Land Bank Commission — Portland, ME
Date: 2025-09-10
Time: 17:00

City of Portland
 Land Bank Commission Agenda

 The Land Bank Commission is responsible for identifying and protecting open space resources with the
 city of Portland. The Commission seeks to preserve a balance between development and conservation
 of open space important for wildlife, ecological, environmental, scenic or outdoor recreational values.




Commission Members:
Alaina Chormann, Daniel Herzlinger, Jon Kachmar, Joshua Barber, Michael Carey, Michael Scrameyer, and
Robert Foster.

City Staff: Ethan Hipple (Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director), Doug Roncarati (Public Works-
Stormwater Coordinator), Jessica Teesdale (PRF Sr. Executive Assistant)

 September 10, 2025
 5:00 PM
 On the second Wednesday of the month at 5:00 pm, the Portland Land Bank Commission will hold a
 meeting at Parks, Recreation, and Facilities, 212 Canco Rd. Suite A conference room.

 The Land Bank Commission will conduct this meeting in-person. Public comments may only be
 submitted in person or in writing. To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email
landbank@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be received by 12:00 pm the day before the Land Bank
 Commission meeting to guarantee their inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the
 person's name and legal address. To help ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please
 include the name of the agenda item (see below).
 To view this meeting please visit the Livestream
 link: https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/7482/media

I. Call to Order
II. Citizen Comment Period
 i. Public comment from 8/13/2025 through 9/9/2025
III. Agenda Items
 i. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes: August 14, 2025
 ii. New Business
 a. Secretary's Report
 b. Treasurer's Report
 iii. Old Business
 a. Sumner Court Proposal
 iv. Communications and Parcel Updates
 a. Parks Division Report
 b. Parks Commission Report
 c. Murray St.
 d. Land Bank Community Outreach and PR
City of Portland
Land Bank Commission Agenda

The Land Bank Commission is responsible for identifying and protecting open space resources with the
city of Portland. The Commission seeks to preserve a balance between development and conservation
of open space important for wildlife, ecological, environmental, scenic or outdoor recreational values.




 e. Redlon
 v. Commissioner requests for Agenda Items
IV. Adjournment

City of Portland
 Land Bank Commission Agenda

 The Land Bank Commission is responsible for identifying and protecting open space resources with the
 city of Portland. The Commission seeks to preserve a balance between development and conservation
 of open space important for wildlife, ecological, environmental, scenic or outdoor recreational values.




Commission Members:
Alaina Chormann, Daniel Herzlinger, Jon Kachmar, Joshua Barber, Michael Carey, Michael Scrameyer, and
Robert Foster.

City Staff: Ethan Hipple (Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director), Doug Roncarati (Public Works-
Stormwater Coordinator), Jessica Teesdale (PRF Sr. Executive Assistant)

 September 10, 2025
 5:00 PM
 On the second Wednesday of the month at 5:00 pm, the Portland Land Bank Commission will hold a
 meeting at Parks, Recreation, and Facilities, 212 Canco Rd. Suite A conference room.

 The Land Bank Commission will conduct this meeting in-person. Public comments may only be
 submitted in person or in writing. To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email
landbank@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be received by 12:00 pm the day before the Land Bank
 Commission meeting to guarantee their inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the
 person's name and legal address. To help ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please
 include the name of the agenda item (see below).
 To view this meeting please visit the Livestream link:

I. Call to Order
II. Citizen Comment Period
 i. Public comment from 8/13/2025 through 9/9/2025
III. Agenda Items
 i. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes: August 14, 2025
 ii. New Business
 a. Secretary's Report
 b. Treasurer's Report
 iii. Old Business
 a. Sumner Court Proposal
 iv. Communications and Parcel Updates
 a. Parks Division Report
 b. Parks Commission Report
 c. Murray St.
 d. Land Bank Community Outreach and PR
 e. Redlon


 Page 1
City of Portland
Land Bank Commission Agenda

The Land Bank Commission is responsible for identifying and protecting open space resources with the
city of Portland. The Commission seeks to preserve a balance between development and conservation
of open space important for wildlife, ecological, environmental, scenic or outdoor recreational values.




 v. Commissioner requests for Agenda Items
IV. Adjournment




 Page 2
9/9/25, 11:48 AM




  Land Bank Public Comment: Sumner Court Proposal - Process Incompetence
  George Rheault <george.rheault@gmail.com> Tue, Sep 9, 2025 at 7:49 AM
  Reply-To: george.rheault@gmail.com
  To: landbank@portlandmaine.gov, "Hipple, Ethan" <EHIPPLE@portlandmaine.gov>, Danielle West-Chuhta
  <dwest@portlandmaine.gov>, Michael Goldman <mig@portlandmaine.gov>, Mark Dion <mdion@portlandmaine.gov>
  Cc: Pious Ali <pali@portlandmaine.gov>, April Fournier <afournier@portlandmaine.gov>, bgrant@portlandmaine.gov, Kate
  Sykes <ksykes@portlandmaine.gov>, Anna Bullett <abullett@portlandmaine.gov>, Regina Phillips
  <rphillips@portlandmaine.gov>, Wesley Pelletier <wpelletier@portlandmaine.gov>, smichniewicz@portlandmaine.gov

 Once again, the Land Bank, in the middle of a raging housing emergency, is being asked to consider what to do with
 fallow city land without any meaningful counterweight advocacy being allowed at the table to consider long-term housing
 opportunities on the very same city land.

 But most importantly for the current proposal before the Land Bank is the fact that city staff, including the PRF
 Department Head and Land Bank Chairperson, have completely failed to tee up the issues responsibly and competently.

 The first order of business when discussing a "Land Bank parcel" is to produce the City Council action that created the
 classification of city-owned land as a parcel for which the Land Bank Commission has jurisdiction over.

 For the current proposal, the city staff have NOT produced such documentation. In fact, I have tried to search through
 available city website search options and have not found evidence that the City Council ever formally placed the Sheridan
 Street lots in question into the Land Bank.

 I do not have the ability to do an exhaustive search for this documentation and it may very well exist.

 However, as a threshold issue, it is incumbent upon the PRF staff with assistance from the City Manager's Executive
 Office, Corporation Counsel and the City Clerk to produce this documentation so that the conversation can move forward
 intelligently.

 Otherwise, this whole debate should be taking place in another forum and NOT in the Land Bank arena.

 Thank you.




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9/9/25, 11:51 AM City of Portland Mail - Open Space in Land Bank (Willie Gorham Parcel)-September 10th meeting for proposed status change




  Open Space in Land Bank (Willie Gorham Parcel)-September 10th meeting for
  proposed status change
  John Bowen <john.bowen8117@outlook.com> Sat, Sep 6, 2025 at 11:32 AM
  Reply-To: john.bowen8117@outlook.com
  To: "landbank@portlandmaine.gov" <landbank@portlandmaine.gov>

 To whom it may concern:

 I just to formerly lodge my opposition to the proposal to move (sell) the Willie Gorham "forever wild" parcel
 out of the land bank for private use.

