Annette Lepkowski, left, and her husband Joe Lepkowski hike through the meadow near the yurt at Quarry Road Trails in Waterville on Thursday. The Lepkowskis, who have been married for 57 years, said they’ve hiked and skied at Quarry Road Trails for some two decades. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE — Work is scheduled to begin next year to pave part of the dirt road leading to the welcome center at Quarry Road Recreation Area, improve parking, and make changes to the meadow area so it may be used year-round.

In addition, the city and Friends of Quarry Road have agreed to hire a seasonal development coach for the 2024-25 ski season to help grow the Nordic program for youth and middle school ski programs. A private donor gave a grant to fund the position, which would pay up to $34,155.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Quarry Road will evaluate the position at the end of the winter season, according to Matt Skehan, director of parks and recreation.

“We’re hopeful and optimistic that we can illustrate to the funder that it’s a very valuable position in that it may help develop programs and revenues that could ultimately help fund the position without private money,” Skehan said. “That’s the goal.”

The coach would help organize and lead Nordic youth and middle school ski programs, provide high-caliber coaching and assistance to the athletes, volunteer coaches and high school team, and provide event and competitive oversight. Skehan said officials recently began advertising for the position and hope to hire someone this year.

The Friends is a nonprofit organization that helps raise money for Quarry Road and aims to strengthen the greater Waterville area by developing four-season outdoor recreation opportunities.

The City Council on Aug. 20 approved a memorandum of understanding between the Friends and the city for establishing and funding the position, and the person hired would be employed by the city.

The council also voted to authorize City Manager Bryan Kaenrath to approve applying up to $80,000 as a match for a $712,500 federal grant awarded to the Friends in December 2023. It is a Northern Border Regional Commission/United States Department of Agriculture grant.

The city’s match would be funded with $20,000 from a 2021 recreation bond, $15,000 from the Quarry Road surplus revenue fund and up to $45,000 in in-kind engineering, with project oversight from City Engineer Andrew McPherson.

Improvements to be made include paving about 1,500 feet of the dirt road, from Quarry Road’s maintenance building lot to the welcome center, which is a yurt. The area around the welcome center also will be paved.

A person walks their dog along Quarry Road between the yurt and the maintenance building in Waterville on Thursday. Plans call for paving the section of road between the two buildings. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

The meadow lot used for Nordic skiing west of the welcome center has poor drainage and is very wet, prohibiting year-round use, Skehan said. The meadow will be expanded using pervious pavers, which are placed slightly under grade with soil on top. Overall meadow drainage will be improved to provide for year-round use and the parking area around the welcome center will be expanded.

“We’d like to host events in February and March — large-scale Nordic ski events that draw hundreds of athletes and families,” Skehan said.

The Friends group is nearing its goal of raising $1.67 million needed to complete the project over the next two years.

Skehan said the city engineer will put out requests for construction proposals this winter. Bids would be opened in late winter or early spring and most likely construction would start next summer.

Quarry Road is a year-round outdoor recreation area for people of all ages and abilities, located off North Street, about two miles from downtown. Its trails and open spaces offer cross country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, biking, hiking, walking, running, disc golf and paddling in Messalonskee Stream.

The area has about eight miles of groomed Nordic ski trails and five miles of single-track for snowshoeing, mountain biking and hiking. The snowmaking system allows for an early start to the ski season and produces reliable snow conditions all winter, according to officials.