FINAL REPORT OF THE CUMBERLAND - YARMOUTH - CHEBEAGUE - COUSINS STUDY COMMITTEE (1986)

Cover Letter:

April 4, 1986

Town Councils of
Cumberland and Yarmouth:

Dear Council Members:

Enclosed is the final report of the Cumberland - Yarmouth - Cousins - Chebeague Study Committee.

The Committee did request that the following additional comments be made:

1. Although Alternate B is the Committee's recommendation, it was chosen only after debate. A minority (Palmer - Mason) felt Alternate A offered a more complete and permanent solution. Alternate A is, therefore, included for possible future consideration.
2. The barging section was very controversial and was accepted by only a four to three majority (Clarke, Geoffrion, Palmer opposed) . The minority favored a three-year phase out of this activity.
3. Other sections, or parts thereof, were likewise questioned by individual committee members. Their final approval of the report as a whole (5 in favor - 1 opposed - Geoffrion) reflects individual compromise.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ CLINTON S. MASON, JR.

Chairman

CSM/pm

Enc.

REPORT OF THE
CUMBERLAND - YARMOUTH - COUSINS - CHEBEAGUE STUDY COMMITTEE

This committee was created on June 19, 1984 by joint action of the Town Councils of Cumberland and Yarmouth. Its basic charge was to study problems on Cousins Island caused by the activities of the Chebeague Transportation Company and general congestion and activities at the Cousins Island wharf. The specific motivation was the Transportation Company's decision to purchase a new and larger boat. Additionally, there was a perception that their barging activities had increased beyond the level established by the 1976 court decision. A second portion of this committee's charge was to recommend possible solutions to those problems, i.e., to improve the existing conditions.

The committee met regularly on sixteen occasions from June, 1984 through January, 1986. The first few meetings were devoted to fact finding efforts, while the later meetings focused on long range solutions. Each member brought forward information on the historical evolution, the problems being created and recommendations for solving the same. All meetings were open to public and, while formal public hearings were not a part of the process, public comment was received and recorded. At several of the meetings, public attendance exceeded fifty people, most being residents of either Cousins, Littlejohns or Chebeague Islands.

In these early meetings effort was given to identifying all of the existing problems. It quickly became apparent that there were both short range and long range issues.

SHORT RANGE ISSUES:

Among short range issues considered and resolved were:

1. The dumpster located near the dock at the end of Wharf' Road has been moved into the Blanchard parking lot. This dumpster is now being paid for and supervised by the Chebeague Transportation Company.
2. A chain was installed at the barge landing area to curtail private boat launchings. In addition, the Transportation Company placed barriers at other locations in the Blanchard lot where boats might be launched. Also, an extra key was left at a nearby residence for the four (4) families who have specific legal rights to the area.
3. Temporary portable toilets were installed at the Blanchard parking lot by the Transportation Company.
4. New parking regulation signs were installed on Wharf Road. The ordinances mandating them were strictly enforced.
5. The Transportation Company agreed to stop docking on Littlejohns concentrating all of their pickups and discharges on Cousins Island.
6. The Transportation Company installed additional plantings and fencing, both to screen the lot from abutting property owners to curtail noise and to give it greater security.
7. The Transportation Company curtailed the pickup and discharge of Cousins Island bus passengers on Cousins Island (except at the Blanchard lot and at Seaborne Drive [actually Sea Meadows Road-1996 edit]), thus discouraging Cousins Island property owners from allowing friends to leave their motor vehicles at their property and board the bus.
8. The parking lot attendants were instructed by the Transportation Company to prevent parking on the right-of-way to the Blanchard property.
9. Repairs to the wharf were undertaken in the fall of 1984 to repair dangerous and deteriorating conditions. The cost of $2,100 was shared equally by Cumberland and Yarmouth.

LONG RANGE ISSUES:

These problems were more complicated and in general revolved around on-going impact of a commercial operation in a residential neighborhood. The problems existing which needed long range resolution included:

1. The potential population growth on Chebeague (especially in the summer months) and thus the probability for increasing traffic and attendant impacts on Cousins Island.
2. The float and ramp, which is owned by Cumberland and located at the end of the dock, being monopolized by the Transportation Company, thus leaving no room for others.
3. The lack of parking spaces for transient Yarmouth residents. The Transportation Company has interpreted the 1976 Agreement with Blanchard requiring 15 spaces for Yarmouth residents to be Yarmouth residents who own property on Chebeague. Thus, the Yarmouth residents who may simply want to use the dock facility have no place to park.
4. How costs for maintenance, particularly of the dock, would be allocated. Should Cumberland pay anything? Should a docking fee be instituted?
5. The increase in barge activity beyond the intensity described in the 1976 court judgment.

ALTERNATE SITES:

After the several early meetings, much discussion was held on other possible permanent locations for this docking facility. Among those considered were:

1. The Town of Cumberland shoreline.
2. Central Maine Power property on Cousins Island including Sandy Point Beach, Spruce Point and Madeleine Point.
3. Transferring the wharf to the Blanchard lot or refurbishing the present facility.
4. Morton Road and Princes Point landing areas.
5. Town Landing in Yarmouth Harbor (Royal River).
6. The Truesdale and Cunningham property on Littlejohn Island.

All of the above sites except No. 6 were inspected either collectively or individually by the committee with special concentration on the first three locations. A list of advantages and disadvantages of each approved by the Committee on November 30, 1984 is attached.

HUNTER-BALLEW REPORT:

Citing the need for professional guidance, the committee agreed that they needed the services of an engineering consultant. Both Town Councils and the Transportation Company contributed $2,500 each for a total of $7,500 towards the cost of the same. The firm of Hunter-Ballew Associates was employed.

