Castine residents share new ideas for dockside restaurant
Castine residents got creative at a Dec. 11 public hearing on the future of the now-shuttered Safe Harbor takeout restaurant. Photo by John Boit.
By Emily Baer
Castine is in the market for a new food vendor at the town dock, with new ideas presented at a Dec. 11 public hearing on the issue.
The last lessee had negotiated a three year lease with an option for a 2-year renewal at a cost of $4,000 per summer season. The dockside takeout operated under the name Safe Harbor.
The town says that lease ended in default. The town now intends to offer a new lease of up to five years to the next vendor. It also provides the select board with an opportunity to re-envision what it aims to do with the space and how it tries to attract viable businesses.
“I would like the select board to think of that space in a different way,” said resident Debbie Bonaminio. “We keep thinking of that space strictly as a summer shack, but I think there are opportunities to make it a viable year round business.”
Zander Parker, also a Castine resident, agreed that a new lease could allow for new thinking.
“I have some concerns about that location as a fixed building and I would encourage people to think of it perhaps as a pad for mobile vendors,” Parker said, citing the waterfront’s vulnerability to extreme weather events as a primary driver in his thinking.
“I agree,” said board chair Dan Leader. “We need to think outside the box and it’s something we’ll discuss.”
Resident Tom Gutow suggested that any lease of thousands of dollars for the summer months–which in previous contracts were due upfront by the lessee–might be too onerous for small business owners. He suggested spacing out the payments.
“There's no worse time in this calendar cycle than to have to pay a large sum of money in March through June. Cash flow doesn't exist basically until July 15 or so,” Gutow said.
The town-wide vote on the dockside takeout lease will be held on Jan. 13. Absentee ballots are now available through the town office. Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm.
