Rangeley planning board approves bulkhead replacement, 19% parking expansion at state park boat launch

The Rangeley Planning Board approved an application to replace a wooden bulkhead with a block bulkhead and expand parking by 19% at the Rangeley Lake State Park boat launch.

Heather, a state representative who spoke online, told the board the project would replace "the existing bulkhead at the Rangeley Lake State Park Boat Launch. It's currently a wooden bulkhead and it's outlived its useful life. We'd like to replace that with a block bulkhead, and also we would like to pave the parking lot, the walkway, and the path down to the bulkhead and also, increase the parking area by 19%. We will obviously change out the floats, in a similar pattern to what they are now and we have received Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Environmental Protection approval."

The board ran the application through its shoreline determination worksheet. The chair moved, and the board voted, that the applicant had standing to present the application as owner and that the planning board had authority to consider a replacement-structure request under section 38-3-3-5 of the Rangeley Town Code. The board considered the alternative-site factors listed in section 38-3-3-5-2, including lot size, slope, adjacent structures, septic locations, architectural plans, potential for erosion and vegetation removal, and found retaining the original footprint within the setback was impractical.

The board also discussed an ADA vault toilet tied to the project; a speaker noted that the vault toilet would meet required setbacks. The board requested that written notice be sent to abutters as part of consideration of potential adverse impacts on neighboring property values and quiet enjoyment.

On the core permit question, the planning board concluded the project is eligible for a 30% expansion while remaining within the required shoreline setback and moved to grant the shorelands application. The transcript records board members saying "all in favor" at the final vote and does not give a detailed roll-call tally in the record. The board chair closed the item after announcing approval.

The project documentation presented at the meeting included approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection, according to Heather. No specific conditions or funding sources were recorded in the meeting transcript. The board set a next meeting date of March 26, 2025 at 6 p.m.

What happens next: the board granted the shorelands permit at the meeting; the transcript indicates the applicant will receive a copy of the board's decision and proceed with permit steps already coordinated with federal and state regulators.