The residents of Harpswell are considering their options for demolishing and replacing the pier at Mitchell Field.

The former Navy pier, which the town has owned since 2001, has deteriorated in the last decade. The town’s Mitchell Field Committee has recommended the demolition of the structure before it collapses, but it is unclear what will replace it — or if it will be replaced at all. At public meeting on Monday, the committee heard a presentation from civil engineer Barney Baker on what the town could possibly do with the space and sought comments from residents.

Baker’s recommendations for the committee ranged from no replacement at all, to the construction of a commercial pier. Baker outlined a range of possibilities for the committee to consider as they weigh commercial and recreational needs for the site.

A boat ramp, which the committee is considering separately, was included in most of the options given by Baker.

The first option presented by Baker was no pier at all — presumably the cheapest option. One step above that was a shoreside platform that would provide a site for observation of the surrounding scenery and fishing. One attendee noted that Harpswell’s lack of public structures to fish off of made this an attractive possibility.

The other three options included varying levels of a replacement pier — from a small pier for recreational use to a large pier to accommodate commercial uses. Any replacement pier, whether designed for recreational or commercial use, would need to be at least 80 feet long to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, said Baker.

The commercial pier envisioned by Baker could service

80-foot vessels while allowing access for large vehicles. Such a project might need to accommodate refrigeration facilities as well to be attractive to larger commercial fishermen. Larger commercial operations would also require the development of more parking at Mitchell Field.

The town is not limited to any of the pre-defined options outlined on Monday, said Baker. Depending on the town’s needs, if can combine a recreational pier with the observation deck, or scrap the observation deck altogether to focus solely on a large commercial pier. The important thing is for the town to decide what it needs from the site.

“It’s important to point out that you can combine all of the subtleties,” said Baker. “It’s kind of building blocks.”

Similar piers and access points can raise revenue for municipalities through fees for moorings, use of the boat launch, and parking dinghies, although the specifics of any such fees were not discussed at the meeting. The committee also did not discuss the costs of the various plans on Monday, although Baker acknowledged that their may be grant money available to help fund the proposed projects.

Jane Covey, chairwoman of the committee, reminded residents that there is a survey on the town website for people to help the committee figure out what the community wants for Mitchell Field.

“Please invite your friends, your neighbors, your family to go look at that, and to provide us will further information,” said Covey. “It’ll stay open as long as we’re deliberating.”

The next informational meeting will take place in January, where the committee will share a plan for moving forward, said Covey. After that, the committee will send its recommendations to the board of selectmen.