Topsham grappled with bridge, mall

TOPSHAM

Topsham and Brunswick have weighed in on plans by the Maine Department of Transportation to improve the 84-year-old Frank J. Wood Bridge — also known as “The Green Bridge” — connecting the two towns. A presentation in April drew lengthy, varying opinions from residents and businesses about whether the bridge should be rehabilitated or replaced.

Joel Kittredge, project manager for the MDOT Multimodal Program, said rehabilitating the bridge would add a second sidewalk and cost $10 million. It would give the bridge another 30 years of life — if not fewer — before it would need replacement, he said. A new bridge would cost $12 million to $13 million, would increase safety and mobility and have a life span of 100 years.

A group formed which is working to save the bridge. A federal review into the historic and environmental impacts of the project is underway. The DOT has not yet made a recommendation on whether to construct a new bridge or repair the existing bridge.

Topsham Fair Mall

Topsham saw changes in the Topsham Fair Mall in 2016. The Planning Board approved expansion at Woody’s Performance Center at 70 Topsham Fair Mall Road in January. That construction is underway.

Developer Dan Catlin confirmed in July that a new building under construction at 86 Topsham Fair Mall Road will be home to as many as four tenants, including a Sherwin Williams paint store which will serve as the anchor. He later announced that it will also be home to a Sport Clips.

Developer Dan Catlin confirmed Tuesday that Sherwin- Williams will occupy approximately 4,000 square feet of the 11,000-square-foot structure at 86 Topsham Fair Mall Road, next to Woody’s Performance Center.

Bed Bath and Beyond announced it was relocating to Merrymeeting Plaza in Brunswick in the fall. Maurices and Best Buy, located in the same plaza in the mall, also closed their Topsham stores in the fall.

Panhandler trouble

Topsham police were called to the mall on March 5. A man and woman who were apparently panhandling at the Topsham Fair Mall entrance were charged with assault after they allegedly became physical with a mother and daughter attempting to warn motorists of alleged fraud. A video of the confrontation circulated through social media.

Police issued summonses to Carl Brown, 79, with a last known address of Bath, and Mary Rousselle, 41, of Brunswick — charging both with Class D assault.

Bonnie Gould said she and her daughter, Makayla, of Lewiston, were eating at the Topsham McDonald’s, when they overheard a group bragging about allegedly scheming money from others, including from the elderly. Gould said she had just previously seen one member of the group on the median near Route 196 and Topsham Fair Mall Road holding a sign asking for money.

When the man returned to the median, Gould silently stood next to him, holding her own sign that stated “fraud,” which triggered the incident.

Scrap metal fire

Amidst several crashes this year, Topsham Fire Department responded to a large fire at Grimmel Industries in Topsham June 13 and were joined by many other fire departments. The metal recycling plant has been the site of several fires over the years. Topsham Fire Chief Brian Stockdale said when firefighters arrived there was approximately an acre or 200-by-200- foot area fully engulfed with flames.

Water supply was a major challenge, particularly before area fire trucks arrived from other towns to establish a steady shuttle of water into portable holding tanks. Fire hydrants on the property were not working.

Bring your own bag

Bring Your Own Bag Midcoast returned signatures for petitions in August which landed the group a pair of referendums Nov. 8. Both were passed by voters Nov. 8. One banned Styrofoam packaging and the other instituted a fee on single-use bags in Topsham, to help keep the materials out of the environment.

New school plans

Planning for a new high

school to replace Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham kept School Administrative District 75 busy. The district had to hold two straw votes along the way to proceed with the Maine Department of Education’s school construction process. On Jan. 21, 85 residents in the district unanimously voted in favor of keeping a new high school on the current Mt. Ararat High School campus.

Planning an design work continued an on Dec. 14, more than 100 residents in SAD 75 cast straw votes supporting a $60.6 million high school construction project. They voted 138-5 in support of constructing a new high school, and then voted 111-28 in favor of including $649,000 in the budget for artificial turf. The locally-funded share is $6.8 million.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

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