The U.S. General Services Administration will host a public meeting next week in Fort Fairfield to discuss proposed construction of a new port of entry.
The meeting is planned Tuesday, June 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fort Fairfield Middle-High School cafeteria. All are welcome to attend and participate.
Proposed two years ago, the project would expand and modernize the 91-year-old border crossing facility. Fort Fairfield and Limestone are two of five Maine border stations to receive upgrades through the $3.4 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $195 million of which has been allocated to Maine. Other stations will include Houlton, Calais Ferry and, on the Quebec border, Coburn Gore.
Built in 1934, the current Fort Fairfield building lacks up-to-date security and can’t handle the amount of traffic that now flows across the border, officials have said. It also needs energy efficiency, plumbing and electrical upgrades. Improvements are expected to upgrade security and allow quicker crossing.
“The people who live along the border depend on this deep, cross-border community engagement, often crossing through the port daily for jobs, mutual aid and everyday life,” Paul Hughes, the General Service Administration’s regional public affairs officer for New England, said when the project was proposed in 2023.
Tuesday’s meeting will include an overview of the General Service Administration’s draft environmental assessment, which analyzes a 20-acre study area for potential impacts to land, property and wildlife from the proposed expansion.
The Fort Fairfield port occupies a 1.65-acre parcel north of Boundary Line Road and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The assessment proposes two alternatives: construct a new port of entry and demolish the old building, or do nothing and keep the property as is. The “no action” option does not meet Customs and Border Patrol requirements but would include necessary maintenance.
Should the administration choose the new building option, staff would consult with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and would need to acquire land from adjacent property owners.
The parcel studied includes 2.5 acres of mostly fallow agricultural land and 6 acres of forest, according to the report. The land does not include any critical wildlife habitat. Though Canada lynx have been noted within the parcel, the study found no contact with vehicles occurred.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife did not note any protected species in the area, officials said in the draft. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified six bird species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act: bald eagle, bobolink, chimney swift, evening grosbeak, rose-breasted grosbeak and veery.
Construction could temporarily displace wildlife in the area, but work times and areas would be adjusted to avoid disturbing lynx or protected birds.
Construction would require some grading and excavation, the study found, but neither the construction nor as-is option would significantly affect floodplains or wetlands.
About 25 people attended a public meeting last year, where the chief concerns were road access and whether the crossing would be closed during construction. Officials said the goal would be to minimize impact on residents living near the station, but it was too soon to know if the port would be temporarily closed if construction goes forward.
Copies of the draft assessment are also available at the Fort Fairfield Public Library.
People can also submit written comments on the document. Forms will be provided at the June 10 meeting and can be submitted then, or people can email fortfairfield.LPOE@gsa.gov and put “Fort Fairfield Draft EA” in the subject line.
Comments may also be mailed to the U.S. General Services Administration, Attention: Eugene Mozzoni, Project Manager, O’Neill Federal Building, 11th Floor, 10 Causeway St., Boston, MA 02222.
The deadline is 5 p.m. on June 23.
