Bransfield Gives Update on Riverside Park Pavilion and Library Roof

Selectmen were told a new phase has begun in improvements to Riverfront Park in Portland.

First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield told the board work is now underway on a new pavilion which officials hope will be an inviting place for local residents and visitors to have picnics or to rest after hiking one of the trails in the park. 

Bransfield said groundbreaking took place Monday for the pavilion which will measure 30' by 50'. It will have picnic tables inside. Bransfield says the new pavilion is a major step in the overall development of the park. She and others will report on the future of the park and quarries at a meeting of the Brownstone Quorum which will be held Monday night at the Portland Library.

Later, after the formal meeting, Bransfield spoke more about the pavilion and several other projects

She said the pavilion will be covered by a $200,000 state grant under the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP).

Work will continue this coming week with clearing brush and leveling soil leading up to pouring a cement pad for the structure. The pavilion will be built from pre-cut wood that comes in a kit.

The contractor is Evergreen Construction of Massachusetts, which will do the engineering and design as well as assembling the pavilion. Bransfield added that local suppliers and firms also will be hired. She said the Butler company will provide some of the fill.

The pavilion is expected to be finished in early December, weather permitting. 

Members of the Quorum, a volunteer group that has been helping improve Riverside Park, also attended the groundbreaking. Bransfield said a Quorum member suggested the grand opening be a town-wide picnic next spring.  

Bransfield then confirmed that work is underway on the roof of the Portland Public Library. A crane was used to lift pallets and bundles of roofing materials on top of the building Thursday of last week. Bransfield says the removal of the old roof and installation of new materials will come as soon as workers can expect several days of good weather.

The cost of the roof came in lower than expected at $230,000. 

The roof is part of a five-year lease agreement that was approved by a town meeting earlier this year as part of the budget process. The lease will also be used to purchase three police cars and several large trucks for the Public Works department.

There will also be money for a scanner to digitize property maps at town hall. Maps and other documents will all be computerized, which, Bransfield said, will make it a lot easier for people in town to find important information. 

On still another topic, Bransfield said the street scape project on lower Main Street is nearing final completion. She acknowledged the project caused an added distraction of sorts for drivers navigating the merge near the Arrigoni Bridge every morning, but said the orange barrels and cones will be gone, hopefully by the first week in November. 

Final touches will be installed such as decorative plant holders, metal benches, and banners for poles that are already in place.