By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

As Community Development Director, Linda LaCroix helped plant the seeds for Bridgton’s rebirth.

Now, she is stepping into retirement after just under three years at the CDD helm, and looking forward to seeing those plants grow and blossom.

Her resignation is effective this Tuesday, July 26, but LaCroix will assist in the transition process until Aug. 12.

Town Manager Robert Peabody has appointed current Deputy Community Development Director Victoria Hill to the CDD post, subject to confirmation by the Bridgton Select Board at their July 26 meeting. If confirmed, Hill will be the new Community Development Director effective July 27.

“Linda assumed the position in the midst of a whirlwind of activity in the Town and after the position had been vacant for a considerable period of time. She proved to be an able and effective director and community leader. I am appreciative of her efforts and wish her well in her retirement,” Peabody said.

LaCroix felt the time was right to retire.

“The Town is in a great position for me to step down and let a young, competent, and qualified person take the reins,” she said. “While I truly loved my job, it is also time for me to take a step back and enjoy this beautiful town and the excitement of new things happening here. Mine has been an exciting and multi-faceted life and I find myself ready to slow it down and possibly write those books I have been planning to pen.”

LaCroix became CDD in early November 2019. She certainly had many irons in the fire all at once and is quite proud of the accomplishments achieved during her tenure.

“We have accomplished the primary task I was given, which was to make hay of the investment the Town made in wastewater and streetscape. People and businesses are moving in, arts & culture abound in the form of murals, art walks, music, and galleries, we have the Comprehensive Plan update well under way with new out-of-the-box efforts to reach out to the entire community, bring in an open space plan, and a platform for gauging priorities based on whether they increase resilience within the town,” she said. “Monies coming in from the Net Energy Billing program will reduce the Town’s electric power costs by $462,000 over 20 years, and multiple amendments to the new Land Use Code saved over $56 million in development that would have not happened without the fine-tuning of the ordinance.”

LaCroix also pointed to the consolidation of five land-use related ordinances into one land use code that helped to eliminate duplication and conflicts and streamline the application process for folks developing properties in Bridgton. 

Other accomplishments included:

• Two new Tax Increment Financing programs were passed that helped bring the memory care facility and the soon to be started 55-plus housing facility to Town, bringing in an estimated 60 new jobs to Bridgton.

• A development program that will support further expansions of wastewater, streetscape, child-care programs and other important projects. 

“The Economic and Market Analysis report was completed by the University of Maine and has been an excellent source for community development work and will be an important part of the Comprehensive Plan update,” she added.

• Producing a popular “swag” program that is spreading the word about Bridgton.

• Loon Echo is now upgrading the primary Pondicherry Park trail to be ADA compliant. 

• Bridgton is honing in on broadband town-wide with new plans from Consolidated to build out the infrastructure in all corners. 

“If there is one thing I am most proud of, it is that folks are engaging and coming out, especially important after all we have been through with Covid,” LaCroix said. 

What will she miss most?

“The people I work with and engage with each day. Bridgton is most special because of the people who live, work and play here,” she said.

So, what’s in her future?

“Ha, ha – to rest! Otherwise, just to enjoy this beautiful place and as I mentioned, perhaps begin writing – not going anywhere so the town is stuck with me!” she said.