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Maine Audubon to list Hamilton Sanctuary caretaker house, says it will keep managing trails
Summary
Maine Audubon told the Westcott Trails Committee it plans to list the on‑site caretaker house at Hamilton Sanctuary in West Bath while retaining ownership and stewardship of the parking area and trails; neighbors pressed the group on trust funds, monitoring and town approvals.
Maine Audubon representatives told the Westcott Trails Committee they plan to list the on‑site caretaker house at the Hamilton Sanctuary in West Bath while continuing to own and manage the sanctuary’s trails and parking.
"So I will happily state that Maine Audubon is 100 committed to maintaining the property, the trails, everything to absolute best of our ability as the funds will allow," said Judy Newsome, who identified herself as Maine Audubon’s president during the meeting.
Committee Chair Helen Hudson opened the item by noting the sanctuary at 681 Foster's Point Road is about 86 acres with roughly 2.75 miles of trails and that long‑time caretakers Glenn and Mary Ann Warner will not be employed after August. Audubon said it is not proposing to abandon the sanctuary; rather, staff explained the organization has shifted away from maintaining live‑in caretakers across its properties and has invested in a land‑steward model.
Maine Audubon described a plan to subdivide a minimum two‑acre parcel containing the house — the minimum lot size in the local zone — and to retain the parking area and trails under Audubon ownership. "We are proposing to put it into private hands," said Michael Petanya, who identified himself as chair of Audubon’s properties committee, adding the organization would continue to staff stewardship activities and volunteer programs.
Residents at the meeting asked for details about how restricted trust funds left by the sanctuary’s donor would be handled and whether proceeds from a sale would remain dedicated to Hamilton. Audubon representatives said attorneys and the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (which holds the easement) reviewed the proposal and indicated the sale is legally permissible; they said proceeds and existing restricted funds would be used to manage the Hamilton property.
The committee set a follow‑up: Audubon agreed to return for additional discussion and to provide the legal and survey details on a proposed lot carve‑out at a future meeting slated for Sept. 14.
