Former Rockland Street junkyard remediation begins, plans for affordable housing continue
A remediation project on Rockland Street, looking toward Main Street, is in full swing Dec. 10, 2025, even on the morn following an overnight snow storm that covered the region with a few inches of snow. (Photo by Sarah Thompson)
(Photo by Sarah Thompson)
Construction vehicles in operation on the former junkyard lot at 15 Rockland Street. (Photo by Sarah Thompson)
Looking across the lot toward Main Street. (Photo by Sarah Thompson)
A remediation project on Rockland Street, looking toward Main Street, is in full swing Dec. 10, 2025, even on the morn following an overnight snow storm that covered the region with a few inches of snow. (Photo by Sarah Thompson)
(Photo by Sarah Thompson)
Construction vehicles in operation on the former junkyard lot at 15 Rockland Street. (Photo by Sarah Thompson)
Looking across the lot toward Main Street. (Photo by Sarah Thompson)ROCKLAND — Remediation of a former junkyard site in Rockland has begun, paving the way for six affordable houses in the near future.
Rockland Street, in Rockland, has been closed to thru traffic following the recent receipt of a Brownsfield cleanup grant from the EPA. For years, the City has been eyeing that site at 9 - 15 Rockland Street with the intention of creating affordable housing. The City accepted a bid from a developer in 2024, Caleb Lincoln, and began the process of engineering studies, permits, and logistics. The $500,000 Brownsfield award and Rockland’s matching addition of $100,000 now allows a total of $600,000 for the remediation project at the site.
As many as three generations of the Shafter family owned 9 Rockland Street and the adjacent lot, prior to demolition, in March 2018, of the abandoned house that was left behind by a later owner. In the adjacent lot, known as 15 Rockland Street, Sam Shafter maintained Shafter’s Junkyard, buying and selling metal.
Residents of Rockland Street attended City meetings in 2021, objecting to the idea of making the lot into public parking for ferry passengers and others. During the 2024 meeting with Caleb Lincoln, residents supported the idea of housing, as opposed to that parking lot idea.
Now that the engineering has been completed for this repurpose project, contaminated soil is being removed, according to City Manager Tom Luttrell, in his City Manager’s report during the Dec. 8, 2026 City Council Meeting. Areas have been excavated –depthwise – to ensure that some foundations or pads can be placed in there. And water lines and sewer lines are being inserted, because a barrier needs to be put in, “because everything needs to be below that barrier to keep that contaminate soil below grade,” according to Luttrell.
The contractor performing the work for the City is Sargent.
Luttrell said the goal remains on target to finish the remediation by December 19.
“And then hopefully we can transfer ownership of that property over to the developers and see some more affordable housing in the city,” he said.
Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com
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Address
15 Rockland Street
Rockland, ME 04841
United States
