Lincolnville approves real estate swap with land trust: Ducktrap River land for oceanfront park
LINCOLNVILLE —Citizens in Lincolnville voted overwhelmingly in favor of swapping ownership of 68 acres along the Ducktrap River for 4.34 acres of prime waterfront land along Penobscot Bay that belongs to Coastal Mountains Land Trust.
The land, former farm meadows that stretch from Route 1 down to 426 feet of shoreline, is a former outdoor park for the former MBNA employees, with covered picnic areas, restrooms, fire pits and a few walking trails scattered across it.
Coastal Mountains, which has been working for two decades to protect land and habitat on both sides of the Ducktrap River, from Belmont to its outlet in Lincolnville, proposed the exchange last winter: The land trust would give Lincolnville the deed to the shorefront park, if the town deeded to the land trust its ownership of 68 wooded and undeveloped acreage on the Ducktrap River, a parcel that lies between Route 1 and Route 52.
The parcel, with 3,000 feet of river frontage. is buttressed between two other parcels owned by the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. It is currently assessed at $48,200.
Voters cast their ballots 770 to 87 in favor of the warrant article.
Ag the July 14 polls, Lincolnville voters tended to their annual town meeting warrant, as well as the state primary ballot, and school budget ballots. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, Lincolnville decided not to hold an in-person town meeting in 2020.
Voters in Lincolnville:
Reelected Josh Gerritsen to the Board of Selectmen at 742 votes and elected Mike Roy for a first term, with 627 votes.
They also elected Tracee O’Brien and John Williams to the Lincolnville School Committee, with 738 and 646 votes, respectively.
Voters in Lincolnville also approved their school budgets, the two state spending bonds for highway and broadband infrastructure, and endorsed Sara Gideon in the democrat primary run-off. They also endorsed Glenn “Chip” Curry in the Senate District 11 democrat primary race.
And, they narrowly endorsed Dale John Crafts for the Republican candidate for the 2nd Congressional District.
The voters also approved all town meeting articles:
To vote by secret ballot on the following referendum questions:
Article 3: Do you favor approving the Lincolnville Central School budget for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year that was adopted at the latest Lincolnville Central School budget meeting?
Yes, 710
No, 126
Article 4: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to sell the property located at 33 Beach Road (Tax Map 1, Lot 49), known as the Lincolnville Improvement Association building and site, by a means and upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Selectmen deems advisable, and to execute such contracts, deeds and other instruments and to take such other actions as may in the Board of Selectmen’s judgment be advisable to effect the sale of such property.
Yes, 683
No, 165
Article 5: To see if the Town will vote to:
(a) authorize the Board of Selectmen to engage in a land swap with the Coastal Mountains Land Trust (CMLT), whereby the Town releases its interest to CMLT in that certain lot or parcel of land known as the “Coleman-Cilley portion of the Gillmor lot” and further described as the second parcel described in a deed to the Town from Alexander R. Gillmor recorded in the Waldo County Registry of Deeds in Book 712, Page 805 approximately 68.8 acres in size [current Tax Map 31, Lot 41] and, in return, CMLT conveys to the Town by quitclaim deed with covenant its interest in that certain lot or parcel of land located off Route 1 near the Northport-Lincolnville town line and further described in a deed to CMLT from Deep Creek Grazing Association, Inc. recorded in the Waldo County Registry of Deeds in Book 4480, Page 255 approximately 4.34 acres in size [current Tax Map 17, Lots 63, 67 and 69], all on such terms and conditions as the Board of Selectmen deems to be in the best interests of the Town; and
(b) appropriate $13,700 from unassigned fund balance to fulfill the Town’s obligations in operating a public beach and park on the parcel it will acquire through this land swap for Fiscal Year 2021.
Yes, 770
No, 87
Article 6: To see if the Town will vote to carry forward the unexpended balances in the following accounts for the ensuing fiscal year:
Megunticook Dams
Norton Pond Water Study
Lasalle Cemetery
Town Dog Account/Late Dog Fees
State Plumbing Permit Fees
Conservation Commission Grants
Yes, 806
No, 49
Article 7: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $2,146,092 for the Town of Lincolnville Fiscal Year 2021 Municipal Budget
Yes, 767
No, 84
Article 8: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $1,244,300 from revenues and unassigned fund balance to reduce the property tax commitment for Fiscal Year 2021.
Yes, 841
No, 43
Article 9: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate all of the money received from the State for snowmobile registrations to go to the Lincolnville Mountain Goats Snowmobile Club for the purpose of maintaining the snowmobile trails and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into an agreement with the Club under such terms and conditions as the Board of Selectmen deems advisable for that purpose.
Yes, 772
No, 111
Article 10: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen and Treasurer, on behalf of the Town, to accept gifts, real estate, and certain funds that may be given to the Town during the upcoming fiscal year.
Yes, 834
No, 52
Article 11: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen and Treasurer, on behalf of the Town, to apply for and accept State and federal grants and grants from non-profit organizations, donations or other revenues, on behalf of the Town for municipal purposes, including when necessary, the authority to sign grant contracts, documents and or other paperwork and accept the conditions that accompany grant funds, and to appropriate and expend grant funds and or other funds for authorized purposes, as the Board of Selectmen deems in the best interests of the Town during the upcoming fiscal year.
Yes, 840
No, 49
Article 12: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply alone or with the Town of Northport for exclusive rights to take alewives and blueback herring from the Ducktrap River and all its tributaries in Lincolnville during the upcoming fiscal year and to further direct the Board of Selectmen to inform the Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources that the Town wishes to close the Ducktrap River and all its tributaries to the taking of alewives and blueback herring for the season.
Yes, 748
No, 108
Article 13: To see if the Town will vote to fix the annual rate of interest at nine percent (9%) for payment of taxes after the semi-annual property tax installment dates for the upcoming fiscal year real and personal property taxes.
Yes, 697
No, 153
Article 14: To see if the Town will vote to fix the annual rate of interest at five percent (5%) to be paid by the Town for abated taxes that have previously been paid.
Yes, 766
No, 73
Article 15: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Tax Collector to accept pre-payment of property taxes, with no interest to be paid on same.
Yes, 826
No, 29
Article 16: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to make final determinations, after notice and hearing, regarding the winter closing of roads in accordance with 23 M.R.S.A. § 2953(3) and final determinations, after notice and hearing, to annul, alter or modify such orders in accordance with 23 M.R.S.A. § 2953(4); such final determinations shall not require a vote by the legislative body of the Town.
Yes, 751
No, 96
Article 17: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the payment of tax abatements approved by the Board of Selectmen/Assessors from the property tax overlay or, if necessary, from unassigned fund balance.
Yes, 763
No, 78
Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of Town-owned personal property with a value, in its judgment, of $5,000 or less under such terms and conditions as it deems advisable.
Yes, 797
No, 61
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