 Thank you!

 Sincerely,

 John A. Bowen
 36 North St




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9/9/25, 11:52 AM City of Portland Mail - Concern about proposed sale of Land Bank Holding 013K013




  Concern about proposed sale of Land Bank Holding 013K013
  louise little <louise.little55@gmail.com> Sat, Aug 23, 2025 at 8:22 AM
  Reply-To: louise.little55@gmail.com
  To: landbank@portlandmaine.gov

 Dear Ethan,

 I am writing to you as Director of Parks, Recreation & Facilities and have grave concerns about the
 proposed sale of part of the green space between Sheridan St. and North St. It is part of a small
 forest that runs from the Sumner Court access path to the east side of the Shailer School parking
 lot.

 I have been a resident at 32 North Street since 1998 and was supportive of the move by then
 councilor, Willie Gorham, to create a green space in this densely populated part of Munjoy Hill. At
 the time, development was happening on Sheridan St. below us and his concern was that
 developers would attempt to build right up to the back of North Street, eliminating the green woods
 that existed there. As neighbors, abutting Sumner Court, we also valued the 200+ year old right of
 way path that leads down through the woods from Sumner Court to Sheridan Street. My children
 and I, as well as many others, have used that path to get to Ft Sumner Park and the Jack Path to
 the school over the years.

 In addition, my family has been active in monitoring that piece of the protected green space,
 culling trash, calling to have campsites removed and placing a heavy rope line down the path to
 assist folks using the path. As you probably know it is very steep and the paved part is often
 slippery with pebbles. Last week or so, someone removed the rope. Some folks who usually use
 the path on their regular walks had to turn around because it was too hazardous. I urge you to
 come see the path, and perhaps with our help, and Portland Trails, improve it.

 This little green-space is a haven for rabbits, raccoons, and all manner of Maine birds including
 Coopers Hawks in winter. The local community also value the diversity of trees, including a huge
 blue spruce, several large oaks, some maples and a walnut tree, as much as the wildlife we see
 pass through. With some improvement to the walking path, people could access this little haven
 more safely, just as they are able to use the woods along the Eastern Prom between the Loring
 Memorial to the ball fields.

 I want to express my concern about the possible sale of a piece of land, 013K013, for parking,
 that abuts the privately owned property at the end of Sumner Court. This piece of land and the
 other 4 adjoining lots owned by the city and conserved by the Land Bank, add much more value to
 the local environment than 4 more parking spaces ever could. Instead of more black top, we
 desperately need the cooling factor these trees and bushes provide the area. If this parcel was
 sold, what is stopping the sale of the other parcels? Developers would swoop in and decimate the
 little forest in the middle of our city. The large trees are so valuable to our microclimate on the hill
 and to eliminate any of them goes against the city’s expressed goals to plant more trees!

 As Director of our parks, I urge you to protect these parcels permanently! My neighbors and other
 local folks who access this small forest, would like it to have some sort of permanent zoning that
 keeps it in a protected status. Please help us do that. The work that the Parks Dept, Land Bank
 Commission and Portland Trails does is so important to keeping Portland green and helping

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9/9/25, 11:52 AM City of Portland Mail - Concern about proposed sale of Land Bank Holding 013K013

 citizens to access the natural world outdoors. DO NOT ALLOW THIS SALE GO THROUGH.
 Please.

 Thank you for your attention to this matter.
 Louise Little
 32 North Street
 Portland, ME 04101
 207-329-7671




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9/9/25, 11:54 AM City of Portland Mail - Sumner Court to Sheridan Street Pathway Question




  Sumner Court to Sheridan Street Pathway Question
  David Cowie <dcowie@maine.rr.com> Wed, Aug 20, 2025 at 8:39 AM
  Reply-To: dcowie@maine.rr.com
  To: ehipple@portlandmaine.gov, Alex Marshall <amarshall@portlandmaine.gov>, landbank@portlandmaine.gov,
  jon@trails.org
  Cc: Dave Cowie <dcowie@maine.rr.com>

 Good Morning,

 My name is Dave Cowie, and I reside at 32 North Street, about one-hundred feet from the top of
 the pathway which runs from Sumner Court, down the slope through Land Bank land, to
 Sheridan Street. Due to the steep grade at the top of the path, I installed a rope down the path, at
 about waist height, to assist anyone going up or down the steep section of the path. The rope had
 been in place for several years.

 Late last week the rope vanished.

 I’m wondering if anyone from your department - or perhaps Public Works - removed the rope
 due to it not being an approved style of handrail? I would understand it being removed by a
 department of the city for that reason.

 Unfortunately, without some form of assistance, the slope of this path renders it dangerous and
 deters the many folk I watch walk down Sumner Court searching for the start of the path to take
 them down the hill to Sheridan Street. These folk stand at the top of the path, peer down its steep
 grade, then turn around consulting their map or phone for an alternative route.

 Prior to the rope disappearing, when I would see folk contemplating the journey down the hill I
 would point out that holding the rope might make the trip doable. That cannot happen now.

 Perhaps now with the growing interest with this green space, improvements could be made to the
 path which would do nothing but increase its accessibility, promoting greater use, allowing more
 to share in the beauty this green space has to offer.

 So to sum up:

 Do you know what might have happened to the rope which was installed as an assist for folk
 using the path?

 What can I do to assist your department in executing the needed improvements to the path to
 improve its accessibility?

 Sincerely,


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9/9/25, 11:54 AM City of Portland Mail - Sumner Court to Sheridan Street Pathway Question

 Dave Cowie
 32 North Street
 Portland
 Maine
 04101

 207 318 1810




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9/9/25, 11:55 AM City of Portland Mail - Possible sale of Land Bank holding on Munjoy Hill




  Possible sale of Land Bank holding on Munjoy Hill
  David Cowie <dcowie@maine.rr.com> Mon, Aug 18, 2025 at 8:40 AM
  Reply-To: dcowie@maine.rr.com
  To: landbank@portlandmaine.gov
  Cc: Dave Cowie <dcowie@maine.rr.com>


 I am contacting you today out of concern for the Land Bank holding (E11)
 bounded by Sumner Court, Sheridan Street, Walnut Street, and North Street, up
 here on Munjoy Hill.

 A request has been made to the Land Bank by Pamela Jack and Devon Platte to
 purchase a portion of the land contained in the E11 holding. As a resident of
 North Street, and a neighbor to this Land Bank holding, I oppose the sale of this
 portion of land to anyone. It was created by City Councilor William Gorham,
 back in the late nineteen-nineties as a greenspace. With so few green areas left in
 the City, and for the sake of all the residents of the Hill, Portland, and visitors to
 Portland, it should remain in the Land Bank Trust as a greenspace - as intended
 by Counselor Gorham’s actions.

