Manager James Smith outlined progress on bridges, housing, recreation, and utility improvements. Council waives school demolition fee.
Jun 19, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Historical Society.
BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor will likely begin a traffic pilot project that will impact the intersection of a major downtown thoroughfare.
The plan calls for a pilot layout at the intersection of Mount Desert and Main Streets.
“It’s a pilot. It’s temporary,” Town Manager James Smith told the Bar Harbor Town Council, June 16. “If it isn’t working, we’re probably not going to come back with a proposal that looks like this.”
The goal, he said, is to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
It’s a Safe Streets for All demonstration project, according to Public Works Directory Bethany Leavitt, who presented the plan. The site was chosen because of pedestrian safety concerns and traffic flow issues.
“The community widely supported doing something at this intersection,” she said.
This is a recognized area that the town wants to make safer.
“We’re going to pilot that this summer,” Leavitt said.
Bar Harbor Vision Zero Safety Action Plan is meant to reduce the number of personal injury accidents in town.
A 2022 federal government grant—Safe Streets for All (SS4A)—funded $200,000 of planning funds to create the plan, which is “meant to provide Bar Harbor with a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries,” according to the town’s website.
The town then contracted with Stantec, a consulting firm, to create the plan. The final draft was presented this May. Town staff, a committee, and residents all participated in the 115-page plan.
On May 19, the Bar Harbor Town Council approved the safety plan and authorized Smith to explore ways to implement some of the strategies the plan identifies.
One of them is the intersection of Mount Desert and Main Street.
The temporary demonstration will remove the dedicated right-hand turn lane on Mount Desert Street onto Main Street.
“Part of the reason for that is just sight distance,” Leavitt said.
It will be an all-way stop during the pilot program as well.
“The third key feature of this is we’re removing a few key parking spaces,” she said.
Two of the spaces are on Main Street at the intersection. Other spaces are due to being too close to the crosswalk.
The pilot doesn’t remove the loading zone in the area.
“They’ll be a lot less going on there, especially with people not trying to park,” Leavitt said of the intersection.
“It’s all temporary. We’ll do data collection with DOT approval,” she said. If the pilot functions well, they could make changes in the future.
Councilor Deb Vickers asked how long and how the town will be collecting the data.
They’ll be collecting data through cameras, Leavitt said. She did not specify a length of time.
Councilor Earl Brechlin asked about the curb cut by the Ivy Manor and if it could be recovered as a parking space for the town. Leavitt said she believes that it’s already been recovered.
Brechlin also asked if staff and the Stantech consultants who created the plan believe the three-way stop will improve the traffic flow or instead backup Mount Desert all the way to Ledgelawn Avenue.
“Whether or not it backs up more than it does today, we’re trying to evaluate that,” Leavitt said.
Chair Maya Caines said that she was excited about the pilot, especially as someone who bikes around a lot. She asked if the town’s current pedestrian crossing deployments in the crosswalk have helped.
Leavitt believes that they have helped on Mount Desert Street, particularly in mid-block locations.
FINANCE DIRECTOR REPORT
Finance Director Sarah Gilbert gave a report for the fiscal year through May.
The revenues are slightly below the bench mark for the fiscal year, but that is likely due to the interest not yet reported on CIP lines. The town had also anticipated more for code revenue.
The town has not yet received its $42k payment in lieu of taxes from Acadia National Park.
The town has collected $3.7 million in parking revenue.
The town is also slightly lower than expected on expenditures. A lot of the spring work for public works is not yet reflected. The town has collected approximately 97% of property tax. There were 184 30-day demands mailed and so far 33 have been paid. There were 617 short-term rental permits this year as compared to 671 last year.
OTHER BUSINESS
The town waived the $11k demolition permit fee for the former Conners Emerson School. That school is being rebuilt.
The council authorized interim expenditures from the Water and Wastewater Enterprise Funds until the adoption of the fiscal year 2027 budgets.
It nominated Ken Smith, the town’s current representative, to another three-year term on the Acadia Advisory Commission.
