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Rangeley park commissioners approve locating gazebo between tennis and basketball courts
Summary
The Rangeley Park Commission voted March 19 to place an 18-foot gazebo between the town's tennis and basketball courts, after staff warned of shoreline setbacks, soggy soil and electrical access needs. Staff will pursue grant funding and finalize siting.
The Rangeley Park Commission voted March 19 to locate a new gazebo in the flat area between the town's tennis and basketball courts and to advance planning for a separate pavilion and stage.
Chair (speaker 1) opened discussion of agenda item 10 and showed commissioners a site map. Staff member (speaker 2) outlined regulatory constraints, saying, "the law says you must be a 100 feet back from the high watermark," though the staff noted plan-for-approval processes can justify closer siting in special cases. Commissioners and residents reviewed potential footprints, noting an 18-foot round gazebo would require a compact footprint while a pavilion and stage would need a larger slab and electrical service.
Speakers raised site-specific construction risks: speaker 2 warned parts of the proposed waterfront area are soggy with frost-protection and footing concerns, while staff (speaker 4) identified the main power source as the pole at the basketball-court corner and said electrical service could be added as part of a grant. Commissioners discussed keeping neighbors' second-story water views and preserving open lawn space for audiences.
After narrowing alternatives, the commission voted on a motion to locate the gazebo at the chosen site, take price estimates, and move forward with the project; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. The chair asked staff to stake out the 20-foot setbacks once snow conditions allow and to pursue grant funding to support electrical work and construction.
Why it matters: placing the gazebo and a future pavilion will shape where outdoor events can be staged in Rangeley and determines whether existing portable-stage setups will remain practical for near-term events such as July 3 celebrations. Next steps: staff will pursue the identified grant, verify footing and soil conditions, confirm permitting strategy (including any plan-for-approval justification for setbacks), and return to the commission with cost estimates.