Hunter-Ballew Associates submitted their first report on May 10, 1985, followed by a supplemental report on July 8, 1985. Copies of both are included with this committee report. In summary, the consultant's report had the following points:

1. They were of the opinion that no practical sites exist along the Cumberland shore because of shoreside development patterns, severe icing in the winter and shallow water.
2. They reported that the CMP site in the cove adjacent to the Wyman station (Spruce Point) would have much less of an icing and dredging problem than on the Cumberland shore, thus resulting in a significantly lower capital cost.
3. They developed two alternative plans on the existing site.

TRAFFIC STUDY:

With motor vehicle traffic being a matter of prime concern to Cousins Island residents, the committee requested the Maine Department of Transportation undertake a study of the same. A copy of their report showing May and August statistics is enclosed with this report. Also included is a copy of MDOT's 1972 study.

The average annual daily traffic on the Cousins Island Road and Wharf Road:

According to a capacity analysis, the Cousins Island Road daily capacity is 37,152.

As anticipated, the current report shows a 20+% increase on Cousins Island Road in the summer months.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ON DOCK FACILITY:

The following committee recommendations are based on the premise that by their adoption the major problems as expressed to the committee during the past months can be overcome.

By implementing these recommendations, the committee feels any adverse future impact to Cousins Island by growth on Chebeague Island will be minimal.

In mid 1985, after many hours of discussion and review, the committee voted 6-1 in favor of the CMP (Spruce Point) site as the only practical alternative to the present site. However, following a lengthy review process, CMP denied the use of this property for that purpose. They did offer land off Madeleine Point Road but the committee did not consider this to be a feasible alternative.

With elimination of the Cumberland shore and Spruce Point sites, the committee agreed that the existing Wharf Road site was the most feasible site available. Two alternates were included in the Hunter-Ballew report on the existing site.

Alternate A would provide a new wharf location in the cove easterly of the present site. This location would require dredging a channel of about 1100 feet to reach elevation -10. A new wharf of about 180 to 200 feet in length would be required. Vehicular access for drop-off would be provided by a turnaround system as illustrated.

Alternate B would retain the present wharf site at the end of Wharf Road. No dredging would be required at this location.

The committee believes that the existing site can be substantially improved by doing a better job of managing the movement of passengers and their freight. To this end the transportation company should develop a system of moving people and their freight from the off-site Cumberland parking lot to the dockside in specifically designed vehicles. Only those vehicles and vehicles moving baggage from the Blanchard parking lot should be allowed in the dockside area. The objective would be to have people and baggage move more directly to and from the boats. The only exception would be for handicapped passengers. All parking of vehicles waiting for a ferry to arrive would be in the Blanchard lot.

The committee agreed that a modified Alternate B - retaining the present site, refurbishing the present dock (rather than building a new one), installing a second ramp/float for local use and restricting parking to year-round residents of Chebeague (others bused to dock area from Cumberland) and developing a better means of baggage handling from parking lot to the dock would be the least costly although temporary solution at this time alternate B was, therefore, approved.

Further, the Committee agreed that Yarmouth should own the present ramp and float and should commence negotiations with Cumberland to purchase the same.

Alternate A does offer a more permanent solution and is, thus, included for future consideration.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ON PARKING:

Growth on Chebeague Island has been less than two dwelling units per year. The Town of Cumberland, through recent zoning amendments, has taken steps to further control this growth and we encourage continued control of growth by Cumberland and Chebeague. However, this is a legitimate concern to residents of Yarmouth. Therefore, the committee recommends that the Town of Cumberland and/or the Chebeague Transportation Company take additional steps to curtail traffic and its resultant impacts on Cousins Island by the further development of a parking lot in Cumberland and the establishment of a further expanded bus system to transport non-residents of Chebeague Island to the docking area.

We further recommend that the Blanchard parking lot be reserved for permanent year-around residents, commuters and medically handicapped of Chebeague and that twenty five (25) spaces be reserved for the daily use of transient residents of Yarmouth.

The committee recommends that the Blanchard lot be reconfigured to include adequate space as a staging area for:

(a) vehicles moving people and their freight from the Cumberland parking lot;

(b) vehicles carrying baggage of permanent parkers in the Blanchard lot,

(c) vehicles waiting for the barge,

(d) the aforementioned 25 spaces for transient Yarmouth residents,

(e) and residents of Chebeague, as space allows.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ON BARGING:

As to barging, the town's legal counsel has ruled that intensity of barge use is based on number of trips. We believe that limiting those trips to two per day for five days a week will be in accordance with the 1976 court Judgment. Thus, we recommend that an appropriate agreement be developed with the Chebeague Transportation Company meeting those guidelines.

The committee also recommends that the Blanchard parking lot be the staging area for all barging activity and that Wharf Road and the right-of-way be off limits to any vehicles delivering to or waiting for the barge.

LOCAL AND POLITICAL QUESTION:

The committee in its discussions did not investigate the potential legal and political problems surrounding the Wharf question. At various times questions pertaining to zoning, right-of-way, public access, the 1976 court supervised agreement, and others were discussed. The committee decided, however, that such questions were beyond its mission and should be more appropriately addressed by the Town Councils.

As to financing any project, the committee makes no specific recommendations except that users should have that responsibility. Since residents of the Town of Cumberland and Chebeague Transportation Company are the prime users, they would be expected to assume the major portion of any costs.

SUMMARY:

In closing, the committee wishes to emphasize the obvious -- that this issue is an extremely difficult one to resolve to everyone's satisfaction. The two towns and the two islands both have much at stake. To maintain the present quality of life on both has been the principal goal of this committee.

Respectfully submitted,

For more information, call CTC at 207-846-3700 or send e-mail to: ctc@nlis.net.

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