PHIPPSBURG — A new recreational vehicle park may be coming to Popham Beach in Phippsburg, but some locals are concerned about what the project would mean for the coastal views.
David and Tracy Percy, prior owners of Percy’s General Store in Phippsburg, want to create an 11-unit RV park on the site of the store, which was demolished last year. If approved, the RV park would be set up at 6 Sea St, near the intersection of Sea Street and Popham Road.
During a public hearing for the project last Tuesday, David Percy said each campsite will have a connection for water, electricity and septic, as well as a fire pit. The facility will also have a two-story bathhouse for guests.
A 6- to 8-foot wooden fence will be installed around the perimeter for privacy and to reduce noise. Detailed plans for the project were not immediately available.
Last Tuesday’s hearing drew a crowd of roughly 35 people, some of whom spoke out against the project, expressing concerns about how the RV park and its fence might ruin their views.
Kerri Hanscom, who grew up in Popham Beach and started the Facebook page “I love Popham Beach,” is concerned about how the proposed RV park could affect the area and its neighbors because “it’s a small area to try to fit 12 campers there.”
“[The fence and two-story bathhouse] will affect the value of peoples’ houses and if they rent their homes, there’s a good chance people will lose their renters,” she said.
Hanscom said she’s also concerned about how the noise and trash will affect neighbors, as well as the potential for “sand dune erosion” created by increased traffic in the area.
“I’d love to see another campground on Popham Beach, but just not there,” she said. “I think the bad outweighs the good with this project. I’m worried the town will approve it, then regret it.”
Marie Varian, planning board chair, said she “doesn’t have any feelings” about the project and will remain impartial, basing her decision on whether the proposal follows town ordinances.
“It is what it is,” she said. “We have the ordinances to go by. That’s what we’re appointed for. … We don’t take sides.”
During a planning board meeting last July, David Percy said he and Tracy Percy wanted to do something new after their store closed.
“We were looking to transition into something that was a little less of an impact on the property, ourselves, and the area,” he said. “We thought a campsite would be low-impact while still generating a little revenue.”
The Phippsburg Planning Board will meet again to decide whether to approve the proposal at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, at Phippsburg Elementary School.
The Percy family declined to comment when contacted about their proposal.
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