The Edgecomb Selectmen and Conservation Committee debated April 10 whether or not a Shore Road property was a sure thing for a public boat launch. The committee became interested in a three-quarter-acre property owned by Wiscasset resident Allen Dodge a year ago. The town has searched for a public boat launch for decades but has been unable to find a suitable location.

The Shore Road property has access to the Damariscotta River, but has an $112,000 appraised value, according to town officials. The five-person conservation committee is divided about whether or not the location is a viable option. The committee sought advice from selectmen on whether or not to pursue a property which may be too expensive and provide limited public boat access.

“I feel the property is a little too pricey for what the town is looking for. What do you say,” the committee’s chairman Gary Balducci asked the selectmen.

But selectmen refrained from making a recommendation. They encouraged the committee to advise them on whether or not the town should pursue a potential negotiation. Selectmen defined the committee’s purpose as collecting all the relevant information on the property before seeking an opinion from the board. Selectmen wanted  a committee recommendation regarding a purchase price, whether or not the parcel was big enough for motorized boats, and the availability of state grants.

“You’ve picked a lot you don’t know whether it’s viable, feasible or in our price range. You need to do a lot more exploration before we talk about it,” said Select Board Chairman Jack Sarmanian.

According to town officials, the property is for sale. Officials inquired last year and learned the property was listed at $225,000, but further discussion with the owner indicated he’d be willing to sell to the town for $185,000, according to Sarmanian. Selectmen advised committee members to gather more information about creating a boat launch there. The board requested a formal presentation from the committee regarding several questions.

Balducci thought if the asking price was too high it may be a waste of the committee’s time to collect the information. But committee member Tom Boudin thinks the owner may be willing to lower his price. According to Boudin, the owner set the original price based on it larger than it is.

“He set the price when he thought the property was two acres. So let’s make him an offer and see what he says,”Boudin said.

The committee heeded selectmen’s advice and will gather more information before making a recommendation. The committee will contact Dodge about an updated price and an amount he may be willing to take from the town. The committee will also contact state officials to see if grant money is available; and it will seek to learn if the location is suitable for motorized boats and large enough for large trucks and trailers necessary to haul the boats to the public launch.

In other action, selectmen completed the first draft of the May town meeting warrant. The document has 55 articles and requests a $3,927,020 combined municipal and school budget. The proposal is approximately $33,000 more than the current budget and is less than a one percent increase, according to Selectman Mike Smith.

Selectmen will meet next at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 24 in the municipal room.