HARPSWELL

Central Maine Power Company is reconsidering the location of poles said to be detrimental to water views. Resident John Boomer had objected to CMP plans to plant new poles on the waterview side of Route 24, saying they would ruin the view of Long Reach Marsh and Card Cove. Residents and town officials looked into what can be done to change the poles’ location, and a meeting was set between the town and CMP to find a compromise. William Wells reported progress in those negotiations during a Board of Selectmen meeting Thursday, saying the utility would consider moving at least four poles to their original locations along the east side of the roadway. Utility officials had said approximately 100 new poles need to be installed closely together to accommodate larger wires. When the town adopted its Open Space Plan in March 2009, one of its key tenets was preservation of natural scenic vistas. One of the maps in the plan contains a photo of Long Reach, dated 1987, where the disputed poles now stand. Also Thursday, Jim Casetta, a Falmouth consultant, updated selectmen on preliminary recommendations of the town’s Shoreland Task Force, a panel of a dozen residents seeking to strenghten commercial fishing operations in town while respecting current zoning, residential uses and environmentally sensitive wetlands. A formal proposal will be presented to the Planning Board and placed before the town for approval over the next several months.

BOB JORGENSEN is a Times Record correspondent.