Table Salt Exterior Improvements Approved in Old China Joy Building

Carrie Jones

Apr 03, 2025

Share

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Andy’s Home Improvement Inc.

BAR HARBOR—Irving Oil is looking to redevelop its property at 99 Cottage Street, across from Machias Savings Bank.

”We’re looking to completely redevelop the property,” Jim Mitchell, vice president of Tropic Star Development said in an informal and preliminary discussion with the town’s design review board, March 27.

According to the Bar Harbor tax assessor’s database, the .22 acre site is next to the town’s municipal building and owned by Cobalt Properties, LLC out of Calais, Maine.

The tanks on the site are due to be out of operation in April, Mitchell said. His company has filed for a demolition permit with the town, and Mitchell expects the planning board process will take multiple months to get through. Before that, he wanted to run the draft plans by the design review board.

The project—as currently proposed—will close off the very open entrances and exits from Cottage Street.

“It’s just a wide open sea of curb cuts on both frontages,” he said of the Holland Avenue and Cottage Street site. “It’s kind of a nightmare today.”

The company hopes to define the curb cuts and gain approval to put in a concrete sidewalk that would tie in with the existing sidewalks. It is also trying to move a telephone pole.

The proposal would increase parking spots by five, Mitchell said, adding that he’s in contact with Bar Harbor Public Works Director Bethany Leavitt about the project.

Vice Chair Erin Cough asked about a manhole cover that had sunk in the area and said that she thought the project was great and was visually compatible with the area.

There would be some areas of red brick on the building, trees planted, and landscaping on the site.

---

TABLE SALT

Table Salt’s co-owner Daniel Bockman zoomed in from the hospital room to go over exterior changes to Table Salt, a new restaurant expected to open in May. Co-owner Angelica Bockman had just given birth and to the delight of many of the board members, the baby also made a quick appearance on the screen.

Board member Bo Jennings recused himself from the conversation because he works for the property owner and helps run the business that owns that building at 195 Main Street.

The family hopes to give the building an exterior facelift and include planting boxes. Those planting boxes can be behind the drip edge of the sockets which extend approximately a foot beyond the siding, board member Pancho Cole said.

The property, which last hosted China Joy, is not considered a historic building.

The proposal was approved to removing existing awnings; replace existing lights with new lights; replace existing single door with new door, and add flower boxes.

---

Follow us on Facebook. And as a reminder, you can easily view all our past stories and press releases here.

Bar Harbor Story is a mostly self-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for being here with us and caring about our community, too!

Thanks for reading Bar Harbor Story ! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here (about how you can give) or here (a direct link), which is the same as the button below.

To support The Story

If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.