A new look

The plan for the renovated and reconstructed South Portland High School is unveiled to the public.

A computer-generated 3-D model of the new South Portland High School was released last week by a committee charged with planning the school’s renovation and partial reconstruction. In November, residents approved a $41.5 million bond to pay for the project, which is slated to start next spring.

The shape and scope of the new South Portland High School is now coming into focus.

A 3-D model of the school, which will be renovated and partially reconstructed thanks to a $41.5 million bond approved by residents last November, was set to be unveiled at a public meeting Tuesday night, after The Current’s deadline.

The plan is to renovate and expand the building, parts of which date back to 1952, as well as to address safety, health, and security issues. Since January, a Building Committee consisting of school board members, school administrators, faculty, students, city councilors, and community members, has been working to finalize the concept plan OK’d by voters. The majority of what will be replaced is actually in a new portion of the building, dating to 1960, which links the original corner building to Beal Gym.

“With the help of technology, we are able to present the latest design plan to the public in 3-D,” said Superintendent Suzanne Godin. “This virtual model allows people to experience walking through the halls of the school years before its completion. We are excited to unveil it to the public and receive input before the final design is submitted.”

“The Building Committee strongly believes that the school should be built by the community,” said Ralph Baxter Jr., chairman of the school board. “We have more than 100 people participating on subcommittees for the renovation. This [open house] is another opportunity for us to hear feedback from residents, parents, teachers and students on the design and plan.”

The new sections of the high school are designed by Harriman Architects and Engineers, of Auburn. Construction is slated to begin next spring and last through 2015. Although the project will not go out to bond until August, 2012, meaning interest rates cannot yet be known, it is expected that the usual 20-year repayment schedule will ultimately cost taxpayers more than $61 million.

“To lessen the impact on taxpayers, the City Council and the [school] board developed a process for increasing the tax rate last year, this year and next year, and setting that money aside,” said Godin. “Either we will not bond as much, or that money will be used to offset payments when the debt in highest. That’s going to be a determination the finance director of the city will be making.”

Godin noted that while some small changes have been made to the plan presented to voters last November, most of what’s new is a result of the building committee drilling down from the initial rough layout to a more detailed design plan.

 “The exterior has changed significantly, in my opinion, from what was seen last fall, primarily to impact the flow of traffic, both in and around the building,” said building committee member Justine Carlisle. “Also, we were able to preserve the sledding hill, which was important to a number of us because that’s something that brings us together as a community.

"The design of the building is closer and closer to being finalized," said Carlisle. "But some of the specifics regarding green design are still being evaluated."

For example, a Green/Energy Efficiency subcommittee continues to study new technologies and systems related to efficient building design, including construction codes, insulation, windows, ventilation, lighting, heating, air quality, moisture control, and materials. The project is two points away from the minimum required to qualify for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification provides third-party validation of a building’s energy efficiency.

The Green subcommittee also is looking into the possibility of erecting a small windmill to generate electricity and provide learning opportunities for students.

An improved greenhouse has also been included in the plan. It would be located on Highland Avenue, near the ecology classroom and kitchen/cafeteria.

Carlisle also noted that the library has undergone a complete rethink, in an attempt to envision not only how technology will evolve in the four years before the renovation is complete, but 10 to 20 years further down the road.

 “The library will become more of a social setting, with café,” she said. “It’s no longer just a place to go and look and books and be quiet.”

 “We’re still evaluating the [building] materials that will be used, but it’s astonishing to see how the building has evolved already,” Carlisle said.

While Godin called the open house an informational session, she said citizens can still have a “meaningful impact on the design.”

“We are still working on the theme, tone and feel of the building,” she said. “We don’t have a theme yet, so we’re are still hoping for some good feedback on that.”

Anyone who missed the open house can review subcommittee information on the school department website, www.spsd.org, or can contact Godin, Baxter, Carlisle or Jeff Selser.

Losing a view

New building planned near historic Homer studio on Prouts Neck.

When the Portland Museum of Art bought the Winslow Homer studio in 2006, with hopes of restoring understanding of the artist’s vision, they could not have imagined that someone would come along and destroy his view.

However, a 30.55-foot-tall, 3,879-square-foot building is slated to go up directly between the studio and the Atlantic Ocean, forever blotting what the artists would have seen as he sat at his easel.

Both the museum and abutters have tried to block construction, citing road frontage issues, septic easements and even actual ownership of the U-shaped vacant lot owned by the Doris F. Homer Revocable Trust, which surrounds the studio on three sides.

According to a Sept. 29, 2010 deed of distribution following her death, Doris Homer’s property passed to the Doris F. Homer Revocable Trust. The listed trustees were her personal representative, Patricia P. Adams, and H. M. Peyson & Co., a Portland investment firm.

