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Mount Desert board to hold public forum, invites police after repeated sidewalk and Seal Harbor parking problems
Summary
Select Board members said parking on sidewalks and narrow corners in Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor has become a safety and access problem; they voted to invite police to a future meeting and hold a public forum to gather resident input and identify enforcement or design solutions.
The Mount Desert Select Board agreed to schedule a public forum and invite the police to discuss chronic parking problems in Seal Harbor and other village areas after members described vehicles and a moped frequently blocking sidewalks and bike lanes.
At the April meeting a Select Board member said the most pressing areas are the corner leaving town near the post office in Seal Harbor and multiple locations where parked vehicles encroach on sidewalks the town has recently invested in. "I would love to see if parking on the sidewalk is illegal. Why are we not addressing that?" the board member asked during the discussion.
Board members urged a two-step approach: bring Police Chief Dave to a select board meeting to explain enforcement options and relevant ordinances, and then hold a publicly noticed forum (or move to a larger facility if turnout is high) to collect residents' suggestions and identify specific trouble spots. "So, how about this? We've put Dave on the agenda... we'll give as much public notice to attend," the chair said as the board agreed to the plan.
A board member discussed past problem locations—including congestion near Gilpatrick Cove and the fleet that previously required cleanup—and said the town should consider both enforcement (tickets) and longer-term solutions such as clearer parking designations or time-limited parking. The board noted that some on-street parking occurs because driveways lack space and that repeated occurrences of sidewalk parking reduce pedestrian access and increase safety risk.
The board did not set a date at the meeting but agreed to add the police to a forthcoming agenda and publicize a forum before the May town meeting if possible. The forum will be publicly noticed so residents can attend or listen in and point to specific locations for consideration.
