This The proposed Town of China public beach is the wrong place This fall taxpayers in China are going to be asked to spend a lot of money for a parcel of land near the head of the lake as a public beach area, it should be a place the Town can afford and a place that can withstand high volumes of public use. A place that won’t create a muddy mess for neighbors who are highly taxed property owners. The land the Town in all its wisdom is looking to get local taxpayers to buy has an initial cost of nearly $600,000.00, and that can be expected to be only the beginning of a taxpayers money pit. I participated in sail boat racing held at the Willow Beach camps near the currently proposed public beach a few hundred yards away had six to ten inches of mud as the only sand along that area was trucked in, something that’s not allowed anymore. I believe much of that area was filled wetland a century ago. Parking at the currently proposed lot would be dangerous if the far side of the road was utilized and it clearly would have to be. Children could be expected to frequently cross busy Lakeview Drive to retrieve things from the family automobile. The grass presently near the water would be quickly gone. The soil would be compacted, trodden down from foot traffic due to all beach activities being held on the grass made necessary due to the high level of the lake. The lake in turn would become muddy the prevailing winds would drive the mud stirred up on the bottom north. There is a better place that does have a natural sand beach (no mud) sandy bottom, parking and would not involve children crossing busy Lakeview Drive. This area was originally created as a road by the State that is barely vegetated and can withstand high foot traffic without causing erosion issues, and the best part, ITS’ ALL FREE AND BELONGS TO CHINA RIGHT NOW. Although ignored current use of that Town property makes it hard to tell. I’ve done some research regarding the old road easement between the restaurant and the lake at the head of the lake and found the Maine DOT discontinued the old road between the restaurant and the lake to the Town of China, not half the road, ALL THE ROAD. The documents can be found at depu.org There is a notation in the China tax records dated 2009 written by the Town of China tax assessor reducing the land taxes for the restaurant stating “03/09-Reval correction: reduced land value due to parcel having no waterfront. Also, corrected lot size from 0.59ac to 0.46ac. 10/10-QTR Rev: no rev; just there”. Currently the Town is taxing for half the road easement, a tax assessment error in my opinion as the maps, the DOT official I spoke with in Augusta and the law cited in the original DOT paperwork state the road, not half of the road was discontinued, to the Town of China. When the lake is at it’s correct level the beach at that end of the lake is the best beach on China Lake and would easily, without negative environmental impact or cost to the Taxpayers of China, be the perfect ready made solution for a project of this type. The beach at the old road easement is also next to the Town boat ramp and a good take out restaurant that I’m sure would benefit from more patrons using the beach if the Town requested the lake be restored to its historical level and regained its beautiful white beach. Respectfully submitted, Al Althenn was in the TownLine this week and it is a very good article. We should all give it some thought and go and vote on November 5th.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 21:15:39 +0000