What is Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation (BBHWP) and what is our mission? 

In 2018, our community came together to purchase and preserve a vital waterfront parcel in one of Maine’s most beloved harbors. We are lifelong, year-round, and summer residents, fishermen and tradespeople, hospitality workers, kids, educators, and preservationists who believe that a resource as beautiful and important as this one must be secured for generations to come. We’re committed to protecting our working waterfront and preserving the public’s right to waterfront access.

How is the building of the park being funded, and how will it be maintained?

BBHWP is an independent 501(c)(3) and thanks to the generous donations of our supporters, the park construction will be fully funded by private donations. From the very inception, the intention has been for the park to remain independent and not reliant on the town or taxpayers for maintenance or support. To this end, BBHWP has established a maintenance fund to care for the park for years to come. This maintenance fund is being endowed with private donations as well as other revenues.

Has BBHWP taken into account the safety and sustainability of the building project?

YES! Ensuring that our park is a safe and sustainable place for families and residents to enjoy has always guided our plans. We are fully aware that the North pier needed repairs and we’re happy to announce that new pilings were recently installed!

Our Children’s splashpad has been re-imagined and moved farther from the water for safety and accessibility. We believe that all children should be able to enjoy this fun water feature which is why we’ve ensured that it is fully ADA accessible. The splashpad is designed to use town tap water, and we’re currently working with the town and the DEP to receive the proper permits to install collection tanks that will re-claim this water for park irrigation.

Thanks to the generous donation of a park supporter, our future plans also include installing solar panels on the buildings located on the park property.

Speaking of buildings, what will be located on the park property?

We are currently working on plans to re-imagine the Hodgdon House. To ensure that this building is suitable for public use, we will be working with an architect to find the best path forward. We can’t wait to share the designs!

East Side residents have shown an overwhelming support for a general store, and we’re excited that our location in the Limited Commercial/Maritime District will allow us to incorporate a general store in our future plans of the Hodgdon House.

BBHWP still plans to secure permits to convert the former restaurant building into a public pavilion and renovation plans for the boathouse have yet to be finalized.

What is the current status of the park and why has it been delayed?

The outpouring of community and financial support has been so strong that we’re thrilled and honored to be moving this project forward. However, building projects of this size and caliber take time.

Despite the diligent work of all involved, our new abutter has chosen to pursue litigation. The BBH Planning Board approved the amended site plan and authorized the splashpad’s relocation on September 8, 2021, however, the new abutter unsuccessfully appealed the decision to the BBH Board of Appeals. They have now appealed to the Superior Court where the issue is waiting for review.

A second appeal put forth by the abutter was over the Shoreland Zoning approval. BBHWP received approval in November 2021, but this decision was appealed by the abutter. The latest Board of Appeals hearing on this appeal was in January 2022, where the issue was remanded back to the Planning Board and will be revisited at a later date.

On the day of the Board of Appeals hearing, a representative from DEP submitted a letter to the Board of Appeals indicating that the proposed parking area needed to be modified to meet Shoreland Zoning requirements. Then BBHWP reached out to the DEP and determined that a minor reconfiguration of the parking area was required, so BBHWP will be making this change to the site and resubmitting it to the Planning Board for final approval.

We take this project very seriously and will continue to work with the town, the state, and the community to open this park for all to enjoy. 

Our next steps moving forward will be securing additional approvals for the remaining vision which will include reimagining the Hodgdon House, finalizing the south pier layout for docks and floats, conversion of the former restaurant to a public pavilion and renovation of the boathouse building.

What is the Working Waterfront, and why is it important to Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation (BBHWP) and the Eastside Waterfront Park?

Maine has a rich maritime history, but less than 20 miles of the 5,000-mile coast remains as working waterfront in the state. The Eastside Waterfront Park is part of the movement afoot to revitalize the working waterfront, while protecting and preserving it for generations to come. We’re committed to ensuring that our fisherman continue to have access needed to continue Maine’s maritime traditions.

What has BBHWP done for the local working waterfront community so far?

• A 7500 square foot Concrete-Topped Pier

BBHWP purchased the former Cap’n Fish Motel and dedicated the south pier to Working Waterfront. Fishermen currently use the pier as a convenient location to load, unload, work on traps and boats.

• Waterfront Winter Trap Storage

Offered on the south pier and on the BBHWP property across Atlantic Avenue from the park (3,000 traps stored so far).

• Moorings

Four moorings provided to working waterfront boats at deep discounts to prevailing rates.

• Parking

Substantial parking on BBHWP property dedicated to Working Waterfront. Without convenient parking and areas to load/unload, Boothbay Harbor will lose its commercial fishermen.

• Tie up and Storage

When several “Carter’s Wharf” floats were temporarily unusable, those fishermen used BBHWP floats. When a fishermen became disabled and a temporary waterfront trap storage was needed for his traps, BBHWP responded.

• Harbor Cleanup

BBHWP is providing a free staging area for the “OceansWide” effort to retrieve abandoned ghost gear in Boothbay waters. Usable traps are returned to fishermen and the rest are recycled. (Over 1300 traps recovered to date)

What are our additional plans for BBHWP to assist the local working waterfront community in the near future?

1. Replace and significantly expand the Working Waterfront float footprint (funded).

2. Provide a boom and hoist on the south pier for convenient loading/unloading (funded).

3. Open the north pier for winter trap storage.

4. Provide a dinghy dock for fishermen to access moored boats (funded).