Selectboard will hold another listening session in May.

Carrie Jones

Apr 08, 2026

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden.

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MOUNT DESERT—Mount Desert may rethink parking rules after residents warned that crowded streets, blocked sidewalks, and limited enforcement are creating growing safety concerns.

“We’re happy to police any way that the community wants us to police,” Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Chief David Kerns said at a listening session organized by the town’s Selectboard, Monday. “That’s why this listening session is super important.”

It was just a listening session, Town Manager Alex Kimball said, as residents spoke about safety issues and enforcement issues in Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor, but it’s also a first step in determining where the town might want to change its parking policies or rules or enforcements.

Both safety issues and enforcement issues came up during the meeting. Bar Harbor parking staff handle the enforcement in Mount Desert by running through a route that takes over an hour to complete during the summer season. However, the parking spaces are for two hours. The parking enforcement staff do not come back multiple times to make sure that two-hour time limit is enforced.

Previously, Chief Kerns said, the town had wanted a softer stance on enforcing that limit.

“One of the problems is that especially—like above me—the number of beds to apartments and cars just can’t be accommodated,” said Sabrina Wood, echoing the thoughts of the chamber director, Katrina Carter, and Adam Fraley about a need for parking.

There is also a rough framework for a free overnight parking program for residents and seasonal staff (such as workers at the Seal Harbor Yacht Club) that have no parking at their homes.

This could be established if the town chooses to do so.

Parking on the sidewalks was also a concern. It forces pedestrians into the roadway and also damages the sidewalks. Cathy Kalenian said that it also deters pedestrians from walking into the town, which could hurt the local economy.

“A sidewalk is meant for walking, and as we all know, contractors of all types, painters, landscapers, construction, all pull up and park on the sidewalk, and in addition, there are some summer people who park on the sidewalk because they, quote, have always parked there, and I think that’s a problem, too, even though they might have space for only one or two cars,” Kalenian said.

That makes her worried about both pedestrians forced to walk in traffic and the condition of the sidewalks.

“If you walk there, you’ll see that they’re in severe disrepair, they’re uneven and cracked with broken pavement, and even so narrow as to cause pedestrians to walk single file,” she said. “Now that the Asticou has reopened, we’ve noticed many hotel guests walking from the hotel into town, and they’re walking out on the street because they have no choice.”

In order for the village to be economically successful, she said, it has to be appealing to walk from the hotel into town.

“The other concern, of course, is safety and speed. Vehicles drive too fast, particularly in an area with a curb and there’s no shoulder there, and it’s used by bicycles and walkers,” she said. “We suggest that contractors and homeowners park only on one side of the street and not on the sidewalk. It serves two purposes. It saves the sidewalk for walkers, and it slows down the traffic. All cars coming from Route 3 into town are speeding, and they are forced to share the road with parked cars and bicycles. So, at minimum, we’re thinking this could be a Memorial Day to Columbus Day rule, and some additional signage would be helpful.”

The possibility of making the narrow Steamboat Wharf Road one-way was mentioned by Steve Pinkham.

“I don’t know how many of you people have been down there in June, July, and August, part of September, but it’s very hectic. I mean, there’s a lot of arguments; people aren’t willing to back up, you know; parking on one side of the road,” Pinkham said.

Sanford Whitehouse was concerned about safety at the Cooksey Drive intersection and the potential of making it a one-way road.

“It’s an incredibly blind intersection, especially down the hill. And even with the roads being as they currently are, I’ve had instances before where pulling out their, there’s cars zooming up the hill,” Whitehouse said. “And I think that putting more traffic going along Cooksey and turning down towards down the hill is just an accident waiting to happen. So I would strongly oppose making that a one-way road.”

“What would you ever do if you get a fire up there and take one of those trucks out? There’s no getting through,” Selectboard member Rodney King asked asked Fire Chief Michael Bender.

“On certain times, there’s no get-through,” Chief Bender agreed.

There was discussion of potentially removing the pocket of permitting parking by the Yacht Club, which occurs at a narrow point in the road.

Parking at Little Long Pond was also a concern.

Phil Lichtenstein mentioned that he thought the parking at the pond’s entrance was dangerous, and suggested eliminating it. Instead, it was suggested, cars could be directed to park at the safer lot up the hill.

“Last summer, there was a really bad incident where someone decided to angle park, and then the next car angle parked. Then the next car, and now we have cars in the street, angle parked,” Lichtenstein said. “It was not a good situation. I went up the road and called the Land and Garden Reserve to remind them that they have an issue, you know, on their land. And I think I’d love to see the parking eliminated completely there.”

Parking on the S-curve on Jordan Pond Road near Wildwood Road creates a blind spot and increases the risk of accidents.

People also spoke to confusing signage at the Cranberry Isles Lot, which is leased to the Town of Cranberry Isles. The signage for special spots refers to Cranberry residents with mobility needs. Some attendees discussed improving the signage to clarify the rules.

The Seal Harbor Firehouse Lot was also mentioned. Fire Chief Mike Bender said overnight parking at the lot was restricted to prevent short-term rental occupants from using it. This overnight parking ban in the lot could change to allow for renters of the community room to use it.

Similarly, the Upper Seal Harbor Lot is currently unpaved and mostly used for construction and boat trailer storage. A possibility mentioned was paving it and lining the lot for parking at the village and beach.

The town will continue to gather input at a May 18 meeting at the Neighborhood House and could potentially start up a parking committee.

“I think at that point in time, we’ll start to come back with beginnings of some recommendations here,” Kimball said. “It’s probably time for us to start really talking through a lot of this because some of these are going to be really difficult decisions that don’t necessarily have an easy solution, but we’ve clearly got to start getting a little more creative here. We’ll put our heads together and we’ll start really listening through everything.”

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GEOFF WOOD’S FAREWELL

It was Selectboard Secretary Geoff Wood’s last meeting because he did not take out papers to run again.

“I just wanted to comment that it’s been an honor to serve and to work with all the people that we’ve worked with,” Wood said. “And I don’t have anything prepared, but I really, I really have embraced this opportunity and not always been pleased with the way things turned out, but really glad to have been part of a process. And thank you all. Thank you.”

He was greeted by a round of thanks.

“We’re going to miss you,” Vice Chair Wendy Littlefield said.

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