Cape Elizabeth is planning a multimillion-dollar, first-in-decades overhaul to a mile-long section of Shore Road, adding sidewalks and other safety features along the street that leads to Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Light. Architect’s rendering courtesy of Sebago Technics
CAPE ELIZABETH — The town is planning a multimillion-dollar, first-in-decades overhaul to part of Shore Road, gateway to Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Light, a world-renowned tourist destination that attracts 1 million visitors annually.
The estimated $5 million project would completely rebuild a mile-long section from the South Portland line to the park, adding sidewalks and other safety features to a busy street that hasn’t been fully repaved since the early 1990s, said Town Manager Matt Sturgis.
It would be done in cooperation with the Portland Water District to replace aging and poorly designed sewer lines and a water main that was installed 100 years ago. Town officials plan to borrow some of the money and pursue state and federal transportation funding for the rest, Sturgis said.
Funding the project is subject to voter approval because it will be over $1 million, with a town bond referendum expected to be held Nov. 8. If approved, road work would begin in 2023 and take two construction seasons, Sturgis said.
“It’s a town road, but it’s a regional asset,” Sturgis said. “We’re trying to improve pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle safety and invest in one of our business districts.”
Shore Road is one of the busiest streets in town, carrying roughly 7,000 vehicles per day, so the project will require a traffic management plan.
“With a project of this size and nature, there will be anticipated traffic disruption,” Sturgis said. “Those details will be determined as the project progresses.”
Early public response to the proposal has been largely positive and constructive, town officials said, although some residents have expressed concern about its potential impact on The Cookie Jar, a popular pastry shop at 554 Shore Road.
The Cookie Jar would be affected by Cape Elizabeth’s plan to overhaul a mile-long section of Shore Road, adding sidewalks and other safety features along the street that leads to Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Light. Architect’s rendering courtesy of Sebago Technics
The landmark business could lose three to four spaces that are directly in front of the shop and near the edge of the road, where cars, pedestrians and cyclists cross paths. Owners Donna and Tom Piscopo said the spaces cannot be accommodated elsewhere on the property, which is wedged between a small town fire station and an auto repair center.
“I understand they want the town to look pretty, but it’s going to hurt our business,” said Tom Piscopo, whose mother bought the property in 1968.
Town officials said they are willing to work with the Piscopos to find a solution that addresses their parking concerns as well as pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicles safety issues that have been neglected for decades.
Council Chairman Jeremy Gabrielson lives in a neighborhood off Shore Road, so he and family members regularly drive, bicycle and walk in the targeted project area. They have experienced the lack of sidewalks, rutted pavement and other safety hazards along the way.
“That section of road was designed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when we were running trolleys on Shore Road,” Gabrielson said. “The goal is to make it more useful and safer for diverse uses. The Cookie Jar is an iconic business and I think we can work something out.”
A recent architect’s rendering by Sebago Technics of planned improvements shows one on-street parking space in front of The Cookie Jar and with other street parking nearby.
Initially developed in 2019, the planned Shore Road improvements would include new sidewalks, bike lanes and grassy strips on both sides of the road where possible, as well as crosswalk realignments so they meet state and federal transportation and accessibility regulations.
The planned improvements can be done within the existing public right of way and aren’t expected to disturb existing stone walls and other roadside features, Sturgis said.
No work on Shore Road beyond the main entrance to Fort Williams Park is planned at this time, he said.
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