A building permit application was filed on the new, two-and-a-half-story building on Nov. 17. An administrative appeal was filed by abutters on Dec. 20.

However, wrangling from attorneys delayed a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing until March. The board itself caused a further delay when it decided it could not act on the matter with one of its five-person roster absent. The hearing finally took place in late May.

Arguing for the abutters, attorney Jeffrey Jones, of Main Street Title Co. of Scarborough, tried to argue that easement restrictions put in place when Doris Homer sold the studio to Charles Willauer in 1980 prevented construction in the manner approved by David Grysk, the town’s code enforcement officer.

That line was shot down by the appeals board, which concluded that plumbing appeals fell outside its realm of responsibility.

“It’s a process that goes to the [town] council,” said Chairman Mark Maroon. “We can’t act outside of our jurisdiction.” 

Jones then tried to say that the Doris Homer Trust lot did not have 100 feet of frontage on a town way, as required by ordinance in order for a building permit to be issues.

“The town of Scarborough says 100 feet means 100 contiguous feet,” said Jones, “not 50 feet, then a break, then another 50 feet. In fact, Scarborough is even more strict in that it won’t even let you go around a corner. You can’t have 50-feet on one street and 50-feet on the other [adjoining street].”

The appeals board, however, withheld final say on how town ordinances should be interpreted. In the case of the Homer lot, which was first subdivided in the late 19^th century, the 100-foot rule simply does not apply, it said.

“It’s standard practice and interpretation that a grandfathered, non-conforming lot of record is allowed to be built on as long as it meets the required setbacks,” said Maroon.

Speaking for the Portland Museum of Art, attorney John Bannon, of the Portland firm Murray, Plumb & Murray, tried to argue that a septic easement on the Doris Homer lot, inherited by the museum when it bought the studio from Willauer, trumped the Doris Homer Trust’s ability to obtain a building permit that might later the wastewater flow.

The Zoning Board of Appeals simply refused to go there.

“This board recognizes a very low threshold for right, title and interest,” said Maroon. “That’s something that’s outside our purview.”

Bannon spend the next several minutes attempting to argue that the issue did in fact fall under appeals board’s oversight.

“What do you do when you have a deed that says you can’t use a part of this property freely for any purpose you want because it’s limited by an easement?” he asked rhetorically. “My answer to that is that the code enforcement officer must deny the [building] permit, because, if you can’t resolve title issues, he can’t act at all. It’s the applicant’s burden of proof to show that they have unfettered rights.”

By unanimous vote, however, the appeals board decided that sorting out ownership issues does not fall within the scope of a zoning appeal.

Trail tribute

National event celebrates paths that put people outdoors 

The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust (CELT), which this year celebrates its 25^th anniversary, recently announced a $1.1 million purchase plan to acquire 63 acres next to Robinson Woods. This, said Chris Franklin, the group’s executive director, is the longest remaining link needed to implement the original municipal greenbelt plan first drafted more than 35 years ago.

“The original goal of that plan,” said Dena DeSena, chairwoman of the town’s conservation commission, “was to ensure that people could walk from one end of Cape Elizabeth to the other, with every home in town no more than a 15-minute walk from a trail. Our trail system is so good now that we are almost there.”

That statement would hold just as true in South Portland and Scarborough, where efforts through the years have likewise created an impressive system of trails that run through and connect the communities, to each other and the rest of the East Coast. And as National Trails Day comes Saturday, June 4, the groups that maintain those trails are planning special events, and preparing for a busy year that includes more trails, and more ways to enjoy them.

For example, the South Portland Land Trust (SPLT) has recently rehired its former director, Jon Doré, as it gears up for “one of its busiest couple of years ever.” Projects include the planned release of a new trail map by month’s end and attempts to complete new trails linking the Clark’s Pond Trail to the Maine Mall and the new kayak launch off Westbrook Street, as well as continued work to extend the Greenbelt Walkway to Scarborough.

And in Scarborough, trail construction will be a “larger part of our activities in the coming year,” according to Jack Anderson, president of the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust (SLCT).

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY

The goal of the day, which is sponsored by the American Hiking Society, is to bring awareness to trail systems, acknowledge the hard work done by agencies and individuals to create and maintain trails and to introduce people to the many joys and benefits of trails.

Locally, the Eastern Trail Alliance is hosting a guided nature walk along the Scarborough Marsh on Trails Day, while the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust will organize volunteer work groups to maintain trails at its 220-acre Fuller Farm property, off Broadturn Road.

John Andrews, president of the Eastern Trail Alliance, said the benefits of trails in helping people get exercise and build bonds with each other cannot be overstated.

