KINGFIELD — Residents agreed Thursday night to get information on banning plastic bags at stores, continue plans for a riverside park and consider rebuilding Tufts Pond Road.
Kingfield Elementary School students asked selectmen at an earlier meeting to consider banning plastic bags, prompting selectmen to seek residents’ input.
“I think it’s quite interesting that the kids brought it up,” resident Susan Davis said.
Many older attendees in the room will not be around when the next generation has to face the challenge of cleaning up trash, she said.
Selectman Wade Browne said some stores require customers to pay for plastic bags, although people may not know it. Tranten’s market offers a discount to customers who bring their own bags, he said.
Resident Tom Bessey said he is not in favor of a ban.
“I think we could look at this with an open mind, at least,” Selectman Ray Meldrum said.
Voters said they wanted more information, and Davis and several others said they would form a committee to do so before the town meeting in June.
Voters also agreed to continue plans for a park behind Longfellow’s Restaurant, near the Carrabassett River.
Previously, voters approved using tax increment financing money from the Poland Spring bottling plant to create a riverside park, but last year agreed it should not go forward if abutters wanted financial compensation for an easement. Since then, all property owners have provided the necessary easements.
Residents will benefit from creating the public area along the river, resident John Goldfrank said.
Town officials said previously the town has little public parking and will have even less when the Maine Department of Transportation upgrades Route 27. The access and egress to Main Street will be filled in and leveled to become part of the sidewalk.
The final issue of the evening, repairs and reconstruction of Tufts Pond Road, also won the support of residents.
Moderator Bill Gilmore said property along the road is valued at almost $14 million and generates $230,000 in taxes, or 9 percent of the annual tax commitment.
Two sections of the road need a lot of work, and about $600,000 will be necessary to rebuild areas that flood. Paving and sealing will cost about $400,000, selectmen said.
Another problem is ledge along some sections, Selectman Walter Kilbreth said.
Some residents who live along the road do not want the town to spend the money, administrative assistant Leanna Targett said.
“The question is where do you want us to go with this?” she asked residents.
Residents said they favor rebuilding the road, but want selectmen to continue assessing the work and the costs.
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