BIDDEFORD — In one of the first actions of the new city council, members granted conditional approval to allow the city manager to get bids to repair a raised deck in the mill district, on an area that will become part of the Biddeford RiverWalk.

The current condition of the platform, which is located near the North Dam Mill and adjacent to land owned by the city, is in such a degraded state that public safety vehicles are no longer allowed on it and can’t service that vicinity, according to a report by City Planning Engineer Jennie Franceschi.

In addition, a sanitary sewer force is attached to the platform. If the platform collapsed, “it would cause the release of raw sewage from the mill district into the Saco River,” according to the report.

If this occurred, many of mill buildings may need to be vacated until sewer services were restored, Franceschi stated.

“This is a liability for the city,” she reported.

The estimated cost to make the necessary repairs is $325,000, said Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson.

Funding for the project, if it goes forward, would come from a Tax Increment Financing District fund, a special fund designated to be used for infrastructure improvements in the mill district, among other uses.

Moving forward with the project is contingent upon the city obtaining ownership of the deck and easements along the riverfront to its location, from the landowner ”“ the Pepperell Mill Campus.

Pepperell Mill Campus owner Doug Sanford said he’s “amenable” to working with the city on this, although he has some concerns if there is access to the general public to this area before other improvements are made.

The council placed a 60-day deadline on the process.

The action came after the council held an executive session on the issue.

Discussions that take place within executive session are not made public, but council action on subjects of executive sessions must be made public.

The city hired engineering firm Wright-Pierce to review the condition of the deck, or elevated slab. The firm suggested three scenarios to repair the deck.

Because of the significant disrepair of the elevated slab, a “do nothing” scenario was not included as an option, according to the report.

The option recommended by the city would entail removing the deck and using fill and structural concrete to replace the roadway in its present location. A utility tunnel would be constructed to accommodate the existing utility lines in their present locations.

Eventually, the city would like to make the deck and the land the city owns adjacent to it a public park, accessible from the RiverWalk.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].