865, or about $3,000 more than what the town already has from the donations.

Meanwhile, last month the area celebrated the first Moosehead Marathon, which Roy called a “huge success.”

The last Sunday of April was a very brisk day but Roy said it was amazing to see the energy of the runners.

A total 238 people registered for the 26.2- and 13.1-mile races, and 198 ran between the two.

Planning has begun for the 2026 Moosehead Marathon.

Lastly, the select board received an update on the “Ski the View, Save the Mountain” campaign from Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation President Margarita Contreni, who is a board member of Friends of the Mountain. The local nonprofit is working to purchase the 1,700-acre Big Moose Mountain property. 

An application was sent to the Northern Border Commission Catalyst Program for $500,000 and Contreni thanked the board for its letter of support included in the package.

Four other grant applications have been sent to various foundations. 

“We’re looking forward to hearing from those in the next two to three months,” Contreni said.

She also thanked the town for considering financial support in the budget process.

“Ski the View, Save the Mountain” was launched earlier this year to provide a permanent nonprofit ski area for the Moosehead Lake region and a year-round outdoor recreational asset to revitalize the area’s economy. The campaign would enable the purchase of the ski resort and an adjacent 500 acres for projects that help sustain the area.

The property 5 miles north of Greenville in Big Moose Township is owned by James Confalone, with the 1,700 acres listed with Folsom Realty Group for $5.95 million.

The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the commission’s four-state region. It encourages projects that take a creative approach to addressing an economic need or opportunity in the region, alleviate economic distress and contribute to economic growth. 

“Ski the View, Save the Mountain” launched as a partnership between the Friends of the Mountain and Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation. Phase I is a $5.95 million goal and Phase II seeks more than $13 million in additional funds through 2030 for more improvements to the site in a $19.65 million project.

The $13.75 million would open the upper mountain; provide for new ski lifts, snowmaking equipment and infrastructure upgrades; renovate the upper mountain lodge; develop housing options; and secure private development for hotel renovation.