City Hall·Harpswell Town of Harpswell - Board of Appeals Meeting ()
Harpswell Board of Appeals grants floodplain variance for Bailey Island lobster wharf
The Harpswell Board of Appeals voted 5-0 on September 23, 2026 to grant a floodplain variance allowing Baumgartner Realty to rebuild a storm-damaged bait storage building on the Glenn's Lobsters wharf on Bailey Island. The board applied the town's standard variance criteria rather than a newer state law, finding the wharf has no upland space for the structure and that bait storage is essential to the commercial fishing operation.
Key points
- The board granted a variance from the floodplain ordinance's 200 square foot and single-story limits for structures seaward of mean high tide, allowing a roughly 28-by-28-foot, two-story replacement building.
- Chair Ned Simmons said the property has essentially no upland, so the only viable use is a commercial lobster wharf, which requires bait storage and refrigeration.
- Applicant Sean Baumgartner said the project would restore an existing building and extend the pier so boats can unload bait at nearly any tide; his father Hank Baumgartner described the wharf's role in the working waterfront.
- Town Planner Margaret McIntyre noted the board also needed to cover the single-story restriction, not just square footage, and the board added that to its decision.
- The board chose to review the application under the standard floodplain variance criteria, treating two recent state laws (LD 2143 and an earlier 2025 storm-recovery law) as guidance rather than as controlling.
- Each finding of fact and the final approval passed 5-0 with no opposition from the board or audience.
Next steps
- All state, local, and federal permits must be obtained as a condition of approval, and the variance is limited to the plans in the application.
- The board plans to take up an administrative appeal at its October 14 meeting, the last day in the 35-day window, with three members available for a quorum.
- The town planner will confirm whether additional notification or training is needed before the October meeting.
Where this came from
Town of Harpswell (YouTube)
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.