“[Trails provide] no cost, healthy exercise and help build stronger and healthier families,” he said. “Breathing fresh air, listening to the crunch of gravel and twigs underfoot, feeling the breeze in the pines and hearing the call of song birds, is a refreshing, clean pleasure.”

Andrews also said trail users share a common bond and friendships are often forged along the trail.

“[On a trail] strangers get to meet face-to-face and often develop friendships,” he said. “Years ago I realized I'd never met anyone above 4,000 feet that I did not like. It's pretty much the same the Eastern Trail. Great people enjoy trails.”

This is the 19^th year that the American Hiking Society has held National Trails Day, according to Heather Sable, the society’s trail programs manager.

She said the event was created as the result of a report issued in 1987 by the president's Commission on Americans Outdoors, which recommended that all Americans should be able to go out their front door and within 15 minutes find trail systems to use and enjoy.

“We really see the day as a celebration of trails across the country and a reason for people to get outside and see what their local trails have to offer,” Sable said.

The day has brought greater awareness of trails to thousands of people over the years and events have included, hikes, bike and horse rides, paddle trips, new trail dedications and many other activities, she said.

Sable also said the day is often used by people to give back to their communities. For instance, she said, many events on National Trails Day are tied to trail maintenance projects.

“The whole idea is stewardship, of taking care of land once you acquire it,” said Anderson, of the Scarborough Land Conservation Trust, noting that the group owns, either outright or through conservation easements, more than 1,000 acres of land.

“It is very complex stuff that people don’t tend to think of when it comes time to buy the property,” said Anderson. “It’s not just maintenance but also incredible amounts of paperwork. You can’t just acquire land and forget about it.”

Sable said there are events going in all 50 states on June 4, as well as in Canada, although not every local organization has officially registered its plans with the American Hiking Society.

According to the society, there are 200,000 miles of trails in the United States that allow access to the natural world for the purposes of recreation, education, exploration, solitude, inspiration and much more.

“[Trails help maintain] good physical and mental health by providing [people] with a chance to breathe fresh air, get [their] hearts pumping and escape from [their] stresses,” the American Hiking Society website states.

“With obesity rates skyrocketing, exercise is increasingly important and trails provide a wide variety of opportunities for being physically active,” the website added.

ACTING LOCALLY

The Eastern Trail Alliance is made up of a group of people in southern Maine working to support the creation of the Eastern Trail, which will eventually run from Portsmouth, N.H., to South Portland. It’s also part of the larger East Coast Greenway project, which will connect Maine and Florida on a 2,500-mile trail system.

The Eastern Trail is a mostly on-road trail, although there are several miles of off-road sections in communities such as South Portland, Scarborough and Saco. Right now the trail runs 80 miles, from Bug Light Park in South Portland to Kittery.

The newest section of the Eastern Trail is a five-mile, off-road connection between Biddeford and Kennebunk.

According to the Eastern Trail Alliance website, the trail is being built along the old Eastern Railroad corridor. The railroad was the first to connect Boston to Portland and operated from 1842 until 1944.

“Ultimately, the Eastern Trail will be a mostly off-road greenway, free from noise and air pollution, where Maine families and visitors of all skill levels will enjoy Maine's quiet, natural beauty,” the website states.

In South Portland, one planned Trails Day event has been moved to Saturday, Sept. 10, due to a scheduling conflict of its annual guide, City Councilor Tom Blake said. The “Hidden Jewels of South Portland” tour starts at the Bug Light and takes in sites in the city that, Doré said, “hardly anybody knows about, but which are very nice.” 

The two other big South Portland Land Trust trail walks, Doré said, are on 9 a.m., Saturday, July 7, when board member Helen Slocum will lead a walk from Spring Point Lighthouse to Fort Preble, and Aug. 13, when the group’s vice president, Steve Jocher, will guide hikers around Barberry Woods.

“That’s an area of South Portland, near across Barberry Creak from the cemetery, which the city of Portland actually owns, but which it does not intend to use to expand its cemetery,” said Doré. “We like to show people those spectacular areas in South Portland which hardly anyone knows about and we are trying to open up the perimeter of the cemetery to public use. If we can come to an agreement with the city of Portland, it could be very nice.”

“Our goal is to get 20 miles of trails in the near future,” said Doré. “Our estimate is that we have 14 or 15 miles right now.”

In Cape Elizabeth, trails have grown to about 16 miles, prior to the upcoming Robinson Woods-area purchase. The growth is thanks, in part, to the recent donation of 71 acres known as Winnick Woods.

“We’ve grown in the last two years by a lot,” said DeSena, noting that roughly 923 acres of Cape Elizabeth (abut 10 percent of the town) is now under easements owned by the municipality.

“People use those trails from all over,” she said. “It’s not just Cape Elizabeth residents. I find people there from Cumberland, Falmouth and everywhere, really.

