The Camden Select Board unanimously approved an extension on a ban on building private piers and docks in the town harbor at their Wednesday night meeting.
The 180 day extension marks the third passed by the town government since the moratorium was first enacted in June 2022. The extension is intended to give the town time to develop permanent rules around docks.
With rising sea levels, one of the board’s concerns is ensuring that any future private docks are able to withstand the impact of climate change. Board members including Chair Tom Hedstrom and member Alison McKeller are also concerned that the continued construction of privately owned docks could affect the public’s access to the harbor in the long term.
“When you have these private piers put in, they’re there forever,” said McKellar. “It’s a permanent obstruction to the public right of way.”
Although the board could enact permanent policy changes themselves, they said Tuesday that they want any potential permanent ban on future private pier development to go to voters as a referendum question.
With this passage also came an ask to Jeremy Martin, the town’s planning and development director, and the Planning Board to create a policy recommendation on private piers and docks. After that, the Select Board will have to approve the recommendation to go to voters.
However, there isn’t enough time for the Planning Board to draft and host a public hearing on any potential ordinance amendments related to prohibiting future private piers before passing them to the Select Board before the deadline for this November’s ballot. The board could potentially put the Harbor Committee’s recommendations to a vote later this year though, Martin said.
Earlier this year, the town’s Harbor Committee recommended potential ordinance amendments that would call for any future piers to be made to withstand more harsh storms, and to have the ability to be raised as sea levels continue to rise.
No one spoke in opposition to the extension during the public hearing prior to the passage.
