Newcastle board accepts village-design report, will ask Maine DOT to begin design review

The Newcastle Select Board on April 28 accepted a final Village Partnership Initiative (VPI) report prepared by Wright-Pierce and instructed the town manager to transmit the board’s comments to the Maine Department of Transportation for next-step design review.

Town Manager Kevin summarized the report and asked the board to accept it so staff could begin preparing a letter to the state. “What I’m asking for the board tonight is either an acceptance of this report and a little bit of a discussion about what aspects of it we would like to move forward with with the state and asking them to final design and someday have funding for,” he said.

The board’s discussion focused on two primary nodes in the consultant’s concepts. For Node One (the river-road approach to downtown), members weighed a T-intersection alternative against a roundabout and raised concerns about a recommended raised intersection design. Select Board members said the roundabout option would require extensive earthwork and is unlikely to be feasible for Maine DOT, while the T-intersection would be less costly and more likely to advance. Several board members noted raised platforms can be difficult for heavy equipment, require high visibility markings and can create vehicle-safety concerns if not carefully designed.

Board members flagged Node Two as more controversial in the community. The options included a slip lane to improve traffic flow and a tighter four-way intersection to slow and simplify crossings. Robson, a resident who addressed the board, urged the town to pursue a design that better aligns with the town’s comprehensive plan rather than only adding parking. “This plan really ignores that. I mean, it adds some parking spaces… I think that’s a missed opportunity,” Robson said.

Members also discussed staging the work in phases, adding electric-vehicle charging to some proposed new parking spaces, and pursuing creative design partners (landscape architects or designers) to bring “what if” ideas alongside engineering-focused proposals.

After discussion, the board approved a motion to accept the Wright-Pierce report dated April 26, 2025, and to direct the town manager to draft and submit a letter to Maine DOT that includes the board’s comments and preferred alternatives. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.

Next steps include the town manager drafting the comment letter and engaging with Maine DOT on final design sequencing and funding. The board emphasized that public outreach and additional engineering review will follow as the state advances the project.