Wiscasset Historic Preservation Commission member Jib Fowles told state and federal staff Aug. 4, Wiscasset’s downtown has been a beautiful, viable commercial center for nearly 300 years, including when his ancestors came to town in the 1750s; as the Federal Highway Administration considers the state’s proposed changes, the commission’s perspective is simple, he said.

“It’s not complex, it’s not devious, it’s not subversive. We want to maintain our historic and beautiful downtown.” Fowles said.

Because the commission is a local government body, it got the status it sought as a consulting party, Cassandra Chase, an environmental engineer with the Federal Highway Administration’s Maine division, said. The FHA is reviewing both of the Maine Department of Transportation’s concepts for the downtown. One would remove some parking on Main Street. The other, which residents favored in a non-binding vote in June, would remove all of it on Main Street between Middle and Water streets and add parking elsewhere. MDOT staff have named Haggett Garage for possible purchase, tear-down and replacement with the lot.

During the meeting and a brief interview with reporters afterward, Chase explained that the local vote helped MDOT gauge what the community wanted, but the FHA will make the call on any project it funds in Wiscasset. Both concepts are on the table and will be reviewed, she told participants.

Selectman Judy Flanagan asked Chase to keep in mind that residents supported Option 2 and, as a result, selectmen gave it their support as well.

The meeting was the FHA’s first with the local preservation commission and another consulting party, downtown business owner Paul Mrozinski.

Mrozinski owns The Marston House with wife Sharon Mrozinski. He said he wanted to be part of the talks because he’s had the property at the corner of Main and Middle streets for nearly three decades and wants to continue the fight to stop MDOT from changing anything downtown.

In a phone interview after the meeting, he said he thought Fowles asked Megan Hopkin, a historic planner with MDOT’s environmental office, a brilliant question. Fowles asked if Hopkin could name any town besides Freeport where removing on-street parking helped the local economy.

Hopkin said she couldn’t name any, but she noted that the state works with businesses to help them adjust to incoming MDOT projects. She and Chase said the state’s computer modeling for its downtown Wiscasset concepts is not a project design. A specific project has not been designed or engineered, they said.

Earlier in the meeting, shortly after Fowles commented on the downtown, Hopkin spoke briefly on the possible narrowing of Main Street that a project could bring. From a personal standpoint, not a professional one, it’s hard, she said. The street has been wide for a long time, and historic preservation is a passion for her, she said. “I just want you to know that I hear what you’re saying. It’s not falling on deaf ears.”

At one point in the discussion on MDOT’s efforts in Wiscasset, Hopkin said, “I wish some things had been done differently.” She did not elaborate.

At another point, Hopkin said she understands that the Wiscasset Historic Preservation Commission considers Haggett’s Garage significant; and it is, as an early garage in town, she said. But the roof and the workmanship on other parts have changed so much over the years, the building doesn’t fit national historic district criteria, she said, referring to an architectural survey completed by architectural historian Amanda Taylor of the Augusta-based firm Kleinfelder.

“You only know it’s a garage because you read Haggett’s Garage” on the building, Hopkin said.

The local commission considers everything in the historic overlay district to be contributing to it and decided not to declare any properties non-contributing, Town Planner Ben Averill said.

Hopkin told the commission, if it can supply reasons the building meets the criteria, she would take those to the state historic preservation to be reviewed. The local commission doesn’t have the money to pursue it, Fowles said. Fellow member Susan Blagden later said the panel could seek funds if it needs them to help with the federal review.

Commission member Wendy Donovan said she is deeply invested in the concerns for the downtown, but that the larger community’s needs for traffic improvements need consideration. She noted she was late for the meeting due to the Route One traffic, even though she took a back road part of the way.

Officials described the meeting as introductory. Another meeting will get more into MDOT’s concepts, they said.

Approvals, praise and a welcome

Also Aug. 4, the commission approved certificates of appropriateness to expand a deck at Pamela Logan’s property at 16 Fort Hill Street; replace some of the windows at Consuelo Joerns’ property at 35 Summer Street; and add a garage and replace some of the windows at the property James Sullivan and Ann Sallaway own at 62 Water Street.

Sullivan praised Averill for his help in the application process. Sullivan said in his experience with projects he’s had elsewhere, that’s rare.

The panel made Fowles its new vice chairman. There were no other nominees. The last vice chairman, Gordon Kontrath, did not seek reappointment to the commission when his term expired. Richard Thompson filled the seat. The commission welcomed him Thursday night.