KINGFIELD — The town of Kingfield has sent letters requesting for easements from Main Street property owners in hopes of advancing the proposed Main Street reconstruction plan.
David Guernsey, chairman of the town’s Road Reconstruction Committee, sent the letters Friday to four property owners who would be affected by the proposed closure of the Main Street entrance down to privately-owned Mill Street, which is behind Main Street and runs parallel to the Carrabassett River in downtown Kingfield.
The town is hoping that the easements are granted so the Main Street project can be added to the Maine Department of Transportation’s proposal to upgrade a section of Route 27. The state project will be resurfacing the road and adding sidewalks to the stretch of Route 27 that runs through Kingfield, administrative assistant to the Board of Selectman, Leanna Ross Targett said. The proposed project is expected to be completed in 2018.
The reconstruction of Route 27 would result in the loss 11 parking spaces along Main Street. The proposed closure of the Mill Street Stub is the municipality’s response to recoup some of the parking spaces that would be lost. The closure of the Mill Street Stub would extend the sidewalk across the former roadway, adding two angled parking spots and two parallel parking spots along Main Street.
Easements from the four property owners would allow for the public use of Mill Street, which Targett says is already used by local residents as a through way from Main Street to Maple Street.
Also, Targett says that it is unclear whether the section of road connecting Main Street to Mill Street is public property or is privately owned. She said she has looked through municipal deeds dating back to the 1900s to determine whether the road is public or private, but her search has remained inconclusive.
Because ownership of the Mill Street Stub is unclear, in order to protect itself legally, the town is ask the property owners for permission to proceed with the proposed plans.
The letter sent to property owners did not have a date that the request for easements had to be returned by, but Targett says there is a sense of urgency because the proposal project has been going on for a considerable amount of time.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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