 Contrary to the claims made by Jack and Platte in their request letter, the
 neighbors who abut this parcel of land do take an interest in its well being. I
 frequently take the right of way path from Sumner Court to Sheridan Street, and
 while doing so I clear the path of any vegetation that may have overgrown this
 right of way, also policing up any trash that may have been dropped in the area. I
 also secured a rope railing to the trees that skirt the path to assist the folk who
 choose to take the right of way both down the hill and back up - it is steep going.
 Though difficult due to the overgrown nature of the land, I’ve also hauled from
 the area debris that will never decompose - plastic trash, an old computer
 monitor, and chunks of shipping styrofoam. To encourage neighbors to treat the
 space appropriately I keep a sign posted asking that trash not be disposed of in
 the area.

 Although we have had the occasional encampment of unhoused individuals down
 in the deeper regions of the holding, I have found that a call to city services
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9/9/25, 11:55 AM City of Portland Mail - Possible sale of Land Bank holding on Munjoy Hill

 brings in staff who move the folk-in-question who are attempting to live in the
 area to more suitable locations. Because we have had some unhoused folk down
 in the area in the past, I and my neighbors along North street are far more
 watchful of the area and consequently we actively investigate signs of activity
 that may not be in the land area’s best interest. When noticed, we take the
 appropriate measures to diminish, and hopefully eliminate the misuse of the area.

 It appears that this parcel of land also contains the right of way from Sumner
 Court to Sheridan Street. Though steep, and as yet not developed for easier
 passage, it has been a public way for over two-hundred years. If this holding is
 sold, will the path remain available to the public? Portland Trails has surveyed
 this land in the past and I would be happy to work with them to develop this
 greenspace as a necessary cooling engine for a warming city, as well as a place
 with trails similar to the well used Jack Trail.

 Allowing this land to be Developed into additional parking, however limited,
 will only detract from the greenspace benefits the holding presently provides -
 yes, it is only trees, plants and flowers, and the fauna this flora attracts, but it is
 these bits of wild which do nothing but help everyone feel just a bit more
 connected.

 Thank you for your attention to this concern. I look forward to hearing your
 thoughts on the matter.

 Dave Cowie
 32 North Street
 Portland

 207 318 1810




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City of Portland | Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management
Ethan Hipple, Director
Alex Marshall, Director of Parks Division




Land Bank Commission August 13, 2025 Meeting Minutes

Present Commission Members: Daniel Herzlinger, Jon Kachmar, Joshua Barber, Michael Carey,
Michael Scrameyer, Robert Foster.

Not Present: Alaina Chormann

Staff: Ethan Hipple (Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director), Doug Roncarati (Public Works
Stormwater Coordinator), Jessica Teesdale (PRF Sr. Executive Assistant)

Call to Order: J. Kachmar called the meeting to order at 5:05 pm

General Citizen Comment Period- None

Agenda Items

Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:

April 9, 2025-Motion to accept meeting minutes: The motion was made by M. Scrameyer and
 seconded by D. Herzlinger. Motion passed 4 yes votes, 2 abstentions

July 9, 2025-Motion to accept meeting minutes: The motion was made by R. Foster and seconded
 by J.Barber. Motion passed 3 yes votes, 3 abstain

New Business-

Hope Ave. acquisition funding request

Anne Read from the Trust for Public Land presented a request for the land bank to consider
 whether to recommend to the city council committing up to $400,000 of Land Bank
 funds towards TPL's bid for the property at O Hope Ave.

M. Scrameyer recused himself due to being a member of Friends of the Presumpscot River.

Public Comment: Bob Benack of District 5, Jessie Pinchoff of Whaleboat Rd., Stephen Champagne
 of Hope Ave, and George Rheault from West Bayside.

Motion to allocate up to $400,000 of Land Bank Funds towards the purchase of 0 Hope Ave. at
 auction on August 15th, 2025. Motion is contingent upon completing a Memorandum of
 Understanding between the Trust for Public Land and the City of Portland Corporation




 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov

 Page 11
 Counsel If the parties cannot mutually agree on an MOU within 30 days, the funds are
 void.

The motion was made by M. Carey and seconded by J. Barber. Motion passed 5-0, 1 recused.

Sumner Court purchase proposal

Pamela Jack presented a request to purchase City-Owned Land Bank Lot 013 K013, consisting of
 4,850 sq ft. For the purpose of adding parking spaces behind their property at 28 North
 Street.

Public Comment: George Rheault from West Bayside.

Motion to defer a decision on the request to make a recommendation to the City Council to sell
 City-owned Land Bank Lot 013 K013 to Pamela Jack and Devon Platte of 28 North Street
 for the purpose of adding parking spaces behind the building they currently own.

The motion was made by J. Barber and seconded by D. Herzlinger passed 6-0

Officer Appointments-

 ●​ Motion to appoint R. Foster to the position of Treasurer- Motion made by M. Carey and
 seconded by M. Scrameyer. Passed 6-0
 ●​ Motion to appoint D. Herzlinger to the position of Secretary-Motion made by R. Foster and
 seconded by M. Scrameyer. Passed 6-0

Old Business-None

Communications and Parcel Updates

Parks Division Report-E. Hipple provided an update and answered questions from the
commission on the Parks Division Report included in the agenda packet.

Parks Commission Report-R. Foster provided an update on the July Parks Commission workshop.

Project assignments- The Project assignment list was reviewed, and determined that updates
need to be made.

Murray St.-D. Herzlinger shared that the letters of interest were sent to 9 parcel owners. 2
responded. Wilson and Reilly. Reilly owns 2 parcels and is interested in discussing a possible
conveyance that would meet the goals of the Commission.

Commissioner Requests for Agenda Items

 ●​ Sumner Court property purchase proposal
 ●​ Murray St.
 ●​ Land Bank community outreach, including public relations with local developers
 ●​ Redlon
 ●​ Fall Brook and Dole Brook Management Plan (rolled over from July 9th meeting)

Adjournment



 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov



 Page 12
212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov



 Page 13
7/10/25, 11:28 AM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court



 Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>



  Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
  Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> Thu, Jul 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM
  To: Ethan Hipple <ehipple@portlandmaine.gov>
  Cc: landbank@portlandmaine.gov, Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>, Jon Kachmar
  <jon.kachmar@gmail.com>, Devon Platte <devonplatte@gmail.com>

 Good Morning, Ethan:

 Thanks for your reply regarding our request to purchase a small portion of Land Bank property located adjacent
 to Sumner Court on Munjoy Hill. Yes, we would like to pursue this request, and welcome the opportunity to have this item
 added to the August 13, 2025, Land Bank agenda for you and the commission to discuss, thanks.

 The specific parcel we are interested in is currently part of a group of five lots with an address of "30 North Street rear,”
 which is the old rock quarry that runs between North Street and Sheridan Streets. The lot we are interested in is marked
 as 013 K013 on the attached tax map, and consists of 4,850 square feet, with some frontage on the north side of Sumner
 Court (a dirt lane that connects to North Street).

