SKOWHEGAN — Town officials are proceeding cautiously with finalizing a formal agreement with the nonprofit group behind the Skowhegan River Park, one of the last steps for the project to come to fruition.

Meanwhile, project organizers responded to the planned sale of four Kennebec River dams announced Tuesday, doubling down on what they said when the transaction was only a rumor: The removal of Weston Dam will have no effect on the park and its artificial whitewater features.

Nearly 100 people packed the Skowhegan Municipal Building Tuesday night, when the select board was set to discuss and vote on a slew of items related to the project, including a rubber stamp approval of a federal permit and two cooperative agreements with Main Street Skowhegan.

Much to the chagrin of those who showed up to voice their support for the project — many of whom came from other parts of the state and were asked to stand in the hallway because the crowd exceeded the meeting room’s capacity — the board tabled the vote on the agreements until its next meeting Oct. 14. But there is no indication town officials want to stop the project.

“We feel like we need to further review the contracts to tighten them up, and make sure that they will work for the town and for Main Street, to determine our precise obligations on both sides of the contract, and have further legal review before we get into moving forward,” Chairman Whitney Cunliffe said. “We feel like we can do this before the next meeting.”

The agreements, versions of which were also tabled at a previous meeting in September, would have formalized the roles of the town and Main Street Skowhegan in phase 1 of the River Park as well as a related riverfront boardwalk development. 

The agreements were drafted as some residents and officials have continued to ask questions about the River Park’s impact on public safety service, future maintenance costs and the town’s liability, among other issues.

The park is technically a town project. But Main Street Skowhegan, a local economic revitalization nonprofit, has long been the group spearheading the effort, largely responsible for planning, fundraising and project management.

Two draft agreements included in the board’s meeting packet — one for phase 1 of the whitewater park and one for the boardwalk downtown along the Kennebec River — delegated much of the management, operations and finance responsibilities to Main Street Skowhegan.

Kristina Cannon, president and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan, said at the meeting that she called Cunliffe Monday night regarding the agreements and other items related to the River Park on the board’s agenda.

The two agreed the board could sign off Tuesday on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, issued this summer after a three-year process, but hold off on approving the contracts with Main Street Skowhegan as they were proposed, according to Cannon.

“We are going to have a discussion as a select board and Main Street where we’re going to talk more about what the contract is going to look like,” Cannon said. “We’re still fully committed to moving this project forward.”

The select board ultimately approved the Army Corps of Engineers permit as Cannon suggested. Board members also decided they did not need to sign off on a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection that was listed on the agenda because it was not within their authority.

Overall plans for the project, formerly known as Run of River, include improved river access, whitewater paddling and surfing features, and other recreation infrastructure, including a riverfront boardwalk and a four-season trail system, along the Kennebec River.

Supporters believe the River Park will play a key role in efforts to develop Skowhegan into a regional outdoor destination. An impact study found the park would generate $16.6 million in local annual economic impact, support 137 jobs and contribute $10 million annually in tourism spending, while also helping to diversify the town’s tax base, according to Main Street Skowhegan.

Various delays over the years have pushed back the beginning of construction. But the project now has permits in hand and organizers have said they have the money to start work.

Cannon said in August that construction of the first phase — which will include river access on the south bank of the Kennebec and the Northeast’s only adjustable surf and kayak wave — is expected to start in early 2026, beginning with the access road. In-river work is slated to begin in July 2026, she said. Orono-based Sargent Corp. is the contractor.

Main Street Skowhegan says, so far, it has secured $6.1 million to start construction of that phase.

That figure includes $4.89 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, about $1 million from Skowhegan’s Sappi tax increment financing agreement and about $200,000 from the nonprofit. 

New Balance also announced a $75,000 donation to the project while celebrating its expanded Skowhegan factory Monday.

Cannon said last month the total cost of the project has gone up due to permitting and timeline delays. She said then she did not have an up-to-date cost estimate. Future phases of the park would include other whitewater features and require additional funds.

Construction of a separate part of the overall River Park project, the riverfront promenade, is expected to begin in the fall, Cannon said. That project is in the final stages of permitting.

In 2022, $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was awarded to the project through a Congressional earmark.

Of that, $1 million is set aside for initial construction, according to Cannon. Fundraising efforts are also ongoing.

Tuesday’s discussion about the agreements came the same day that The Nature Conservancy announced its intent to purchase the four Kennebec River dams in Skowhegan, Fairfield and Waterville from Brookfield Renewable.

The environmental group said it plans to decommission and remove the dams over the course of several years, in cooperation with leaders.

The River Park would be just downstream of the Weston Dam, one of the four which Brookfield is in agreement to sell to The Nature Conservancy.

The $168 million deal, which had been rumored as Brookfield was working through a federal relicensing process in recent years, has drawn skepticism from some, in part because of its potential impact on Sappi’s Somerset Mill.

But Main Street Skowhegan said in a statement issued Tuesday that removal of the Weston Dam would have no effect on the River Park. 

“This section of river is primarily controlled by downstream conditions, meaning the presence or absence of Weston Dam does not substantially alter flow characteristics within the River Park footprint,” the statement said.

If anything, the statement said, the removal of the dam would create more opportunities for the River Park to expand upstream and contribute to a healthier river ecosystem.

The organization said it was invited to participate in The Nature Conservancy’s recent talks with Brookfield and is focused on supporting both recreation and industry. 

“Main Street Skowhegan recognizes the importance of balancing environmental restoration, outdoor recreation, and industrial vitality,” its statement said. “Sappi’s Somerset Mill remains a cornerstone of the local economy, and we are committed to working alongside Sappi, (The Nature Conservancy), and community stakeholders to ensure that decisions about the river sustain both a strong manufacturing base and vibrant recreation economy for central Maine.”