Bangor Upgrades Under Review

According to a letter from the DEP obtained by the Bangor Daily News, “any changes or new construction at [Waterfront Park] requires the review and approval of the Department prior to implementation. None of the improvements … were reviewed or approved by the Department, but need to be.”

The city made several improvements to the venue this spring, the paper noted, including a new semi-permanent stage, a retaining wall, stairs, a gravel parking area, three concessions buildings and a small building to house components for the sound and lighting systems.

The city also moved existing art pieces and replaced some grass with pea stone after the concert season got off to a muddy start.

Several of the improvements “raise concerns as to whether or not they will meet Department standards,” the letter says, such as the gravel that could clog pores in a pervious pavement area, “rendering it ineffective as a stormwater management measure.”

The letter gives the city two options: apply for an “after-the-fact” permit to keep the venue as is, or alter the buildings and stage so they are “more temporary in nature.”

However both options present their own unique challenges.

The Daily News noted that while making the structures more temporary and taking them down each season would prove costly, the city would have to comply with DEP noise limits of 75 dBA if the stage is considered to be permanent.

Tanya Emery, the city’s director of economic and community development, stressed the need for collaboration to the Daily News, and said Bangor is working out a solution with the DEP.