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August 03, 2009

Sears Island marketeer was hired June 1

Update on March 4 story

This very quiet item is just reaching the Maine Owl news desk now:

State selects California firm to market Sears Island
By Tanya Mitchell | The Republican Journal Reporter
AUGUSTA (July 22): Moffatt & Nichol, a company based in Long Beach, Calif., was selected over four other contenders for the right to market some 300 acres on Sears Island for potential port development.

Maine Port Authority Executive Director John Henshaw said the firm stood out over the other applicants because of the depth of its experience with transportation-related developments, including port development planning. MPA signed a contract with the company June 1.

"I anticipate that they will be issuing requests for expressions of interest throughout the port development industry, probably through August," said Henshaw.

That, said Henshaw, will help the state determine what kind of interest there is in developing a port on the island, as well as what the current needs of the marine transportation industry are, given the state of the economy.

Henshaw said that along with offering basic information about the island, such as the rail and nearby road infrastructure that exists at the site now, the early stages of the marketing process should result in potential investors telling the state what is possible.

"That will tell us what ultimately ought to be built there and when," he said.
I suppose I should read Village Soup more often. It's always possible I missed it, but as far as I can tell the award of this contract eluded the Bangor Daily News, even though they did have a story on the $100,000 appropriation back in March.

I stand by my original commentary. The fact that the port development enthusiasts in the Baldacci administration even need to learn the first basics about "what kind of interest there is in developing a port on the island" from a California firm ought to tell us something about the nature of this boondoggle.

And, please, don't tell me that this development would fall under "economic stimulus" and receive a load of federal dollars. That kind of funding could divorce the boondoggle from reality more than it already is.

Posted by The Owl at 02:11. Filed under: Environment

Comments

Well writ, oh Owl. To top the sordid mess off, the enviro 'moderates' that are joined to the governor's camp are beginning work on their own green sprawl on Sears Island, attacking and terraforming part of the gently eroding shores on the "protected" part of the island.

For the betterment of human beings, of course. The fact that it is that eroding shore which supplies specific types of nutrients to the shallows where the baby fish dwell, does not concern these "enviros" in the least.

Instead for these shallow greens, what is better than nature is that at last one shall be able to go to the island and walk and sit upon chemotreated lumber instead of dirty ol' Nature, with its bugs and soil.

Posted by Ron Huber on August 03, 2009 at 12:31

Thanks Ron. And I do have to get a link to Penobscot Bay Watch posted.

Posted by The Owl on August 03, 2009 at 13:44
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