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Blue Hill Wharves Meeting Presentation

09/17/2025 (Harbormaster, Marine Resources Committee, Presentations)

A public engagement meeting was held on Tuesday, September 16 to review conceptual designs for protecting Blue Hill’s town wharves from sea level rise and damage from increased storm intensity. Roughly 20 Blue Hill residents, including ~8 commercial fishermen, attended.

Attached is the presentation, prepared by GEI Consultants, that was reviewed as part of the meeting; a document describing some of the audience questions, comments, and discussion is in the process of being prepared and will be posted at a later date.

Toddy Pond Dam Cost Calculator

09/13/2025 (Five-Town Dam Committee, Town Meetings)

With the legislation to authorize formation of a Toddy Pond Watershed Management District complete and the question and appropriation to be on Blue Hill’s November town meeting ballot, many people have asked what the cost would be for them personally–whether they own waterfront property on Toddy Pond or not.

The Watershed Management Districts

Under legislation passed earlier this year, voters in the four towns abutting Toddy Pond and Alamoosook Lake will vote in November on whether to form two Districts, the Toddy Pond Watershed Management District and the Alamoosook Lake Watershed Management District, and to appropriate taxpayer funds for the Districts’ first fiscal year.

Estimated Costs of Ownership

Everyone involved recognizes that most property owners and voters want to understand what the likely costs of assuming ownership of the dams creating those water bodies will be. To assist waterfront property owners and other town voters in understanding these costs, and putting them into perspective, volunteers have prepared two “Dam Ownership Cost Estimators” — one for the Towns of Blue Hill, Penobscot, and Surry and another for Orland. (Orland is more complicated because it has properties abutting both Toddy Pond and Alamoosook Lake.)

You can access the cost estimators here:

https://damcalc.bluehillme.gov

Before the Town vote…

There will be a public hearing on the referendum question scheduled during the second half of October. Watch for the announcement.

Blue Hill Wharf Meeting: Tuesday 6:00pm

09/13/2025 (Harbormaster, Marine, Marine Resources Committee, Public Hearings, Select Board)

There will be a public meeting to review conceptual designs for providing long-term protection of Blue Hill’s Village and South Blue Hill wharves against damage from increased storm intensity and for enhanced access for commercial fishermen and recreational users.

This is the Town’s opportunity to understand the alternatives for this potential project and to comment on design, timing, and next steps for the town’s future investment in the wharves. The work reviewed in this meeting will likely guide the Town’s investment in its wharves over the next decade–an investment that could represent several million dollars. So taxpayers are encouraged to educate themselves, regardless of whether they use the wharves.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 16 at 6:00pm in the Town Hall Auditorium. Presenting their research and designs will be GEI Consultants, a Portland-based engineering firm retained to help the town assess the risks to our waterfront infrastructure and to apply their expertise to assisting the town in evaluating strategies for protection of these assets.

Village Wharf during “king” tide
South Blue Hill Wharf with “king” tide and strong winds

Toddy Pond Dam Developments

08/25/2025 (Five-Town Dam Committee, Public Hearings)

The four-town, two-lake association team (now called the Narramissic Watershed Coalition) working to preserve Toddy Pond continues to make progress, as described in the following update:

Narramissic Watershed Coalition Progress Report

In addition, for those with a strong interest in the condition, potential costs, and future of the dam (together with the Alamoosook Lake dam), the Coalition obtained an independent engineering report on the dams:

GEI Technical Memorandum: Alamoosook and Toddy Pond Dams

Special Town Meeting Results

08/24/2025 (Select Board, Town Meetings)

At the Special Town Meeting held this evening, Blue Hill voters voted on four articles. Here are the unofficial results (to be confirmed by the moderator and Town Clerk):

Election of Moderator

Jeff Milliken

Article 2: Purchase of real estate for a relocated public safety building and land used by the Consolidated School

The article was approved by written ballot:
Yea: 227
Nay: 73
Blank Ballots: 13

Article 3: Confirming previous sale of real property

The article was approved by show of hands

Article 4: Amendments to Harbor Ordinance

The article was approved by show of hands

The Select Board thanks all of the approximately 300 voters who attended the meeting and who were gracious enough to help the Town work through the complications of having far greater turnout than the original, offical venue could accommodate.

Special Town Meeting TOMORROW, Sunday, at 5:00pm

08/23/2025 (Select Board, Town Meetings)

Blue Hill voters are encouraged to attend the Special Town Meeting tomorrow to consider whether to approve a substantial investment of town resources toward the potential relocation of the town’s fire station and ambulance service headquarters.

Date/Time/Subject Matter

As previously announced, the Special Town Meeting will be held tomorrow, August 24 at 5:00pm to elect a moderator and consider three other articles, including the proposed purchase of the land and building at 30 Tenney Hill for a relocated fire station/ambulance building.

The full warrant is available here.

Possible Relocation of Meeting Venue

The warrant calls for the Town Meeting to be held in the Gordon Emerson Auditorium at the Town Hall.  Given the strong voter interest in the proposed relocation article and the high turnout for last Thursday’s informational meeting (which almost filled the Gordon Emerson Auditorium to capacity), the Select Board plans to make a motion to recess the meeting immediately after a moderator is elected and sworn in and to reconvene as soon as possible (such as 15-20 minutes later) at the George Stevens Academy gymnasium. Assuming that motion is adopted, we expect discussion of Article 2, the one regarding the property purchase and financing, to begin around 5:20-5:30pm at the GSA gym—but both the specific timing and the effort to relocate the meeting will be subject to the vote of registered voters in attendance at the Town Hall. After consideration and action on that matter, the remaining two articles will be considered.

Staff will be available at both locations (Town Hall and the GSA Gymnasium) at 4:30pm to check in registered Blue Hill voters and provide them with voting slips.

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