LINCOLNVILLE – One year ago, Lincolnville citizens voted at town meeting 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 belonged to Coastal Mountains Land Trust. On July 12, 2021, the Select Board in Lincolnville walked through the park, identifying work to be done, and pledged that Penobscot Park would be open to the public.

“We all feel bad about shutting the gates but there’s some safety issues,” said Select Board member Mike Ray.

The consensus is to keep the park closed while addressing those concerns, the board agreed.

“It will be worth the wait,” said Select Board member Jordan Barnett-Parker.

The land, former farm meadows that stretch from Route 1 down to 426 feet of shoreline, was previously a park for the former MBNA bank employees, with covered picnic areas, restrooms, fire pits and a few walking trails scattered across it. But it has been more than a decade since maintenance was completed on the property.

Safety concerns, hanging trees and other structures, are, “not wonderful to use at this moment,” said Town Administrator David Kinney.

He has been tasked by the Select Board to assemble a to-do maintenance list, with associated costs.

In the meantime, the park remains closed to the public.

There will be, however, further conversations about improvements to be made, including setting short term, medium term, and long term policies for the municipal park.

The board agreed July 12 that the town welcomes and encourages anyone who has thoughts and suggestions to submit them to the town office.

“It will an evolving conversation with our community,” said Dunn.

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657