Yarmouth voters approved a ballot measure to fund three infrastructure projects, 4312 votes to 1768 votes, on Nov. 5. The $10.5 million bond will go toward rehabbing the Harbor Pump Station, replacing the Davis Landing Bridge, and fixing up the Cousin’s Island walkway.
The town estimates that on top of the principal, the interest on the bond – calculated at a 4% interest rate over a 25 year maturity – will cost $5.6 million.
Voters in Yarmouth approved a $10.5 million bond question during the Nov. 5 election. The money willcover the costs of three infrastructure projects that town officials have deemed critical, including rehabbing the Harbor Pump Station. Contributed / Town of Yarmouth
Prior to the election, Manager Scott LaFlamme called the projects “critical” and said the town should not delay in addressing them.
Roughly $7 million of the $10.5 million will go toward upgrading the Harbor Pump Station, which is located on Route 88. The Harbor Pump Station is the largest of the town’s some 30 pump stations and handles 85% of the town’s sewer flow. It is no longer up to code and requires significant repairs, according to town materials. The Harbor Pump Station is also the only facility that can remove grit – inorganic matter that must be removed manually – from the sewer flow system wide. The current grit removal function is old and does not work efficiently, according to the town. The bond money will pay for transferring the town’s grit removal system to its wastewater plant on Whitcombs Way, and significantly reconfiguring the existing Harbor Pump Station.
Approximately $1.5 million of the total bond amount will be used to replace Davis Landing Bridge — a concrete structure built in 1936 that carries East Main Street traffic over Pratt’s Brook. The bridge is owned by the town, not the state, and is in need of repairs, according to the Maine Department of Transportation. Maine DOT last inspected the bridge in 2023 and determined that parts of it are in poor condition.
Lastly, $2 million of the $10.5 million will go toward rehabbing the well-trafficked pedestrian walkway that stretches along Cousin’s Street from Sandy Point Beach to Wharf Road. Currently, the walkway does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, according to the town.