Vinalhaven selectmen approve grant bid to advance Folly Pond crossing design

The Vinalhaven Board of Selectmen voted July 14 to seek up to $75,000 in Coastal Community/Shore and Harbor Planning Grant funds to support engineering for the next phase of the Folly Pond Crossing Project.

Town consultant Gabe McPhail told the board he is relying on the 2023 Vinal Cove Alternatives Analysis to guide work on Folly Pond and nearby Trotting Park flooding, and said that only one feasible solution appears likely for the Folly Pond flooding. The board reached a consensus to limit B&L Engineering’s alternative analysis and redirect available funds toward moving nearer to a final design.

On a motion by Selectman Pam Alley, seconded by Selectman Leslie Dyer, the board approved the town’s application for up to $75,000 in the next Coastal Community/Shore and Harbor Planning Grant round; the motion carried 5–0–0. McPhail said the grant application is due at the end of August, and that the grant requires a local match. The meeting minutes record that the town’s Resiliency Reserve could be used to provide the required match.

McPhail also asked that the board re-review the Vinal Cove Alternatives Analysis with Woodard & Curran; town staff will schedule a separate meeting to have Woodard & Curran re-present findings to new board members. The minutes show the board and consultants emphasized the need to move from alternatives analysis toward final design work given funding constraints and site-specific feasibility.

Why it matters: the selected design approach will shape how Vinalhaven addresses recurring flooding at Folly Pond and the Trotting Park. Securing planning funds would fund engineering work needed to finalize culvert designs and other on-the-ground fixes. The board’s direction to limit further alternatives work signals a preference to concentrate limited local dollars on design and permitting steps.

Next steps: town staff will submit the grant application before the end of August deadline, pursue the recommended separate presentation with Woodard & Curran of the 2023 Vinal Cove Alternatives Analysis, and prepare follow-up materials for subsequent board review.