By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The Town of Naples chose a contractor who is willing to work around the Independence Day festivities and still get a pavilion built at the Town Beach this summer.

Fortunately, the bidder with the earliest start date for the project also had the lowest cost estimate.

On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen awarded the pavilion bid to Mike Poland Construction, Inc., for $58,760.

The game plan — as outlined by the selectmen — is to do the excavating and place the concrete prior to July 4. There are strict orders to hold off on the lumber and other building materials until after the July 4 weekend.

The Naples Recreation Committee has proposed a pavilion for Kent’s Landing that would provide shade from the sun or protection from the rain for people spending time at the beach.

The money for this project, as well as picnic tables and fitness equipment, was budgeted and approved at the Naples Town Meeting. In fact, a total of $50,000 was budgeted for these improvements at the Naples Town Beach. Additionally, the nonprofit Naples Main Street donated another $30,000 to the Naples Recreation Committee.

The Town of Naples sent out eight bid invitations and received three bid proposals, according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley.

Those were:

• Repairs & Renovations by Gibb with a bid of $60,719 and a start date of Sept. 3
• Mike Poland Construction with a bid of $58,760 and a start date of June 24
• Maine Highlands Contracting with a bid of $97,300 and a start date of Aug. 18.

After hearing the bids, Chairman Jim Grattelo asked, “Are we going to want construction going on” at the beach this summer?

Selectman Jim Turpin said, “The committee was hoping to have this done by summer. It is going to be busy.”

A member of the recreation committee who had been sitting in the audience said, “The bulk of the disruption is going to be the excavation.”

Chairman Grattelo agreed, telling the town manager some of the parameters of the construction job to pass on to the contractor.

“We would want the escavation done and the concrete poured before July 4. And, no lumber delivered during the weekend after July 4,” Grattelo said.

Someone suggested that people could set up their folding chairs on the concrete slab to watch the Fourth of July fireworks.

Selectman Bob Caron II expressed his concern for safety at the construction site.

“If the beach is open. There should be plenty of signage to keep kids off. I know kids and they love to explore and jump on things. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt or for the town to be liable,” he said.

Hawley responded to Caron’s comments.

“It was already written in the bid description — site security,” he said.