 Following up on your recommendation to demonstrate why this sale would be in the City’s best interest, here are a few
 points for you and the Land Bank Commission to consider:

 1. This parcel may never be built upon due to the narrow 12’ width of Sumner Court, and also the steep topography of the
 parcel. Given these facts, the lot holds little to no value to most anyone else. As abutters and owners of 28 North Street,
 our interest in the property is to increase our off-street parking by two to three spaces on the small level portion on the
 south end of the parcel before it drops off. This would in turn create more open parking spots on (already congested)
 North Street, which would be a significant ongoing benefit to the neighborhood.

 2. Additionally, we would also landscape and maintain the remainder of this overgrown parcel (which the City currently
 does not do). As a matter of fact, for many years people have been using the gully of this particular parcel as a dumping
 ground for trash, discarded furniture, computer monitors, yard waste, etc. Also, homeless people have been
 chased away from camping and growing marijuana on this site on a regular basis by us, other neighbors, and the Portland
 Police Department. Our goal is to improve and better maintain the space, stop the illegal dumping, camping and
 marijuana cultivation, reduce some of the petty property crime that currently plagues our area, and generally be good
 stewards of the land … all of which is a significant benefit to our Munjoy Hill neighborhood, and the City of Portland.

 3. The general public does not use or even know about this underutilized "30 North Street rear" Land Bank property. As
 outlined in the Land Bank annual report, “The E11 land drops precipitously from the western side of North Street to the
 eastern side of Sheridan Street, making most of it unsuitable for development.” Also, the land is surrounded by private
 property with very limited access, rendering it essentially landlocked and unusable by the general public. In summary,
 given its topography and access issues, the property has no practical use beyond habitat and the
 aforementioned frequent dumping activity and homeless campers looking for an overgrown, wooded place to hide.

 4. The proceeds from the sale of this parcel could be added to the annual Land Bank operating budget, thereby reducing
 the need to request those additional funds from the City operating budget, and allowing the Land Bank Commission to
 pursue and manage other more important, higher priority parcels that would be of greater benefit to the citizens of
 Portland.

 5. Additionally, the City would collect our annual property taxes in perpetuity from the sale of this parcel, thereby adding
 to the annual City operating budget and potentially reducing the need for future property tax increases.

 6. As you can see from the current irregular shape of the 013 K013 lot, the City actually has a history of selling portions of
 this same parcel to private individuals in our neighborhood. Specifically, 013 K070 was sold to a neighbor
 on 03/12/69 (Book 3077, Page 700), which has been used as unpaved off-street parking ever since. And 013 K069 was
 sold to a different neighbor on 5/17/2001 (Book 16312, Page 294), and is also now used as unpaved off-street parking.
 As previously mentioned, our intention is to do the same, extending this existing parking along the north side of Sumner
 Court by 2-3 spaces (for the benefit of our 28 North Street tenants), and generally cleaning up and maintaining the land
 going forward (which as avid gardeners, we love to do!).



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7/10/25, 11:28 AM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
 7. Finally, the City owns an existing right of way along the entire west edge of the larger "30 North Street rear" Land Bank
 parcel, with access via Sumner Court to the south (and via the old Shailer School to the north). Thus, the sale of this
 particular 013 K013 parcel would have no negative impact on the City’s access to the remaining four Land Bank
 parcels from the southern end, and plenty of habitat would still remain between North and Sheridan Streets (if that is still a
 goal for this property).




 We would like to attend the August 13 meeting in person, if possible, so that we could be present to respond to any
 questions raised by the Land Bank Commission during discussion of this topic. Please let us know if this would
 be okay? Thanks very much!

 Regards,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte
 28 North Street
 Portland




 [Quoted text hidden]
 [Quoted text hidden]
 Notice: Under Maine law, documents - including e-mails - in the possession of public officials or city
 employees about government business may be classified as public records. There are very few exceptions.
 As a result, please be advised that what is written in an e-mail could be released to the public and/or the
 media if requested.




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9/4/25, 2:45 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court



 Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>



  Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
  Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> Sun, Aug 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
  To: Ethan Hipple <ehipple@portlandmaine.gov>
  Cc: landbank@portlandmaine.gov, Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>, Jon Kachmar
  <jon.kachmar@gmail.com>, Devon Platte <devonplatte@gmail.com>, Alex Marshall <amarshall@portlandmaine.gov>, Jen
  DeRice <jderice@portlandmaine.gov>

 Good Morning, Ethan:

 Thanks again for the opportunity to present our proposal to purchase a small portion of land on Sumner Court at last
 Wednesday’s Land Bank Commission meeting.

 As a follow up, and to assist in your due diligence, I found the specific language from the current City of Portland Land
 Use Code (attached here for easy reference) that verifies that no new buildings can be erected on this property, due to the
 narrow 12’ width of Sumner Court (which is its only point of access):

 Subsection 6.4.1A (highlighted on page 6-9 and 6-10) says, "No building intended for use as a habitation shall be erected
 on a lot which has its only street frontage on a street less than 35 feet wide. No building shall be erected on a lot, except
 on the islands in Casco Bay, which does not abut a street meeting the minimum requirements for street improvements set
 forth in this subsection.”

 Further, the Zoning Board of Appeals is prohibited from approving any variances to these requirements (highlighted on
 page 2-15) "No variance shall be granted from the requirements in Subsection 6.4.1."

 We welcome the Land Bank Commission to verify this (and any other information necessary) in order to make a decision
 on our proposal, and if there’s anything else we can do to help in the due diligence process, please let us know. We also
 encourage any Land Bank Commission members to do a site visit if they have not yet had a chance to do so. As they
 say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

 Ultimately, while our preference remains an outright purchase of the land, we are also open to any other legal options that
 might be feasible, including a long-term lease such as your Peppermint Park or West End examples, etc. But either way,
 our goal here is not to develop this small parcel in any way (which, as discussed, is not possible). To reiterate, our goal is
 to become good legal stewards of this overgrown and underutilized parcel in our back yard: We would clean it up,
 remove the trash and other debris, trim back some of the overgrowth down the slope, add landscaping where feasible,
 and ideally use that small, upper flat portion for another legal off-street parking space or two (which in turn would
 permanently add more parking spaces for residents on already congested North Street).

 As we’ve pointed out, the City set this precedent twice before by selling off small portions of this same parcel
 to several neighbors who now use their land for parking. We are simply asking the Land Bank Commission and the City
 to repeat this same process for a third time (and for the same purpose). And if Portland Trails, in conjunction with the
 Land Bank Commission, ever wishes to create a safe and proper trail connecting Sumner Court down to Sheridan Street
 (to replace the existing old steep, slippery, unmarked path down the hill), they could easily do so along the City’s
 adjacent existing Right of Way that would remain.