The town recognized Juneteenth and recognized and continued its Design Review Board, which recently had some voter-approved changes at the June town meeting. This allows the board to continue its work until it’s put into a new portion of the town’s rules.
The councilors received the town clerk’s Certificate of Sufficiency of citizen petition for ordinance “Defining the Relationship Between Town Officials and Federal Immigration Enforcement.” They also scheduled a public hearing for July 7, 2026 to receive public comment.
PUBLIC COMMENT
During public comment, John O’Brien spoke to the citizens’ petition though it was on the agenda.
Douglas Heden, an Atlantic Avenue resident spoke to the groundwater situation on his street, which has been an ongoing and complicated problem for years.
“James Smith is all over this problem. He’s got it,” Heden said. ”He knows what to do. He’s working on it. We thank him for all his efforts.”
He also thanked Leavitt for her work, but wanted to get the councilors information about Atlantic Avenue and how 10 years ago sewer changes impacted a home on Atlantic Avenue. That home has to pump out its basement and that creates water issues. There are other issues on Hancock.
The solution is to put a storm drain on Hancock Lane, which is a private road, he said.
Residents, he said, are concerned about how it’s impacted properties.
“I know it’s a small problem in the great big problems you have in this town,” in terms of the town’s bigger problems, but he doesn’t want the money from the town’s infrastructure bond to run out before it can be fixed.
“It is in progress,” Smith said.
COUNCILORS’ COMMENTS
Steven Boucher welcomed new member Deborah Vickers.
“I think she is a well needed balanced voice,” Boucher said. “She’ll do great.”
Vickers thanked everyone for their acceptance and welcome and that she looked forward for things to come.
Brechlin gave kudos to Mount Desert Island High School track and field teams.
David Kief asked if there could be a discussion of a pared down version of the lodging moratorium and look toward offsite parking rules for transient accommodations as well.
MANAGER’S COMMENTS
During Smith’s manager’s comments during the meeting, he gave an extensive rundown of all the projects occurring in the town.
Staff, he said, continue to advance multiple town efforts.
A bullet pointed list of those follow:
Planning & Community Development
• Northeast Creek watershed planning continues.
• Town Hill housing project progressing.
• Land Use Ordinance modernization underway.
• Long-term community planning efforts continue.
Finance & Administration
• Recruitment underway for new Purchasing Agent.
• Annual property assessments and field inspections continue.
• New internal GIS system deployed, public version nearing release.
Public Works & Infrastructure
• Cromwell Brook Bridge completed and reopened.
• Ireson Hill Water Storage Tank project continues.
• Utility, stormwater, and other capital projects are advancing.
• Transfer Facility planning, permitting, and engineering continue. Policy recommendations will follow.
• Annual paving program underway. Hadley Point and Ledgewood are completed, DeGregoire Park Road, and upper Rodick Street anticipated this week, next at latest.
• Evaluating extension of temporary leaf and grass disposal agreement while compost facility permitting continues.
• Pursuing grants for Glen Mary Park and other recreation improvements.
Harbor Department
• Replaced Town Pier gangway using SHIP grant and ACL funding.
• Summer harbor operations fully underway.
• Ferry Terminal engineering and design work continues.
Police Department
• Addressing after-hours activity at parks through education before enforcement.
• Conducting speed surveys at key locations.
• Reviewing paid parking policies and rates, recommendations coming to Council.
Parks & Recreation
• Summer operations fully underway, seasonal staff hired.
• Athletic fields, playgrounds, landscaping, trees, and beautification work completed.
• Fourth of July preparations underway. American flags received through Cole Foundation grant, waiting on Versant approval for utility poles, Town poles will receive flags.
• Memorial Day preparations successfully completed, including Village Green improvements, landscaping, flags, and community event coordination. Recognition of Sgt. Maj. Ret. Mario Marquez, Chamber of Commerce, American Legion, volunteers, and Town staff for a successful Memorial Day observance.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Our previous story about the citizen’s initiative.
Bar Harbor’s Latest Citizens’ Initiative Focuses on Immigration Enforcement.
All images via Town Council packet.
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