LIMESTONE, Maine – Limestone’s long-time summer campground will reopen this year under new management.
On Wednesday, the Select Board voted unanimously to keep Trafton Lake Campground and Recreation Area operational and pursue a deal with Limestone resident Jim Ireland, who has expressed interest in managing the campground.
Last month, Ireland told the board that he would maintain the grounds, move the office closer to the road, market Trafton online and allow campers to pay online instead of only at the town office. Ireland did not attend the latest Select Board meeting Wednesday.
The board decided to postpone selling or leasing the campground until Ireland has had a chance to manage the sites for at least one summer.
“I have faith in Jim managing Trafton this year,” said Select Board member Chris Durepo. “It would give us a chance to step back and see what we can do to market the place properly. Maybe bring in a realtor to estimate a value.”
Caribou resident Glen Edgecomb told the board in March that he would like to possibly purchase the campground. Since then, another prospective buyer has come forward, said Interim Town Manager Alan Mulherin.
Select Board Chairperson Randy Brooker said that the town should consider a buyer who presents a clear plan for revitalizing the campground.
“It shouldn’t necessarily be the person with the lowest bid,” Brooker said. “They should come to us with a business plan on where [Trafton] might be three or four years from now.”
The Select Board blamed a lack of online marketing and regular management for why Trafton Lake failed to generate enough revenue the last two summers. Last year, the campground brought in $12,000 and spent $26,000, costing the town $14,000.
Town Clerk Kelly Johndro said that she would give the board complete financial records from the last two years of Trafton at a future meeting.
Mulherin said that the town will pursue regaining Trafton Lake’s state campground permit after failing state health and safety inspections last year.
Inspection reports from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services state that the water system does not have backflow prevention, a sink in the women’s restroom has loose faucets, the floors and toilets in both restrooms need extensive cleaning and part of the bathhouse’s walls have begun decaying. There is construction debris outside the bathhouse.
Students from Loring Job Corps will volunteer to repair the bathhouse later this spring, Brooker noted. The town will determine potential repair costs for the other issues and aim to open the campground by early summer, Mulherin said.
Tax assessor Brandon Saucier recently mapped Trafton Lake and concluded that the entire campground and recreation area spans 46 acres, rather than the originally projected 49 acres, Mulherin said. The lake itself spans 85 acres.
In other business, the Select Board accepted a bid from Caribou-based Soderberg Construction to pave Pondview Street and Long Road at $103 per ton, with estimated totals of $77,250 for Pondview Street and $48,925 for Long Road.
Mulherin announced that the town office will be closed Monday, April 8 for the town’s eclipse events. Limestone Chamber of Commerce and Loring
Development Authority are planning activities at Loring’s arch hangar for that day.
