The voters of Saco have spoken, and they do not want to pay $1.7 million to fund the restoration of the Stackpole Creek bridge. That leaves the city with a difficult decision to make: seek non-taxpayer money to restore the bridge, or propose a less expensive fix that would replace it without regard to its historical features.
The debate over whether to restore or replace this bridge is nothing new ”“ it’s been ongoing for more than a decade, but the bridge has now deteriorated to the point that it cannot safely support traffic, according to engineering studies. This small bridge over Simpson Road has been closed since the spring of 2013 ”“ nearly a year ”“ leaving the City of Saco to depend on the Town of Buxton for emergency and plowing services for those who live on the north side.
This is not a sustainable arrangement, of course, and we agree with Mayor Don Pilon that reopening the Stackpole Bridge is the most important goal. Bridges exist to allow motorists and others to cross rivers. Right now, in all of its historical glory, the Stackpole Bridge is not serving the purpose for which it was intended.
The city cannot simply rest on its laurels and leave this bridge closed while it hopes for enough money and public support to restore it. Saco voters are fed up with tax hikes, and, last November, voted solidly against investing $1.7 million to fix this small bridge most people rarely use. Yes, it has historical significance, having stood for more than 150 years, and it made the 2013 list of Maine Preservations most endangered historic properties. But the fact is that the bridge is no longer getting the job done. If Saco voters don’t want to pay for its restoration, another approach must be taken ”“ and that may involve the loss of the bridge’s historically relevant attributes, such as its dry stone masonry construction.
A replacement of the bridge would cost just less than $1 million, which is far less than the restoration proposal. The pre-cast concrete bridge would have a stone façade and require about $100,000 in in-house services. Voters would have the final say on this approach if the council puts it forth, and it’s a far more palatable price tag, especially considering that the city could qualify for a low-interest loan of $490,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation State Infrastructure Bank.
Especially with the Dayton school district recently choosing to align itself with Biddeford for school administrative services ”“ which means Saco taxpayers are looking at a loss of another $125,000 in revenue ”“ we can’t see the tax-weary Saco voters approving much more of an expenditure.
All hope is not yet lost for historic renovation of this bridge, however. The city is pursuing a grant through the Narrangasett Number One Foundation in Buxton, as well as other charity funding, that could help fund a restoration project rather than a replacement. Without a charitable contribution, though, it looks like the bridge will have to be replaced rather than restored. A deadline should definitely be set for acquisition of grant money so that the reopening of the bridge is not put off indefinitely.
The city is overdue to make a decision now that the bridge restoration proposal has been rejected by voters. It would be nice to retain the historically relevant masonry, but even those who originally built the bridge would surely prefer to see the passage reopened, whatever it takes. That’s why they built it in the first place, after all.
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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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