Eastern Trail

Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Towns support Eastern Trail
By CHRIS CHURCHILL/Journal Tribune

Most of the southern Maine communities that host the Eastern Trail have agreed to pay full $5,000 membership dues to its governing group, despite the rate having doubled in just one year.

Two of the 12 cities and towns balked at the increase from the Eastern Trail Alliance, which hopes to build a hike-and-bike trail from the Pisqataqua River to Casco Bay. Kittery agreed to pay only the original $2,500 fee. North Berwick chose to pay nothing at all — and opted out of the Eastern Trail Management District.

Still, Alliance leaders are pleased with the “amazing” backing for the trail. “It’s a really horrible economy. Every town had a tough year,” said John Andrews, the group’s president. “(The funding is) really an indication of how much support there is for this vision.”

The Eastern Trail Alliance has already opened a trail from Kittery to South Portland. The green-and-white signs for that trail, which mostly follows roads, are common sights. But following the example set by the Appalachian Trial, the Alliance hopes to gradually move the entire trail off-road.

It’s a difficult task. Andrews said the doubling of fees was needed so the Alliance could hire consultants who will help implement the its most challenging aspects, including a path over the Scarborough Marsh.

“There’s an awful lot of detail to worry about, and additional staff is needed to cover that,” he said. “There was a feeling that the $2,500 fee just wouldn’t carry through with the success that seems to be coming our way.”

But Andrews admits the increase was controversial in many towns, with officials in some member towns saying the group was overpaying consultants. “Some accused the management district of becoming bloated,” Andrews said.

Heading into the spring, when cities and towns formulate their budgets, the Eastern Trail Alliance was worried by grumbling by elected officials about the fee increase. So it sounded alarms and asked supporters to call elected officials and plead for continued support.

The effort seems to have paid off, although some officials voted for the increase unhappily. Andrews said Old Orchard Beach warned the Alliance it would not accept future increases.

“We believe the 100 percent increase in the trail fee is not justified,” said James Long, chair of the Old Orchard Beach Town Council, in a telephone interview. “We support the concept of what they’re trying to accomplish, but we believe the consulting fees are needlessly generous, especially in light of the economic times we find ourselves in.”

In North Berwick, voters at town meeting overwhelmingly rejected funding the fees. Dwayne Morin, the town manager, said the vote to give the group $2,500 was very close in past years.

“With the increase in fees,” he said, “I think the townspeople didn’t want to raise that amount of money in a tight budget year. They just felt that was too much money at this point.”

There are no consequences for opting out of the management district, the quasi-governmental agency that governs the Alliance. North Berwick will still be included in the trail route. But Andrews contends that funding decreases make it harder for the group to quickly implement its goals.

Earlier this spring, Andrews was particularly concerned about Biddeford’s contribution. That’s because the Alliance is gearing up to build a pathway to West Kennebunk that starts on Route 111 behind Southern Maine Medical Center.

The walkway would follow old railroad tracks abandoned in 1944, and provide workers in a booming employment corridor with much needed recreation.

Construction of the walkway, including pedestrian bridges over the Turnpike and the Kennebunk River, depends on $2.3 million allocated by the Maine Department of Transportation and a $1.3 million from the Maine Turnpike Authority.

Andrews feared those contributions would disappear if state officials believed Biddeford did not back the project. But despite a tough budget, city officials gave the Alliance every penny it wanted.

“I’m very pleased we were able to do it,” said Rick Towle, the city’s recreation director. “I’m glad the council was able to squeeze that in.”

The Eastern Trail’s12 communities are Kittery, Eliot, South Berwick, North Berwick, Wells, Kennebunk, Arundel, Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and South Portland.

Call us (207.284.9260) or e-mail the ETA office