 We look forward to attending next month’s Land Bank Commission meeting on Wednesday/Sept. 10 to further discuss.
 And thanks again for your consideration!

 Best Regards,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte
 28 North Street
 Portland
 [Quoted text hidden]




https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1840728015531050132&simpl=msg-f:1840728015531050132 1/1
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9/4/25, 2:46 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court



 Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>



  Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
  Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> Sun, Aug 17, 2025 at 2:26 PM
  To: Ethan Hipple <ehipple@portlandmaine.gov>
  Cc: landbank@portlandmaine.gov, Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>, Jon Kachmar
  <jon.kachmar@gmail.com>, Devon Platte <devonplatte@gmail.com>, Alex Marshall <amarshall@portlandmaine.gov>, Jen
  DeRice <jderice@portlandmaine.gov>

 Good Morning, Ethan:

 Here is our email with the attachment.

 Thanks again for the opportunity to present our proposal to purchase a small portion of land on Sumner Court at last
 Wednesday’s Land Bank Commission meeting.

 As a follow up, and to assist in your due diligence, I found the specific language from the current City of Portland Land
 Use Code (attached here for easy reference) that verifies that no new buildings can be erected on this property, due to the
 narrow 12’ width of Sumner Court (which is its only point of access):

 Subsection 6.4.1A (highlighted on page 6-9 and 6-10) says, "No building intended for use as a habitation shall be erected
 on a lot which has its only street frontage on a street less than 35 feet wide. No building shall be erected on a lot, except
 on the islands in Casco Bay, which does not abut a street meeting the minimum requirements for street improvements set
 forth in this subsection.”

 Further, the Zoning Board of Appeals is prohibited from approving any variances to these requirements (highlighted on
 page 2-15) "No variance shall be granted from the requirements in Subsection 6.4.1."

 We welcome the Land Bank Commission to verify this (and any other information necessary) in order to make a decision
 on our proposal, and if there’s anything else we can do to help in the due diligence process, please let us know. We also
 encourage any Land Bank Commission members to do a site visit if they have not yet had a chance to do so. As they
 say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

 Ultimately, while our preference remains an outright purchase of the land, we are also open to any other legal options that
 might be feasible, including a long-term lease such as your Peppermint Park or West End examples, etc. But either way,
 our goal here is not to develop this small parcel in any way (which, as discussed, is not possible). To reiterate, our goal is
 to become good legal stewards of this overgrown and underutilized parcel in our back yard: We would clean it up,
 remove the trash and other debris, trim back some of the overgrowth down the slope, add landscaping where feasible,
 and ideally use that small, upper flat portion for another legal off-street parking space or two (which in turn would
 permanently add more parking spaces for residents on already congested North Street).

 As we’ve pointed out, the City set this precedent twice before by selling off small portions of this same parcel
 to several neighbors who now use their land for parking. We are simply asking the Land Bank Commission and the City
 to repeat this same process for a third time (and for the same purpose). And if Portland Trails, in conjunction with the
 Land Bank Commission, ever wishes to create a safe and proper trail connecting Sumner Court down to Sheridan Street
 (to replace the existing old steep, slippery, unmarked path down the hill), they could easily do so along the City’s
 adjacent existing Right of Way that would remain.

 We look forward to attending next month’s Land Bank Commission meeting on Wednesday/Sept. 10 to further discuss.
 And thanks again for your consideration!

 Best Regards,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte
 28 North Street
 Portland




https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1840814289409524940&dsqt=1&simpl=msg-f:18408142894… 1/7
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9/4/25, 2:46 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court




 On Aug 17, 2025, at 2:23 PM, Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> wrote:

 Good Morning, Ethan:

 Thanks again for the opportunity to present our proposal to purchase a small portion of land on Sumner
 Court at last Wednesday’s Land Bank Commission meeting.

 As a follow up, and to assist in your due diligence, I found the specific language from the current City of
 Portland Land Use Code (attached here for easy reference) that verifies that no new buildings can be
 erected on this property, due to the narrow 12’ width of Sumner Court (which is its only point of access):

 Subsection 6.4.1A (highlighted on page 6-9 and 6-10) says, "No building intended for use as a habitation
 shall be erected on a lot which has its only street frontage on a street less than 35 feet wide. No building
 shall be erected on a lot, except on the islands in Casco Bay, which does not abut a street meeting the
 minimum requirements for street improvements set forth in this subsection.”

 Further, the Zoning Board of Appeals is prohibited from approving any variances to these requirements
 (highlighted on page 2-15) "No variance shall be granted from the requirements in Subsection 6.4.1."

 We welcome the Land Bank Commission to verify this (and any other information necessary) in order to
 make a decision on our proposal, and if there’s anything else we can do to help in the due diligence
 process, please let us know. We also encourage any Land Bank Commission members to do a site visit if
 they have not yet had a chance to do so. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

 Ultimately, while our preference remains an outright purchase of the land, we are also open to any other
 legal options that might be feasible, including a long-term lease such as your Peppermint Park or West End
 examples, etc. But either way, our goal here is not to develop this small parcel in any way (which, as
 discussed, is not possible). To reiterate, our goal is to become good legal stewards of this overgrown and
 underutilized parcel in our back yard: We would clean it up, remove the trash and other debris, trim back
 some of the overgrowth down the slope, add landscaping where feasible, and ideally use that small, upper
 flat portion for another legal off-street parking space or two (which in turn would permanently add more
 parking spaces for residents on already congested North Street).

 As we’ve pointed out, the City set this precedent twice before by selling off small portions of this same
 parcel to several neighbors who now use their land for parking. We are simply asking the Land Bank
 Commission and the City to repeat this same process for a third time (and for the same purpose). And if
 Portland Trails, in conjunction with the Land Bank Commission, ever wishes to create a safe and proper trail
 connecting Sumner Court down to Sheridan Street (to replace the existing old steep,
 slippery, unmarked path down the hill), they could easily do so along the City’s adjacent existing Right of
 Way that would remain.

 We look forward to attending next month’s Land Bank Commission meeting on Wednesday/Sept. 10 to
 further discuss. And thanks again for your consideration!

 Best Regards,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte
 28 North Street
 Portland




 On Jul 14, 2025, at 10:49 AM, Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> wrote:

 Good Morning, Ethan:

 Thanks for the update. Yes, we’ll plan to attend the Wednesday, August 13 Land Bank
 meeting in person, and will be prepared to present our proposal to the Commissioners and
 answer any follow up questions. Thanks!


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1840814289409524940&dsqt=1&simpl=msg-f:18408142894… 2/7
 Page 18
9/4/25, 2:46 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
 Best,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte



 On Jul 11, 2025, at 9:00 AM, Ethan Hipple <ehipple@portlandmaine.gov>
 wrote:

 Thanks for this backup material Pamela. We will add this to the Land Bank
 Commission agenda for August 13. Please plan to attend in person to present your
 proposal and answer any questions from Commissioners. I would plan on a 5-10
 minute presentation of your proposal, followed by Q and A.

