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Planning board withholds recommendation on 'Red Shop' at 38 Water Street after concerns about park value and insufficient information
Summary
The Planning Board voted unanimously not to recommend disposition of the former canal workshop at 38 Water Street, saying the parcel’s unique location within Smart Payne Park and lack of detailed information made sale inappropriate without stronger conditions or additional review.
The Lewiston Planning Board declined to send a favorable recommendation to the city council for the disposition of 38 Water Street, commonly called the "Red Shop," citing insufficient information about prospective buyers and concerns that sale could undermine the city’s Riverfront/Samar Payne Park plans.
Shelley Norton, deputy director, said the parcel was acquired in 2018 when the city took ownership of canal properties; the assessed value is $55,100. Norton explained any purchase agreement would need to preserve city ownership of canal structures beneath the building and provide an easement because land on both sides of the structure is city‑owned.
Board members raised repeated concerns that the building sits within a publicly planned park area and functions as an important infrastructure asset — providing power, bathrooms and other services used for events — and questioned whether selling it to a private owner would jeopardize those public benefits. Alex Pine said the building is "one of the few remaining buildings from the original use of that park" and urged caution before removing it from public control. Several members suggested leasing the building rather than selling it if community use and long‑term park integration are priorities.
Resident correspondence and a late email referenced by a board member prompted calls for greater transparency about any preferred buyer and whether direct negotiations were underway; members discussed using executive session to review sensitive details if a buyer has already been identified. The board voted unanimously against sending a favorable recommendation and asked the council to return the matter with more detailed information if they want a positive recommendation.
Next steps: The council may proceed without a favorable recommendation, but the planning board invited the council to provide more information and solicitation results if they want a reconsideration of the disposition.
