By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

Kennebunkport is receiving a Shore and Harbor Planning Grant of $5,000, one of 11 coastal communities receiving at total of $140,000 in grants, according to Maine Department of Conservation officials. 

Cape Porpoise and Goose Rocks Harbormaster Lee McCurdy said the funds are designated to create a mooring plan, map the current locations of nearly 300 privately owned moorings and create regulations to further control the placement of future moorings.

“We’re trying to get a grip on overcrowding and get a little more organized,” McCurdy said. 

The grant program is administered by the Maine Coastal Program, with funding support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Submerged Lands Program. Maine Coastal Program Senior Planner Jim Connors said Kennebunkport is expected to match 25 percent of the $5,000 grant with funding or in-kind services.

Kennebunkport Town Planner Werner Gilliam said Town Manager Larry Mead brought the grant opportunity to his attention. In coordination with McCurdy, Gilliam applied for the grant to help fund the process of developing a mooring plan. 

McCurdy said he hopes to sit down with local fisherman and the Cape Porpoise Pier Advisory Committee to discuss the best ways to go about mapping the locations. He said he also wants to create minimum standards and ordinances with their help.

“It’s a hard process to get started and it’s always a process in progress,” McCurdy said. “For most people it is in their best interest.”

Boat owners have experienced a few mooring breaks in the area with minimal property damage, McCurdy said. With a mooring plan, he said it would be easier to identify who is responsible for which mooring and have standards in place to handle such situations. 

Shore and Harbor Planning grants are designed to promote sound waterfront planning, harbor management and balanced development of shore and harbor areas to improve marine infrastructure and to ensure access to the shore, Connors said. 

Using a Geographical Information Systems, Connors said the technology will help them collect data on all the mooring locations and create a comprehensive review. 

“We’re trying to help coastal towns work on planning to improve public access to the water,” Connors said. 

The grant is funded by leasing of public submerged lands for private uses such as private piers, marinas, and boatyards, according to a release from the Department of Conservation. 

Staff writer Emma Bouthillette can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 237.