At the Sept. 12 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, a university capstone team led by Dylan Merchant presented plans to rehabilitate the Kanduskeag Stream Heritage Trail, saying the trail’s interpretive signage is deteriorated and some panels have been vandalized or removed.

The presentation, which stretched from a slide overview of existing concrete sign pedestals to proposed outreach events, asked the commission and staff to support a phased restoration: remove damaged cases, replace metal-framed panels with smaller, more durable signs, and pair each physical sign with a digital link for deeper material.

The project team said the trail signage dates to an LL Bean–supported effort and that interpretive panels were added roughly in 2005 with an opening in 2008. The students noted there are nine concrete pedestals along the trail that originally held metal-and-glass cases; one pedestal’s enclosure was recently found ripped from its mount. Parks and Recreation staff member Tracy Roulette advised that the mounting cases are in poor condition and recommended demoing the existing cases and affixing metal signage directly to the concrete bases to reduce future damage.

Merchant told the commission, “We have been looking to do a public project in relation to public history,” and described several public events the class will use to solicit input, including an Oct. 1 kickoff and presentations at an archives-and-museums conference. The students plan on short, image-forward panels plus QR codes linking to podcasts, digitized sources and longer essays so visitors can choose a quick read or deeper study.

The presentation also raised a site-specific reconciliation issue. The first interpretive sign sits near the former Esteban Gomez memorial, which the commission said was removed in December 2020 and whose cross figure is presently held by the Bangor Historical Society pending a separate installation. The capstone team said it intends to consult Wabanaki representatives and other affected groups about how that part of the trail should present Wabanaki history and contested memorialization. A commissioner suggested contacting Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, which the speaker said is organizing a related cultural-trail effort downtown.

Commissioners and staff discussed next steps and resources. Members suggested grant funding, district-specific sign design guidelines, and combining short physical text with digital supplements accessible by QR code. Staff said the comprehensive-plan grant work already contemplates surveying additional areas and that the city may have funds to contribute if the commission or council prioritizes the project. The commission asked staff to coordinate further outreach with Parks and Recreation and to consider the proposal for future grant applications and a possible workshop to set priorities.

The capstone team’s public events schedule includes a downtown outreach table and a presentation at the Maine Archives & Museums conference; the students asked commission members to attend those events where feasible. The presenters also said each of the nine students will take primary responsibility for one pedestal’s signage and that the class will prepare draft text and digital assets for staff review.

The commission thanked the students for the work and asked staff to follow up with the presenters and with Anne Craig to explore funding and coordination. The commission did not vote on any action at the meeting; rather, members requested additional information and recommended staff-level coordination and community consultation as the next step.