By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The town beach that is walkable from Casco Village has slanted terrain that makes it challenging to walk on and also makes the land more subject to erosion. 

The Casco Board of Selectmen tabled awarding the bids for the Pleasant Lake Beach project until it better understood the plans and had other portions possibly modified.

The board had the bids and the scope of work before them during the regularly scheduled meeting of April 18.

“To plant grass in a highly very trafficked area — probably the springtime isn’t the best time to do that,” Selectman Grant Plummer said, expressing his first of many displeasures with the plan.

Casco Town Manager Anthony “Tony” Ward provided a little history of the project plan compared to now.

“The original design was more American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. Also, they reduced the sand to make it cleaner. As it went through the DEP permitting process, the scope of work changed. Sand would be sod instead of brand-new sand. A retaining wall with multiple steps to get down there,” Ward said.

“The original dialogue with the board is very different” than these plans, he said.

Plummer commented on the details of the beach-improvement project.

“A lot [of the work] is a benefit to the beach area,” Plummer said. “But, I have concern about a couple of the sloped areas. Are we sacrificing serviceable people space for a slope that has rip-rap on it? The goal was to become more accessible. To have steps across a very shallow slope” is less accessible.

Perhaps, the people skilled in working around water and the DEP representatives could put their heads together to come up with a plan that better addressed the ADA-compliant component so that everyone could use the beach, he said. 

“This is a municipal beach that we need to have,” Plummer said. “Let us ask them again. I flat out disagree the minor slope with steps becomes more of a hazard than an improvement.”

Additionally, Plummer made a request that bidders provide more pictures of plan.

Selectman Scott Avery agreed.

“We need a little more in-depth study of the project. Adding steps doesn’t mean ADA-compliant. When I hear ADA compliant, I think a ramp. I can’t do stairs without a railing. I am really concerned about anyone going to the beach with any disability at all and trying … ,” Avery said. “We need to be making this project accessible and usable.”

Plummer spoke to the erosion issue. 

“This is the third version of a retaining wall at water’s edge. This is the third one we put in in 12 years that is failing today,” he said. “I have a problem with going to water’s edge again. If they are going to require us to plant sod a couple feet away from the lake. Next year, we will be replanting sod, with the amount of foot traffic. I am not saying sand is the answer either,” Plummer said.

The board voted, 5-0, to table it. 

Town Manager Ward pointed out that the board could reject all the bids instead of tabling it.

“What this agenda item was awarding the bid process. If you choose to, if you decide this plan is something that you’re not comfortable with, you have the right to decline all bids,” he said.