 Take care,
 Ethan

 Ethan Hipple
 Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department
 City of Portland, ME
 212 Canco Rd, Suite A
 Portland, Maine 04103
 207-808-5400
 ehipple@portlandmaine.gov




 Parks, Rec and Facilities Instagram: @portlandmeprf
 Parks, Rec and Facilities email newsletter
 Sign up to receive city news & alerts
 Report issues via SeeClickFix
 www.portlandmaine.gov


 On Thu, Jul 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> wrote:
 Good Morning, Ethan:

 Thanks for your reply regarding our request to purchase a small portion of Land
 Bank property located adjacent to Sumner Court on Munjoy Hill. Yes, we would like
 to pursue this request, and welcome the opportunity to have this item added to the
 August 13, 2025, Land Bank agenda for you and the commission to discuss,
 thanks.

 The specific parcel we are interested in is currently part of a group of five lots with
 an address of "30 North Street rear,” which is the old rock quarry that runs
 between North Street and Sheridan Streets. The lot we are interested in is marked
 as 013 K013 on the attached tax map, and consists of 4,850 square feet, with some
 frontage on the north side of Sumner Court (a dirt lane that connects to North
 Street).

 Following up on your recommendation to demonstrate why this sale would be in the
 City’s best interest, here are a few points for you and the Land Bank Commission to
 consider:

 1. This parcel may never be built upon due to the narrow 12’ width of Sumner Court,
 and also the steep topography of the parcel. Given these facts, the lot holds little to
 no value to most anyone else. As abutters and owners of 28 North Street, our
 interest in the property is to increase our off-street parking by two to three
 spaces on the small level portion on the south end of the parcel before it drops off.
 This would in turn create more open parking spots on (already congested)
 North Street, which would be a significant ongoing benefit to the neighborhood.

 2. Additionally, we would also landscape and maintain the remainder of this
 overgrown parcel (which the City currently does not do). As a matter of fact, for
 many years people have been using the gully of this particular parcel as a dumping
 ground for trash, discarded furniture, computer monitors, yard waste, etc.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1840814289409524940&dsqt=1&simpl=msg-f:18408142894… 3/7
 Page 19
9/4/25, 2:46 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
 Also, homeless people have been chased away from camping and growing
 marijuana on this site on a regular basis by us, other neighbors, and the Portland
 Police Department. Our goal is to improve and better maintain the space, stop the
 illegal dumping, camping and marijuana cultivation, reduce some of the petty
 property crime that currently plagues our area, and generally be good stewards of
 the land … all of which is a significant benefit to our Munjoy Hill neighborhood, and
 the City of Portland.

 3. The general public does not use or even know about this underutilized "30 North
 Street rear" Land Bank property. As outlined in the Land Bank annual report, “The
 E11 land drops precipitously from the western side of North Street to the eastern
 side of Sheridan Street, making most of it unsuitable for development.” Also, the
 land is surrounded by private property with very limited access, rendering it
 essentially landlocked and unusable by the general public. In summary, given its
 topography and access issues, the property has no practical use beyond habitat
 and the aforementioned frequent dumping activity and homeless campers looking
 for an overgrown, wooded place to hide.

 4. The proceeds from the sale of this parcel could be added to the annual Land
 Bank operating budget, thereby reducing the need to request those additional funds
 from the City operating budget, and allowing the Land Bank Commission to
 pursue and manage other more important, higher priority parcels that would be of
 greater benefit to the citizens of Portland.

 5. Additionally, the City would collect our annual property taxes in perpetuity from
 the sale of this parcel, thereby adding to the annual City operating budget and
 potentially reducing the need for future property tax increases.

 6. As you can see from the current irregular shape of the 013 K013 lot, the City
 actually has a history of selling portions of this same parcel to private individuals
 in our neighborhood. Specifically, 013 K070 was sold to a neighbor
 on 03/12/69 (Book 3077, Page 700), which has been used as unpaved off-street
 parking ever since. And 013 K069 was sold to a different neighbor on
 5/17/2001 (Book 16312, Page 294), and is also now used as unpaved off-street
 parking. As previously mentioned, our intention is to do the same,
 extending this existing parking along the north side of Sumner Court by 2-3 spaces
 (for the benefit of our 28 North Street tenants), and generally cleaning
 up and maintaining the land going forward (which as avid gardeners, we love to do!).

 7. Finally, the City owns an existing right of way along the entire west edge of the
 larger "30 North Street rear" Land Bank parcel, with access via Sumner Court to the
 south (and via the old Shailer School to the north). Thus, the sale of this particular
 013 K013 parcel would have no negative impact on the City’s access to the
 remaining four Land Bank parcels from the southern end, and plenty of habitat
 would still remain between North and Sheridan Streets (if that is still a goal for this
 property).




 We would like to attend the August 13 meeting in person, if possible, so that we
 could be present to respond to any questions raised by the Land Bank Commission
 during discussion of this topic. Please let us know if this would be okay? Thanks
 very much!

 Regards,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte
 28 North Street
 Portland




 On Jul 7, 2025, at 9:15 AM, Ethan Hipple
 <ehipple@portlandmaine.gov> wrote:

 Hi Pam,
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1840814289409524940&dsqt=1&simpl=msg-f:18408142894… 4/7
 Page 20
9/4/25, 2:46 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
 We can add this item to the August Land Bank agenda.

 Just so you know what to expect, for any sale of Land Bank property
 to move forward, it would need both review and approval from
 the Land Bank Commission, followed by a super-majority vote (8 out
 of 9) from the City Council. It is not typical for the Land Bank
 Commission to approve the sale of Land Bank properties, so if you
 decide to move forward with pursuing this, you would want to
 demonstrate why it is in the City's best interest to sell this property.

 Let me know if you'd like to proceed.

 Take care,
 Ethan

 Ethan Hipple
 Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department
 City of Portland, ME
 212 Canco Rd, Suite A
 Portland, Maine 04103
 207-808-5400
 ehipple@portlandmaine.gov




 Parks, Rec and Facilities Instagram: @portlandmeprf
 Parks, Rec and Facilities email newsletter
 Sign up to receive city news & alerts
 Report issues via SeeClickFix
 www.portlandmaine.gov


 On Fri, Jul 4, 2025 at 9:12 AM Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com>
 wrote:
 Dear Land Bank Commission,

 I’m inquiring again about the possibility of purchasing a City owned
 lot for the purposes of expanding our existing vehicle parking. My
 husband and I own the property at 28 North Street on Munjoy Hill,
 which has frontage on Sumner Court. The City of Portland
 currently owns several lots at the end of Sumner Court which are
 adjacent to our building at 28 North Street.

 In particular, we’re interested in purchasing Lot 013 K013,
 consisting of 4,850 sq ft. This lot is currently part of a larger group
 of lots with an address of 30 North Street (013 K008). We are only
 interested in purchasing Lot 013 K013.

