Size of boat ramp parcel disappoints Eastport committee

The committee appointed by the Eastport City Council to plan for the new Deep Cove boat ramp project hit a bump at its first meeting. The committee has just started the work of researching and finding the funds to build a new public access boat ramp on Deep Cove Road. Former City Councillor Earl Small, who was instrumental in coordinating the committee's formation, says, "At the December meeting I was under the impression we were getting all of the MacNichol property, but we received one‑third of an acre. I'm disappointed."
The parcel in question has an existing gravel road turnaround, but the way in which the city's portion is configured places most of the turnaround land on property retained by Perry Marine & Construction's (PMC) company, First Perry Realty.
Councillor Mike Cummings was also under the impression that the city would receive more than the one‑third acre. "But we didn't really go over it. Every time I asked I was told, 'Well, we voted on it and [City Manager Jon] Southern is handling it.'"
In an email Cummings shared, he shows that the purchase and sale agreement that Southern was eventually authorized by the council to negotiate with PMC/First Perry Realty was given to councillors just about an hour before their September council meeting with little time for review before they were to vote on whether to authorize the manager to proceed. Cummings says, "I think this is the last agreement I remember seeing until the signed one, and that was about three weeks after it was signed."
Deeding over a portion of the MacNichol parcel and giving $75,000 to the city were part of PMC's purchase agreement with the city for the parcel of land where the current public access boat ramp is located by the Boat School. Public use of that ramp will end in one year. The purchase and sale agreement between PMC and the city does not specify the exact amount of land to be given for the new ramp project, but conversations held at council meetings indicated that enough land would be deeded to the city in order to successfully build a replacement ramp for public and commercial use.
According to a survey map, the MacNichol property sold by Butch Harris and Paul Thompson to First Perry Realty has been divided into three: one parcel of about 1.5 acres near the Frank residence; a second parcel described by City Assessor Robert Scott as one‑third acre that is located in the middle and has been deeded to the city for the replacement ramp project; and a third parcel of 2.3 acres that stretches towards the existing ramp site by the Boat School.
Council President Robert Peacock says that the city knew exactly how much land it was receiving from First Perry Realty. "We were invited out. Jon Southern, Gerry [Morrison], Paul Koziell, Butchie [Harris], Dean [Pike], Paul Thompson. They showed us. We definitely saw it before the deed work was done." He says that all the councillors were invited, although he thought he may have been the only one there.
Southern says that it was a deliberate decision to have the smaller lot size. He adds that taking the whole lot would have "defeated the purpose" of selling the much larger city‑owned Boat School parcel to PMC to get it back on the tax rolls. "We wanted just enough for the boat ramp." The two flanking parcels now owned by First Perry, he notes, will stay on the tax rolls.
Before the property was split in three its tax bill amounted to $848. Scott notes that when one parcel is split it results in higher taxes allotted to each parcel. The city's parcel is valued at $11,000, but he does not have valuations yet for the two First Perry parcels. None of the lots can be built on. "They're in commercial fisheries and maritime activities. ... There are no setbacks for those kinds of activities; piers, small structures on piers" are allowed, he says.
One concern about the size of the lot is access to parking. Small says, "Grants ask about that." George Powell, the Bureau of Parks and Lands' director of the Boating Facility Program, says that there are no specific rules about parking in his bureau's grant program. However, he notes, "We don't like to fund projects that don't have parking because then it would be only of use to locals, and it needs to be accessible to the general public."
Southern says, "If it [parking] was a problem, I wouldn't have signed the paperwork." He notes that there is city land right across from the boat ramp parcel as well as at the Deep Cove entrance to the airport that can be used for parking and boat trailers.
"The city has been in contact with us," says Powell. "The city indicated that there was land right across the street that would be used for parking. That would be adequate." However, he notes that if that land was not useable, the land available at the airport for parking is not something he could comment on. "I couldn't say without knowing all the details." Small is not sure that the land right across from the ramp land could be used for parking, as it might be considered wetlands.
Southern notes that he has a pile of fill at the airport reserved for use for parking lot development. "Our city's engineers looked at it [the site] and said it was perfect for a boat ramp." Peacock adds, "As far as making parking lots, the city can do it. As far as the land goes, we'll be okay."
After hearing about the city's willingness to work on the parking, Small says, "I'm disappointed." But he adds, "We'll get our heads together and see what we're going to do."
However, Cummings feels that the boat ramp parcel is just one more example of how the city's sale of the Boat School property to PMC was not done well. He explains that when the contract was actually signed, "We didn't view the finished agreement whatsoever." He comments, "This is a bad deal. Hopefully it's an eye-opener, and maybe it's not too late."
Cummings adds, "There's still a lawsuit. If a judge says that the property has to go up for sale properly, it would be done right." The lawsuit, filed by David Gholson and Phyllis Bradbury, alleges that the city did not follow its charter when it did not publicly advertise the sale of the property where the Boat School is located.