[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6285791,"mediaKeyId","2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef","parentId",2567193,"title","City warns of Main Street impacts as Biddeford Elm Street sewer separation begins; Saco Bay symposium set for March 17","audioSeconds",240,"startMs",2504000,"endMs",2744000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef&start=2504&end=2744","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef/thumbnail_2504000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6285791/Maine/City-warns-of-Main-Street-impacts-as-Biddeford-Elm-Street-sewer-separation-begins-Saco-Bay-symposium-set-for-March-17","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285791-72f0255bb953bfc62dff871826497c8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1776024095&Signature=cwEfFatuEAVMAqMpFnyW~crGhuZ3Jh66Zr2JCBeHUV454~pLtFixePv4hlGJxYPW4gFrn82rQ57BPAQT-jDP6LfvCvMlYRZB9MiON~GgeA4flHLNZO4VbI51vgHV7-umCav~wxj9KYMJBQBmbMHmjsBR0FuTRSYLsBwSb7QeQb7n25YiJFOcKip5Aw0UPrgJuEbsp9tuCDlBgHquvIh83qvdt3bvfQD3yozyJYi06hT2QV6AdHjMwU-a-mObdjdFe6gfBUAKEw39H2FnlXvAzrTsMLRbQ4Loc5H3lArAAKY883rUejU8P2HfMkSxJuoDfw-6DGvhdDd-xGJmTuZ3sQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-11T12:43:21Z","article","City staff warned the Saco City Council on Monday that a sewer separation and utility replacement project in neighboring Biddeford will restrict traffic and shift northbound flows onto Saco’s Main Street later this spring.

Deputy Chief Huntress told the council his office has met with Biddeford Public Works about the Elm Street and Hooper Street project, which will replace a water main, gas main and install a new storm drain line. The work is scheduled to begin in April; Elm Street will be restricted to one lane beginning April 28, and the overall project is expected to take four to six months. Once Biddeford restricts northbound traffic, vehicles traveling northbound into Saco will be detoured onto Main Street, Deputy Chief Huntress said. The city has scheduled discussion of traffic safety options for the corridor with its Traffic Safety Committee.

Councillor Hatch asked whether the Maine Turnpike Authority could waive tolls during construction to encourage use of the turnpike as a connector; Deputy Chief Huntress said Biddeford public works had raised the same question but no waiver had been approved by the MTA to date.

City staff also announced that the sixth annual Saco Bay Symposium, co‑hosted by the City of Saco and Save Our Shores Saco Bay, will be held Monday, March 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Saco City Hall auditorium. Panelists will include government officials and scientists discussing the latest efforts to remediate erosion in Saco Bay; the event will be streamed on the city’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Staff said more details on Biddeford’s finalized construction schedule will be provided when Biddeford releases its construction plan. The council noted the potential impacts on events that use Saco’s Main Street and asked departments to coordinate with community event organizers as detours and traffic changes approach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Saco City Council Meeting - March 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Biddeford’s Elm Street sewer separation and utility work will reroute northbound traffic onto Saco’s Main Street for several months; the city also announced the Saco Bay Symposium on March 17 addressing bay erosion.","taxTitle","City Council Meetings , Saco City, York County, Maine","taxId",69267,"location","Maine","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6285796,"Votes at a glance: Saco council confirms appointments, approves MOA and renews entertainment permit",162,1438000,1600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef&start=1438&end=1600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef/thumbnail_1438000.jpg","/articles/6285796/Maine/Votes-at-a-glance-Saco-council-confirms-appointments-approves-MOA-and-renews-entertainment-permit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285796-4ebc3dbd836492aa3a511024dd32b38b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776024095&Signature=PyAPJ5FBlOOYtXOh2LHzqLLeWsDg93jz9E74izfzkytiCLGD1Wqhg9VzC6n7AtOg~CGsOc6aaLTXBdLGyWeGuZwHm76C1cU2uEOmn6IrHGw1JKCuUYQ1UnMzoRZ9UP-r1ZVVbNiKQ~RogcBiJCrVsblNIejcI0V4GCgg9g38xJ39NH2rjd5obnnIaPIVPzjSfrSpkATUfXKvYCqgWaDaaIh25HzbrILjwd6SjoRcS8bKUFdYeLad~-SN~0IvehXojP8GBD~ERr9UGOTTq8H1F8nBfuTwNZB7sFlsI8KfOU008AJYZ2Ok4D~MciCpGL4HxmZFO5xhKon87Tv3gO36NA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Saco City Council recorded unanimous action on multiple items Monday, including confirmations of department leaders, a partnership memorandum, and a permit renewal. The council recorded no endorsement for a contested resolution on the I‑195/Ocean Park Road study.

Key votes

- Confirmed appointment of Travis Moore as Public Works Director, effective March 11, 2025. Motion carried, roll call vote 7‑0 (mover: Councillor Edwards; second: Councillor Hewitt). The city noted Moore’s nearly two decades of municipal and Maine Department of Transportation experience and his five years in Saco’s public works department, including service as interim director.

- Confirmed appointment of Jennifer Henderson as Finance Director and Treasurer, effective June 1, 2025. Motion carried, roll call vote 7‑0 (mover: Councillor Hatch; second: Councillor Edwards). Packet materials cited Section 5.03 of the City Charter, City Code 4‑11 and Title 30‑A §2603 in the recommendation.

- Approved participation in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Reimagining Route 1 initiative with the Greater Portland Council of Governments and the Maine Department of Transportation. Motion carried, roll call vote 7‑0 (mover: Councillor Gunn; second: Councillor Johnston). The MOA is a data‑sharing and study partnership; councilors clarified it does not create a funding commitment.