 It’s important to note that despite its size, this particular lot is not
 buildable due both to the narrow 12’ width of Sumner Court, and
 the steep topography of the lot. Our only interest in this lot is for
 parking and landscaping.

 Can you please tell me if the City has any interest in selling this lot
 and, if so, what the assessed value and asking price would be?

 The agenda for the July 9, 2025 meeting has been published and I
 do not see this request on the current agenda for discussion.
 Please let us know the process for how to get on the Land Bank
 meeting agenda.

 Thanks in advance for your help.

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte

 28 North Street

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=c89fc43190&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid=msg-f:1840814289409524940&dsqt=1&simpl=msg-f:18408142894… 5/7
 Page 21
9/4/25, 2:46 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
 Portland


 > On Jun 25, 2025, at 11:51 AM, Pamela Jack
 <pamjack1@gmail.com> wrote:
 >
 > Hello Land Bank Commission,
 >
 > I’m inquiring about the possibility of purchasing a City owned lot
 for the purposes of expanding our existing vehicle parking. My
 husband and I own the property at 28 North Street on Munjoy Hill,
 which has frontage on Sumner Court. The City of Portland
 currently owns several lots at the end of Sumner Court which are
 adjacent to our building at 28 North Street.
 >
 > In particular, we’re interested in purchasing Lot 013 K013,
 consisting of 4,850 sq ft. This lot is currently part of a larger group
 of lots with an address of 30 North Street (013 K008). We are only
 interested in purchasing Lot 013 K013.
 >
 > Can you please tell me if the City has any interest in selling this
 lot and, if so, what the assessed value and asking price would be?
 >
 > We would pay cash and could do a quick closing.
 >
 > Thanks in advance for your help.
 >
 > Pamela Jack & Devon Platte
 >
 > 28 North Street
 > Portland
 >
 > 207-450-9108


 Notice: Under Maine law, documents - including e-mails - in the
 possession of public officials or city employees about
 government business may be classified as public records.
 There are very few exceptions. As a result, please be advised
 that what is written in an e-mail could be released to the public
 and/or the media if requested.


 Notice: Under Maine law, documents - including e-mails - in the possession of
 public officials or city employees about government business may be classified
 as public records. There are very few exceptions. As a result, please be advised
 that what is written in an e-mail could be released to the public and/or the media
 if requested.




 3 attachments




 Screenshot 2025-07-06 at 12.41.42 PM.png
 667K




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 Screenshot 2025-07-06 at 12.41.21 PM.png
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 Chapter 14 Land Use ReCode - Revised 05-06-2024 (PDF).pdf
 17367K




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9/4/25, 2:48 PM City of Portland Mail - Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court



 Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>



  Re: Purchase of City Owned Lot on Sumner Court
  Pamela Jack <pamjack1@gmail.com> Sun, Aug 24, 2025 at 4:05 PM
  To: Ethan Hipple <ehipple@portlandmaine.gov>
  Cc: landbank@portlandmaine.gov, Jessica Teesdale <jteesdale@portlandmaine.gov>, Jon Kachmar
  <jon.kachmar@gmail.com>, Devon Platte <devonplatte@gmail.com>, Alex Marshall <amarshall@portlandmaine.gov>, Jen
  DeRice <jderice@portlandmaine.gov>

 Good Afternoon, Ethan:

 We received an email that the Land Bank Commission will be doing a site visit on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 2:30
 PM to review Lot 013 K013 at the end of Sumner Court, in connection with our request to purchase that particular parcel.
 We appreciate and fully support your collective due diligence efforts on this purchase request, and please let us know if
 you’d like us to attend any part of the site visit on September 2 to answer any follow up questions regarding our proposal,
 etc.

 Also, in addition to the map we previously provided that outlines the five Land Bank parcels off Sumner Court between
 North Street and Sheridan Streets (provided here again as well for easy reference), we thought it might be helpful in
 advance of your site visit to also provide the larger maps we found online that highlight the two parcels (Lot 013 K069 and
 Lot 013 K070) that were previously carved out of Lot 013 K013 and sold to private individuals by the City. (All of these
 maps/photos are available on the City assessor’s Web site.)

 (Please note that while doing our own due diligence for our purchase request, we discovered that the owners of Lot 013
 K070 have significantly expanded their parking area in recent months even further beyond the old blue guardrail shown in
 attached City photos, and are parking vehicles on part of City Lot 013 K013, and even on Sumner Court itself. Naturally
 this encroachment needs to be resolved, either by us after our purchase and survey of Lot 013 K013 [which we are
 certainly willing to do], or by the City if our purchase request happens to be denied.)

 We look forward to seeing you again at the next Land Bank Commission meeting on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (if
 not before), thanks very much!

 Regards,

 Pamela Jack & Devon Platte




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 [Quoted text hidden]




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 Page 26
​

​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND
​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department
​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director


 Memorandum
TO: Parks Commission and Land Bank Commission
FROM: Alex Marshall, Parks Director, Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department
SUBJECT: Parks Division Update
DATE: June/July 2025

Parks Division Staffing
 ●​ Total Budgeted positions in Parks Division: 43
 ●​ Vacancies:
 ○​ Forestry Supervisor
 ○​ Arborist
 ○​ Horticulturist
 ○​ Cemetery Grounds Maintainer

Citywide Unhoused Report
At this time, there are 40 encampments citywide, which is 3 fewer than this time in 2024 and 188 fewer
than that of 2023. Of the 40 active tent sites, none of them are located on City property. Overall, in 2025,
City Staff (primarily Rangers) have tagged and removed 384 tents citywide. Park Rangers continue to tag
and remove between 5 and 20 tents from City land each week and conduct a thorough clean-up
afterward with the help of other Parks staff or contractors. There continues to be a steady capacity
available at the Homeless Services Center.

Nathan Clifford Playground Reopening
The Playgrounds Team, led by Keith “Tater” Forest, took on the replacement of the old Nathan Clifford
School playground this Spring and Summer. With assistance from a local contractor, the Playgrounds
Team removed the old equipment and will be opening up the new and improved playground this coming
Friday the 15th. The creative solution for this neighborhood play space was to utilize a swingset recently
upgraded at Deering Oaks playground as well as the Kiwanis Pool play structure that came out due to the
pool’s reconstruction. Thank you team for making this project a reality for the community to enjoy!

Forestry Spring Planting & Co-Op Program
The Forestry Team planted a total of 125 trees this Spring as part of their annual tree planting program.
The focus in 2025 was in the low tree equity score neighborhoods and surrounding areas such as
continued efforts in Bayside. Additionally, of these 125 trees, there were 35 co-op trees planted across
the city. Additional trees will be planted this Fall during a second surge to reach their annual goal of
150-200 trees.

