Engineers, Nonresidents Fuel Naples Lakefront Bridge Controversy

Controversy continues to surround the fate of the Naples causeway bridge project as the date nears for a local, non-binding referendum vote on the bridge options May 20th.

Two items in the local newspaper point out the difficulties in deciding this question.

The first describes the response to an appeal made to the Army Corps of Engineers to designate the Standish-to-Harrison waterway a "U.S. Navigable Waterway". Such a classification would make it incumbent upon the federal government to keep the waterway open which would impact the type of bridge that would be built to replace the aging swing bridge currently in place. The Corps of Engineers have told the town that the waterway does not qualify for such classification. However, Naples town manager Derik Goodine read the reasoning behind the judgement and felt that, given their criteria, this waterway should be classified as a "U.S. Navigable Waterway", with all the attending benefits. He has repetitioned the Corps of Engineers and is awaiting a response. You can read the full article in our Lake News.

The other item that caught out interest was a letter to the editor of the Bridgton News that says that the referendum on May 20th is a sham because many of the people that will be affected by the bridge decision are lakefront property owners and many of them are nonresidents - and therefore not able to vote their preferences. The writer has a bit more to say, as well, and you can also read the full text in our Lake News.

As always, we will try to post updates about this controversy as they develop.