Insider Notebook: Kingfield voters make Shiloh Pond conservation official

A pond surrounding by pine trees glowing pink and purple in a sunset

Courtesy / Adam and Laura Casey Shiloh Pond, in Kingfield, is now owned by the town. It's northern Franklin County's first conservation land.

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By Maureen Milliken

Residents of Kingfield Sept. 22 accepted Shiloh Pond and 215 surrounding acres for the town, and it's now northern Franklin County's first-ever conservation land.

The town, with help from High Peaks Alliance, had been working to conserve the property in partnership with the Trust for Public Land for a few years. The trust bought the property for $355,000 in August and gave it to the town. That was made official by the 119-64 vote last week.

The parcel is off Route 27, north of Kingfield, and close enough to Sugarloaf Mountain and Saddleback ski areas that those who worked to protect it were concerned it would be developed. It includes 68.2 acres of wetlands, a 1.98-acre pond, as well as 20-acre Shiloh Pond, which is home to a population of naturally reproducing Eastern brook trout, as well as loons, shorebirds, moose, black bears, whitetail deer and ruffed grouse.

"Land ownership patterns in the region have been shifting quickly in recent years, with large parcels being divided, land being posted and gates erected," said Brent West, High Peaks Alliance executive director, in a news release. "If we want to preserve the way of life that makes Maine's High Peaks region so unique, the time to act is now."

Public access has historically been allowed on the land, and the conservation effort allows fishing and hunting, which is what caught the eye of MeatEater, a Montana outdoor lifestyle company. MeatEater took up the cause in August, holding an auction that helped the stakeholders buy the land.

CES moves into new Bangor digs

Engineering firm CES Inc. has moved into new quarters at One Merchants Plaza, in Bangor. The company of engineers, environmental scientists and land surveyors, has added staff and needed expanded space, said CEO and President Denis St. Peter.

CES has leased 18,000 square feet on the top two floors of the building. Owner is David St. Germain of Sky Villa LLC has collaborated with CES, helping find creative ways to work with their space needs. Interior design team was Bowerbird Design Collective, as well as the CES in-house engineering and architectural design team. Bowman Constructors of Newport handled the renovations.

"We were able to meet and exceed our vision of a functional work space with a modern configuration that capitalizes on the natural light and building layout that is conducive to our operation," St. Peter said. The Bangor Daily News also agreed to move its sign to the first floor to allow more exposure for the company, he said.

Saddleback solar public hearing set

Speaking of Franklin County, the Land Use Planning Commission has set Tuesday, Oct. 14, for a public hearing on a request by Arctaris Saddleback Co., owners of Saddleback Mountain, to rezone 1,090 acres to allow a solar array, individual solar installations and a mid-mountain lodge.

The solar array would be on 30 acres in Dallas Plantation; the 6,400-acre property spans four plantations. The LUPC oversees land planning in the state's unorganized territories.