Court Resurfacing
The Riverton Tennis Courts have been officially renovated into 6 dedicated pickleball courts and one

 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103
 Page 27 • www.portlandmaine.gov
 parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov
​

​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND
​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department
​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director


multi-use tennis and pickleball facility. Additionally, the contractor for that project was also able to
reconstruct the basketball courts at Lyman Moore, install sports coating at the Talbot Basketball Court
and install the new half basketball court and pickleball court on Great Diamond Island.

Back Cove Music Festival
The Back Cove Music Festival occurred during the weekend of August 2nd and 3rd, 2025. Payson Park
was transformed into a festival grounds where 8,000-10,000 people each day gathered to hear incredible
music, and eat good food in the comfort of this wonderful park. After the festival concluded, the impacts
were deemed to be very minimal to the park.

Preble Field Reconstruction
Back Cove South Stormwater Storage Project, which captures 3.4 million gallons of combined
stormwater/sewer discharge during each rain event, has come to a close and the Fitness Course and
Bathrooms have been opened up as of Friday, August 1st. The field remains fenced off until September 5
when there will be a Grand Opening Ceremony planned to celebrate the completion of this monumental
project. Stay tuned for more details coming.

Park Projects and Department Updates
Staff are working on the following Park Improvement projects:
 ●​ Deering Oaks Park ADA Walkway improvements: Phase 3, providing ADA access to the wading
 ravine, was completed in the Summer of 2023. Phase 4, which is the sidewalk along Tennis Court
 Drive, is going out to bid later this Summer for a potential Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 construction.
 ●​ Riverton Preserve: Recreation improvement plans are in progress and will consist primarily of a
 trail network with other improvements. This project is intended to fulfill LWCF conversion
 requirements, and final approval of the improvement plan rests with the state and National Park
 Service, which has a public engagement process.
 ●​ Lower Western Prom Park Improvements: This project has been bid out and did not receive a bid
 within the allocated budget, so it will be revised and re-advertised in the coming months.
 ●​ Longfellow Elementary School Playground: Playground Equipment has been selected. The project
 went out to bid in the Spring of 2025 only to receive one bid substantially over the budget for
 the project. Portland School Staff and Park Project Managers are working through the next steps
 to keep this project going.
 ●​ Portland Harbor Common: This project went out to bid in the Spring of 2025 to receive one
 bidder. The contract is being worked through currently.
 ●​ Stroudwater Bridge: The funding gap has been met for this project thanks to a City Council
 approval of CIP funding this past Spring. The bid documents and construction drawings have all
 been completed and the project will be bid in the next few weeks.
 ●​ Public Restrooms: So far, the city has installed 15 new public restrooms citywide over the past 3
 years. Recent modifications were done to the units at The Eastern Promenade, Commercial

 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103
 Page 28 • www.portlandmaine.gov
 parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov
​

​ CITY OF PORTLAND​ CITY OF PORTLAND
​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department​ Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department
​ Ethan Hipple, Director​ Alex Marshall, Parks Director


 St/Fish Pier, and Fox Field to include a vault for increased storage capacity. 4 more public
 restrooms are on the way with one at Lower Western Promenade, 1 at the Spring and High
 street parking lot, and 2 at the Eastern Promenade near the existing bathhouse.




 212 Canco Road, Suite A • Portland, Maine 04103
 Page 29 • www.portlandmaine.gov
 parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov

City of Portland | Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management
Ethan Hipple, Director
Alex Marshall, Director of Parks Division




Land Bank Commission September 10, 2025 Meeting Minutes
This meeting was recorded and is available to watch on the Agendas and Meetings Portal here:
https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/7482/media

Present Commission Members: Alaina Chormann, Daniel Herzlinger, Jon Kachmar, Joshua
Barber, Michael Carey, Michael Scrameyer, and
Robert Foster

Not Present:

Staff: Alex Marshall (Parks Division Director), Doug Roncarati (Public Works-
Stormwater Coordinator, Jessica Teesdale (PRF Sr. Executive Assistant), Amber Brooks (Principal
Financial Officer)



Call to Order: J. Kachmar called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm

General Citizen Comment Period- George Rheault East Bayside

Emailed comments-George Rheault, John Bowen, Louise Little, David Cowie

Agenda Items

Acceptance of Meeting Minutes:

August 13, 2025-Motion to accept meeting minutes: The motion was made by D. Herzlinger and
 seconded by M. Carey. Motion passed 6 yes votes, 1 abstention

New Business

Secretary's Report- D. Herzlinger reports that he has been in contact with the previous secretary,
 and he will provide an update on the Annual Report at the next meeting.

Treasurer's Report-R. Foster is coordinating with the previous treasurer and will be prepared with
 a financial report at the next meeting.

Old Business

Sumner Court proposal-




 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov
Discussion and Motion Regarding the Proposed Sale of Sumner Court Property:

Update on Sumner Court Property Proposal J. Kachmar provided an update on the request to sell
the property at Sumner Court. This included a recap of the recent site visit and a discussion of the
procedural next steps.

Departmental Support- E. Hipple communicated to J. Kachmar that the proposal to sell the
property does not have the support of the department heads from the Parks, Recreation &
Facilities Department, Public Works, and Planning and Urban Development.

Motion to Postpone Indefinitely R. Foster made a motion to postpone indefinitely the decision on
the Sumner Court property. J. Kachmar, A. Marshall, and D. Roncarati provided clarification on the
meaning and implications of an indefinite postponement. The motion was seconded by M. Carey.

Vote- The motion to postpone indefinitely passed with a vote of 7-0. The proposal is postponed
indefinitely, meaning no further action will be taken on this matter by the commission at this
time.

Communications and Updates

Parks Division Report- A. Marshall provided updates and answered commission questions on the
following projects:

 ●​ Preble field ribbon cutting
 ●​ Lincoln Park Fence
 ●​ Stroudwater Bridge bid proposal
 ●​ Maine Conservation Corps to spend 9 days at Riverton Trolley Park
 ●​ Dougherty Field renovation project

Parks Commission Report-R. Foster provided an update on the September 4, 2025, Parks
Commission meeting.

 ●​ Back Cove Music Festival
 ●​ 2027 CIP project selection process

Murray St.-D. Herzlinger provides an update on the letters of interest that were sent to the
property owners. J. Kachmar will work with D. Herzlinger on what the next steps need to be
taken.

Land Bank Community Outreach and PR- M. Carey opens the discussion about how the
commission can better communicate the need to balance the need for conservation land while
also promoting development on land that is appropriate to do so. Collaborate with Planning and
Urban Development more towards the common cause.

Redlon- M. Carey reported that the owner of the Barry parcels has not responded to the letter of
inquiry. The allocations list should be reviewed and could be a topic for a future agenda.




 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov
Commissioner Requests for Agenda Items

 ●​ Allocations list review
 ●​ Project list review
 ●​ Low Impact Development ordinance
 ●​ Davis Farm Rd.

Adjournment




 212 Canco Road, Suite A, Portland, Maine 04103 | parkscommission@portlandmaine.gov