“It is very important for the town to have these open spaces, where people can go see nature,” said DeSena, of the drive to expand the trail network throughout the tri-town area. 

“It’s more than just tree-hugging. When trails are available and well-maintained, it also increases property values.”

“Honoring the outdoors is part of the culture of Maine,” said Bob Shafto, ombudsman for Falmouth’s open space program, at the annual Scarborough Land Conservation Trust meeting last week. “We think of that as a civic responsibility. Even when people don’t use the term ‘environmentalists,’ necessarily, but they sure care about the outdoor. That’s part of what it means to be a Mainer, at least to me, and I think to a lot of people.

“We have spectacular places, important places, environmentally important places, places that need to be protected for future generations in our communities,” said Shafto. “We’re going to lose what we have. It’s an alien idea in a lot of Maine, but in the area of New Jersey where I grew up, you cannot find a vacant lot within 10 miles of the house I grew up in. It’s all completely gone, because they never thought of open space, they only thought of development and still the taxes are sky high.

“That’s not a future I want,” said Shafto, “and that’s why the work of your local land trust is such important work.”

(Kate Irish Collins provided additional reporting for this story.)

Cape group presents rules for open space

Cape Elizabeth Town Planner Maureen O’Meara reviews maps of town-owned open space during a May 26 public meeting to take comment on a new Open Space and Greenbelt Management Plan.

Open space has become an open topic for conversation in Cape Elizabeth.

On Thursday, May 26, an Open Space and Greenbelt Management Plan was unveiled at a public hearing, complete with usage rules on 923 acres of town-owned land, including more than 16 miles of public trails.

“For the first time, there is a comprehensive list of uses, or activities, that would be allowed on some parcels and not on others,” said Town Planner Maureen O'Meara.

The forum capped off 14 months of work by the Open Space committee, a group that includes members of the town conservation commission, as well as Councilor Jessica Sullivan.

“We were charged by the Town Cuncil to come up with this plan,” said Dena DeSena, chairwoman of the committee. “The people of Cape really value their open space. Our lands have been growing and our management needs have been growing, but the conservation commission has been just this little group of seven doing a lot of the work ourselves. So, the Town Council wanted to make sure that we were all prepared for that.”

The new plan, she said, is a “companion piece” to the greenbelt plan first adopted by town councilors in 1977. It called for the creation of trail system that would put every home within 15 minutes of walking trails stretching the length and breadth of the town.

“As owners, we are stewards of property owned by the town,” said committee member Dick Baumann. “As such, we need to make sure we carry out those responsibilities appropriately.”

According to DeSena, the ad hoc committee will gather one last time, on June 14, to consider last-minute tweaks, before presenting the 33-page document to the Town Council. The council may accept, reject or modify the plan. Once accepted, DeSena says, the town’s Conservation Commission will review the document every 10 years for possible updates and amendments.

The policy proposals do not include changes to Fort Williams Park or the town athletic fields, which are independently managed.

The plan divides other town-owned areas into separate categories for the first time. Among these are seven "preserve" areas – open spaces where the presence of wetlands or other features will “severely constrain” use.

According to a town press release, “These areas are often important wildlife habitats and valuable to neighborhoods as natural areas, although they usually do not include trails. The draft plan for the first time sets out a policy to leave these areas as they are.”

The newly designated preserve areas include: Alewife Cove, Eastfield, Ferne Peddy, Hampton Neighborhood, Highland, Holan and Patricia.

The draft management plan treats another group of small parcels as "neighborhood parks," valuable primarily to the surrounding neighborhood. For the first time, these areas will come with a list of acceptable uses and activities, ranging from limits on hunting and trapping hours to requirements for dealing with pet waste.

For example, trails will be open at all hours, but nighttime use will be restricted to “quiet enjoyment.” Not all of the proposed rules curtail uses, however. The plan, for example, does allow dogs to be off-leash in open space areas.

Most of what appear to be new rules simply codifies was DeSena says has long been the “unwritten policy” of the Conservation Commission, which managed the open lots.  Others merely bring the town into compliance with existing state law. For example, bow hunters will now need to register their tree stands with the town prior to putting them up.

“State law already says bow hunters have to seek permission of the property owner, and the town is the owner of this land,” saidd O’Meara.

Each of the 55 lots now owned by the town, ranging from the 0.03-acre Canterbury Well House to the 27-acre Gull Crest area, are laid out in a new chart, which details the allowable public uses on each property.

“This looks very straightforward,” said committee member Marti Blair, “but it was the subject of many meetings.

Blair pointed out that while some activities are allowed, that does not necessarily mean that facilities are available.

“For example, a property may allow hiking, but if there’s no trail there, you’re on your own,” she said.