The Town Councils of Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough discussed the ongoing flooding on Sawyer Road/Street at Scarborough’s Municipal Building Feb. 7. The workshop signaled a critical moment in the region’s efforts to combat flooding in the area, which is to be supported by a $1.5 million grant from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP). The towns must choose to either meet grant conditions, like removing 1,400 feet of road from Spurwink Marsh, or deal with worsened flooding.

The plan to remove the road came after Cape Elizabeth conducted a sea level rise study in 2015, leading to assessments and culvert work in 2019. A joint council workshop on additional solutions took place in 2022. Grant funding was applied for in the previous year, and the grant was awarded in late 2023. The state contract is expected in March.

Jami Fitch, Scarborough’s Sustainability coordinator, started the presentation with clarification. “We are here this evening to talk about The area under discussion is Sawyer Street — not Sawyer Road — in Scarborough and Sawyer Road in Cape Elizabeth. The road, starting from Route 77 in Scarborough, extends through Cape Elizabeth into South Portland.

Plans include removing a 1,400-foot segment passing through the Spurwink Marsh, creating dead ends. Each town’s share for the $2 million project, with $1.6 million covered by grants, would be $185,000. The 1,400 feet of road through Spurwink Marsh is home to state endangered species salt marsh sparrows and New England cottontails.

“The flooding on Sawyer Road/Street not only disrupts daily life but also poses a significant threat to our infrastructure and the environment,” Cape Elizabeth’s Town Planner Maureen O’Meara said.

“We didn’t come to this proposal lightly,” O’Meara said. “There has been a lot of work done up to this point. Cape Elizabeth did do a sea level rise vulnerability study in 2015. We really did it because we were revising our normal high waterline definition, and this was just one of the outputs that came out of that. That was a first time we really made a list of our roads and other facilities that were vulnerable and in 2019 we started studying culverts.” She said Sawyer Road is definitely getting ready for replacement. O’Meara stated that there are two years of preparatory work before the actual removal takes place. Work to be done includes assessing and modeling the marsh this spring and summer and planning restoration next winter.

Scarborough Town Councilor Jon Anderson voiced his support for the project, and said, “This is an investment in our marsh and our environment. The marsh is really integral to who we are as a community, and we need to do more to protect it. I see this more about marsh restoration than the road, it may be an inconvenience for some, but there are clearly other aways around, it is one little thing we can do to address a much bigger challenge in Scarborough given the marsh in our area.”

“I’ve seen the changes and am aware of the flooding over there,” said Scarborough Town Councilor Jean Marie Caterina, who participated in the 2022 meeting. “I just want to make sure the constituents are aware and have no concerns. If I lived down there, I would be thrilled (by the removal).”

“It is a no-brainer from my perspective,” Cape Elizabeth Councilor Penny Jordan said. “We have got to do something. Mother Nature is telling us we better do something and take care of the problem.”

Scarborough Town Councilor Don Cushing said, “It sounds like they have access to that road until Mother Earth decides that you don’t.”

Cape Elizabeth Councilor and Planner for the Maine Coast Heritage Trust Jeremy Gabrielson said he believes the project a good idea and noted it was financially prudent. “For folks involved in tidal marsh restoration, this is an exciting project. It makes financial sense.”

Yet, concerns lingered about the timeline and community engagement. Scarborough Councilor April Sither stressed the importance of outreach to all residents affected by the project, advocating for transparency and dialogue.

Nancy Olsen, a resident living along Sawyer Road, said he favored the road removal. “My husband and I have seen the tide change in our yard. … I am an avid birder. We know there is abundant bird life at the end of the marsh. I would ask for consideration for education signs to put up discussing the fish, bird, and river otters that they might see in the river. We are 100% behind this and would like to see the road closed sooner rather than later.”

If approved and on schedule, the road would be removed in two phases from December 2026 to April 2027.

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