In November, Biddeford voters will once again be asked to approve funds to make improvements to City Hall, specifically the clock tower, as well as pay for needed sewer work, including federally-mandated sewer and storm water separation.
Residents seem to recognize the importance of the sewer improvements and have approved bond referendums in the past to pay for them – although they voted against the last request in November. If the city does not approve the proposed $3.925 million bond this year and proceed as scheduled to separate the sewer and storm water pipelines, it could face significant fines.
The improvements are also needed to preserve area water quality.
In areas of the city where a combined sewer system carries both sewage and storm water in a single piping system, there is danger, during significant periods of rainfall or snowmelt, of overrunning the collection systems and overflowing and polluting nearby water streams.
Fortunately, it seems for the most part, residents have recognized that it is cheaper and more environmentally-sound to pay to carry out sewer and storm water separation in a timely manner rather than face the possibility of paying penalties, and eventually be forced to pay for the work at some future date.
Hopefully, in November, voters will recognize the importance and economic sense of approving the sewer bond.
However, paying for City Hall improvements and restoring the 120-year-old clock tower, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has so far not been high on residents’ list of things to do.
Twice before, a bond to pay for restoration has been put before voters. And residents have voted against the bonds both times.
City officials are hoping the third time’s a charm and that Biddeford citizens approve the $2.27 million bond for City Hall repairs at the November election.
The last time restoration work was done to the tower was about seven years ago, according to Facilities Manager Phil Radding.
At that time, $225,000 was spent mainly to shore up the tower and limit further deterioration. But that work was only expected to last a few years.
It has been decades since significant work has been done on the clock tower, said Radding.
At this point a lot of work on the clock tower is needed. It is both unsightly and dangerous. Radding keeps pieces of the structure, which have fallen off, on his desk.
Some of the required restoration work includes repointing the bricks, stripping or replacing the wood, fixing the windows and bringing the tower back to its original color of dark red.
In addition, the bond would pay for other City Hall repairs, like fixing leaky windows, installing a sprinkler system and more.
City Hall was built in 1894 by famed architect John Calvin Stevens. Many describe the clock tower as “iconic” – as a symbol of the city. Its location, at the intersection of Main and Adams streets, is at the crossroads of the downtown and the city’s historic mill district.
For a time, Biddeford itself was at a crossroads on whether it would move forward or remain stagnant, but no longer. Since January alone, an estimated $77 million worth of investments in new projects have been approved by the city in the mill district, from housing projects to restaurants and a hotel. More development is in the works.
The city is moving forward.
Now is the time for voters to recognize it’s a new day for Biddeford, and to vote yes at the ballot box to ensure its clock tower symbol is a reflection of the city’s bright future.
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