- Renewed the Special Entertainment Permit for the Fraternal Order of Eagles (Saco Eagles No. 3792), concurrent with the establishment’s liquor license. Motion carried, roll call vote 7‑0 (mover: Councillor Johnston; second: Councillor Hewitt). The clerk reported department sign‑offs and required advertising under Saco City Code (Chapter 93, Entertainment).

- Consent calendar reappointments: the council confirmed mayoral reappointments of Jonathan Stafford and Alan Shepherd to the Coastal Waters Commission. Motion carried, roll call vote 7‑0.

Procedural notes

- The council previously approved minutes for March 3, 2025 (motion passed 7‑0).

- A separate motion to adopt an earlier packet resolution on the I‑195/Ocean Park Road feasibility study did not advance (no sustained second) after extended debate; councilors discussed potential neighborhood impacts and the need for additional local engagement.

All recorded roll call tallies matched the minutes as read into the record at the March 10, 2025 meeting.","The Saco City Council approved several personnel confirmations, joined a regional Route 1 MOA, renewed an entertainment permit and confirmed consent appointments in a 7‑0 roll call; one transportation resolution on I‑195/Ocean Park Road was not adopted.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6285801,"Saco council declines to adopt packet resolution on I‑195/Ocean Park Road after debate over neighborhood impacts",2464,613000,3077000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef&start=613&end=3077","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2567193-9c89bef8038d47d65ea052c81408d2ef/thumbnail_613000.jpg","/articles/6285801/Maine/Saco-council-declines-to-adopt-packet-resolution-on-I195Ocean-Park-Road-after-debate-over-neighborhood-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285801-539fe1d4ca39865291a310013af11d52/orig.mp4?Expires=1776024095&Signature=VSFoxtTkOubOn2~uGHt90UhVazjq~9HsKOzam1BCDEcuMz5w6IWpyu8hDl8iTK~NQiVMejvKBOoW3KuXvQLFrggj5-sxG1HhpyNWPJTztIK5eCucVr~qF0o0m8Ch-EQz0LpOftbMNNroM9EsS4QMgrpodd9cHDMzGRciyYt0aqMXe0ZZLswBXYC1zLSLlvRfPub-9Cr5u2PxR3H46aVIpvzQ9hmzUPWFmCdb4NMlJW443tSyI7gPHKL17KUZSZiNgHUvCWRb~lUycoaECuhtbDCgUxYy~D6adjm4fF6TF-7Q4qQt8z9eIwMi5sfBSuFlH28Jgp3MNWv-B~GgqoTvbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A resolution to endorse elements of the Interstate 195/Ocean Park Road feasibility study failed during the Saco City Council meeting on Monday after councilors and residents raised concerns about neighborhood impacts, pedestrian and bicycle access and local engagement.

Supporters of more study and improved pedestrian and bicycle connections urged the council to withhold endorsement until Saco-specific impacts and design options were clarified. Several councilors described the packet resolution as insufficiently informed by Saco community input and noted differences between the town of Old Orchard Beach’s priorities and Saco’s needs.

The resolution at issue was the earlier packet version (the council clarified it was considering “Resolution II,” the version submitted the prior week). Councillor Gunn moved to adopt that earlier resolution; a second was not sustained and the motion failed. The council did not take a final vote to endorse the study in any form.

Residents who spoke during public comment said the corridor needs stronger pedestrian and bicycle accommodation. Sandra Gay, a Saco resident, asked the council not to act until more information was available about traffic impacts on neighborhood side streets and suggested an independent traffic-engineering review of the VHB study. Bob Hamlin, who noted Saco voters previously funded the Eastern Trail, urged a “complete streets” approach and a constructed pedestrian/bike connection to the Eastern Trail at the Exit 2A area. Patrick Conlon, founder of Bicycle Advocacy group Bike Biddeford‑Saco and Eastern Trail trail manager, urged elimination of the slip lane at the trail crossing and cited recent guidance from the National Association of City Transportation Officials favoring removal of slip lanes to improve safety.

Councilors’ remarks focused on process and local impacts. Councillor Hatch asked staff to confirm that the memorandum or resolution made no funding commitment; she said she read the MOA and found no such commitment. Councillor Johnston and others urged robust public engagement and warned against outside agencies making final design choices without strong local input. Councillor Berman and other councilors said they supported further study but objected to endorsing a plan that they felt had not adequately considered Saco’s pedestrian and bicycle concerns. Councillor Gunn said the council could still work to reimagine Saco’s side of Route 1 on its own terms even as Old Orchard Beach pursues its own improvements.

The study under discussion was prepared by VHB and references earlier analyses dating to 2020. The packet contained two resolution drafts; councilors clarified that they intended to consider the version that retained Saco’s stated requirement that access to Ocean Park Road be maintained. After debate and an unsuccessful attempt to sustain a second on Councillor Gunn’s motion, no endorsement was adopted.

The council moved on to other agenda items. Staff and councilors said the corridor will be revisited; several councilors said they expect further workshops or public engagement to examine design alternatives, pedestrian/bike treatments and how any changes would affect Saco neighborhoods.

Residents and advocates interested in the corridor were encouraged during the meeting to continue engaging with city staff as the regional process advances.","Councilors, residents and trail advocates debated safety and pedestrian access for the I‑195/Ocean Park Road corridor; a motion to adopt the packet resolution failed for lack of a sustained second after concerns that Saco was insufficiently involved in the plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City warns of Main Street impacts as Biddeford Elm Street sewer separation begins; Saco Bay symposium set for March 17

Votes at a glance: Saco council confirms appointments, approves MOA and renews entertainment permit

Saco council declines to adopt packet resolution on I‑195/Ocean Park Road after debate over neighborhood impacts