York is weighing more than $3 million in major upgrades at Sohier Park, across from the iconic Nubble Light.

The last time Sohier Park — which hosts an estimated half a million visitors every year — saw a draft this comprehensive was in 2007, when voters approved the park’s master plan. But among significant economic strains in 2008, the town eventually decided not to ask voters to approve funding. 

Now, new priorities have prompted officials to revisit the master plan.

The town is considering several changes that would improve pedestrian safety and strengthen the site’s storm resilience while also completing routine maintenance.

The project was proposed in January 2025, and the Selectboard reviewed the plans on June 8, though nothing has been officially greenlit.

As the Selectboard, Parks and Recreation Department, and Sohier Park Committee consider upgrades, they must determine what’s financially feasible and how to keep costs down for taxpayers.

Here’s a look at what the town is prioritizing and what the public has to say about it.

Prioritizing storm resilience and pedestrian safety

The most significant potential changes will improve climate resilience and pedestrian safety, but “there are many small details that will benefit anyone who visits the park,” said Parks and Recreation Director Peter Murray.

Severe storms in January and April 2024 caused extensive damage to the park. A significant cut into the right-hand side of the land could be devastating in the future, said Brenda Knapp, chair of the Sohier Park Committee and member of the Parks and Recreation board.

A revetment — a type of retaining wall — along the south side could protect the park and gift shop from intensifying storms, according to the two contractors hired for the plan, Richardson and Associates and Walsh Engineering Associates.

The current circulation of the park directs vehicles through an existing wetland, and there’s no sidewalk access for pedestrians.

The contractors outlined a plan to add sidewalk access and clear crosswalks at the Nubble Road entrance. Instead of having traffic cut through the wetland, vehicles will instead go around, which will also help support efforts to naturalize the area.

Plans also include a dedicated bus pull-off for tourists next to the gift shop — the main source of fundraising for the park — and several additional parking spots.

The new parking will lead directly onto a sidewalk connected to a promenade above the rocks. 

“(The promenade) is set forward to the view and has a buffer from the parked cars,” Bill Walsh of Walsh Engineering Associates said during the June 8 meeting. 

Additional upgrades include interpretive displays, an outdoor seating space and a viewing deck at the gift shop, though those were not identified as priorities by town officials. 

No EV parking, and the rocks will remain slippery

The most updated version of the plan includes an overview of what’s working — the gift shop and the views — and a more extensive list of what is not.

In addition to pedestrian safety and congested parking areas, the presentation identified issues that include lack of space for a bike lane, slippery rocks, service access to Fox’s Lobster House, wetland overflow and unclear boundaries.

A January 2025 version of the plan also included a vision for the park with electric vehicle parking.

Since plans were unveiled over a year ago, residents have voiced divided opinions about what should change. Some have taken to social media to express their concerns, with one saying a $3 million investment will further strain property owners facing rising taxes. They are also worried about having less spots in an already small parking lot. 

And as for the slippery rocks, one resident said online, “We are not responsible for the poor judgements and risk taking behaviors of visitors in a “natural environment.”

Murray started the June 8 meeting by clearing the air: There will be no bike lanes, no electric vehicle charging stations and the rocks at Sohier will remain slippery.

“I believe the comments on social media were made without context and meant to be hyperbolic,” Murray said in an email. 

Bike lanes were never a part of the plan, he said. They are considering two locations for bike parking: one near the gift shop and one closer to the lighthouse on the point of the park.

The Parks and Recreation Department briefly considered an electric van for Sohier early on in the planning process, which would have needed a place to charge. 

“Once we bid the van and didn’t receive any EV options, we ruled out the need for a charging station,” he said. That decision was made early this year.

The intent of the original plan was not to suggest that the rocks at Sohier will no longer be a hazard, but simply that safety upgrades would be one of the goals of the project. 

Features like an accessible walkway from the entrance at Nubble Road around the perimeter of the park will help to mitigate safety concerns, Murray said.

What’s next?

Funding and permitting will determine the town’s next steps, Murray said.

Nothing in the plan has been finalized yet, including funding. The town applied for a Maine Department of Transportation grant and could receive up to $3 million. Town officials won’t know if they’ve secured that grant until September.

The grant would also require upgrades to be completed by September 2029, the contractors said.

The permitting, engineering and design process is projected to cost $300,000 and could take up to 11 months.

Contractors said during the June 8 meeting that from a construction standpoint, that timeline is realistic.

The plans indicate that construction may be paused during the summer months to work around the busy tourist season. One suggestion presented by town officials at the meeting was to close the park for a summer to accelerate the timeline, though the board acknowledged that there would likely be significant pushback. 

Without the grant, the town will need to consider other sources of funding. That would take the permitting time crunch away, but it could also push the timeline back significantly. 

In that case, the project would likely be completed with a phased approach over a longer period of time, officials said.