After serving seven years on the Androscoggin Brunswick-Topsham Riverwalk Advisory Committee, co-chairwoman Nancy Randolph has resigned in order to have more time to do things for herself.

The committee, according to the Riverwalk websites, is comprised of citizens, businesses, organizations and public officials from Brunswick and Topsham. It was formed in 2007 to bring together the two communities to design, support and create a 1.25-mile dedicated in-town walking loop along the banks of the Androscoggin River.

Randolph will continue to be involved in the Save Our Swinging Bridge.Org, a nonprofit organization formed in 2008 devoted to the maintenance and appearance of the historic pedestrian bridge connecting Brunswick and Topsham. She helped garner grants and funding to rehabilitate the pedestrian suspension bridge in 2006 and now serves as the organization’s board treasurer.

In her notice of resignation to the Riverwalk committee’s co-chairwoman Cathy Lamb of Brunswick, Randolph wrote from the island she is staying on that being away from “the daily noise and busy-ness has caused me to have a change of heart about leading the Riverwalk committee. I have way too many commitments and must decide what I want to do with my life — other people’s work or mine.”

She adds, “I was hoping that our project would be constructed this summer but it appears that it is nowhere near on the horizon. With the economy rebounding but the donations still not strong enough to sustain our project, I want to put my full efforts to the Save Our Swinging Bridge.Org.”

She also notes that serving as the co-chairwoman for the past seven years “has been an enjoyable and meaningful community service. We have accomplished quite a bit finishing the Topsham walk along the river.”

As she recommended in light of her resignation, Randolph said the Light on the River gala and art show fundraiser she and the committee had been planning for the fall has been canceled.

In her role on the Riverwalk committee, Randolph said Tuesday it is a lot of time required, devoting one entire day a week to a project, “and I just feel l like I need to do other things, because I feel like it’s stalling for various reasons.”

One thing that she said got her thinking about resigning stemmed from push-back from Brunswick’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee regarding riding bicycles on the sidewalk and wanted to study it, according to Randolph.

Randolph also recently joined Topsham’s Lower Village Development Committee and removed herself from that committee as well. She needs time to devote to Save Our Swinging Bridge.Org but more so, to devote to her business and her home, and herself and “not go to meetings every month and organize the meeting … and talk to everyone and create all the projects.”

The trail on the Topsham side is complete with some remaining features still awaiting completion, such as a walkway and overlook between the river and parking at Priority Business Center. Topsham was able to get a grant from the Maine Department of Transportation and Ric Quesada of Fore River Co., which owns and redeveloped the Bowdoin Mill and owns the Red Mill on lower Main Street, donated the $24,000 local match. The town of Brunswick has the Riverwalk project in the Capital Improvement Plan slated for 2015-16 with a $1 million price tag — $800,000 from the MDOT and the remaining $200,000 funded locally.

“It’s a great project,” Randolph said, “and I know people will be disappointed I dropped out. I have to do other things.”

People have told her if she drops out, the project might not happen but “I hope that it is completed,” and if it is important to the community it will be. “I love that we rehabilitated the Swinging Bridge and those parks are wonderful,” after it once was ugly on either side of the historic bridge. And the fact that Topsham has the trail along the river, “that’s really good. I don’t think I need to have done any more than that.”

To learn more about the Riverwalk, visit www.androscogginriverwalk.org.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

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