SACO — The city is considering charging Camp Ellis residents an assessment fee that would help cover costs to maintain a proposed Army Corps project in Saco Bay.
The federal government has appropriated $26.9 million for a project to offset beach erosion in the Camp Ellis area caused by the Saco River jetty, which extends into Saco Bay from the mouth of the Saco River. The jetty was built in the late 1800s to create a smooth shipping channel.
A proposed project by the Army Corps of Engineers would add a 750-foot-long spur jetty, attached perpendicular to the existing Saco River jetty, about 1,475 feet from the shoreline, and would also reinforce about 400 feet of the existing jetty.
Maintenance, after the proposed construction is completed, would include beach nourishment ”“ sand being put back on the beach ”“ about every 12 years. Federal funds may be left over after construction for the first and second beach nourishments, according to city documents.
City officials say the proposed agreement may require a partnership between the city and the federal government. Under the proposed partnership, the city would be responsible for 50 percent of beach nourishment costs after the initial $26.9 million runs out.
Over the next 50 years, it is estimated the city would be expected to pay a total of about $7 million for beach nourishment and maintenance, according to city documents.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Economic Director Peter Morelli discussed an option the city is looking at to cover the proposed costs.
The city is considering creating a municipal development district that would be charged an assessment fee in addition to city taxes. The assessment fee could be used to pay for all or part of the city’s share for future beach nourishment, said Morelli.
The proposed municipal development district would run from Bayview Avenue to Camp Ellis, from Seaside Avenue to the ocean. State law requires at least 25 percent of the district be suitable for commercial development, and this area would satisfy that requirement, according to Morelli.
Philip Blood, the councilor for the ward that covers Camp Ellis, said he thought it was prudent for the city to explore ways to pay for upkeep the federal government won’t fund, but said, “I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect these people to pay the whole bill.”
Blood said the beach at Camp Ellis provides recreational space for many people, and the area already brings in significant tax revenues.
The city council will have the Saco Shoreline Commission weigh in on the matter before further discussion.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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